Woman flies 7,000 miles to meet a stranger she matched with at the airport

How far would you go for love?

For Clodagh O’Sullivan, 22, the answer is simple: 7,000 miles or so.

That’s how far she journeyed to meet Brady Elliot, 25, who back then was a stranger who she had matched with on Tinder.

Now, they’re in love and have just welcomed their first child.

The couple’s adventure began in July 2019, when American Brady Elliot was in the airport preparing to fly home to Hawaii after a trip to Ireland.

While in the airport, he matched with Ireland local Clodagh on Tinder, and they felt an instant connection.

They messaged and chatted on the phone for three months, then in November 2019, Clodagh decided to take the plunge and fly to Hawaii – where Brady was stationed as navy marine medic – to meet the man of her dreams.

The couple said it was ‘love at first sight’ when they first lay eyes on each other, and Clodagh returned to spend Christmas and New Year with his family, where he’s from, in Florida, USA.

They made things official, then in 2020, Clodagh became pregnant. By December 2020, Brady had moved to Dingle, Ireland, and now the couple and their baby are loving life together.

Clodagh, a bartender from Dingle, said: ‘Never in a million years did I think I would fall in love and start a family after accepting that Tinder message.

‘I nearly talked myself out of going to meet him.

‘For all I knew, he was some 80-year-old man catfishing me.

‘But I’m so glad I booked the flight and took the punt. As soon as we met, I knew he was the one.’

When Brady, who was on holiday in Ireland, booked a daytrip to Cliffs of Moore in Dingle – Clodagh was in her hometown Dingle, Ireland, when she checked her Tinder app in July 2019.

Shortly after leaving the cliffs, Brady opened his app and started swiping while sat in the airport, waiting for his flight home.

Despite matching with one another, they didn’t have the chance to meet before Brady, a musician, flew back to Hawaii for work.

Clodagh said: ‘Brady was on a day trip to Cliffs of Moher, Dingle, so our apps must have been in proximity for about hour when we matched.

‘It’s really lucky we crossed paths.

‘I couldn’t really see his photos on Tinder so I wasn’t that interested, but he then sent me a funny meme from the Office and it made me laugh.

‘He was about to fly so couldn’t meet in person, but asked to add me on Instagram, and we started sending messages and speaking.

‘To be honest, I didn’t expect anything to really come from it.’

The pair started chatting daily and spent hours on FaceTime getting to know each other.

Clodagh even spoke to Brady’s friends and family, and she quickly fell head over heels for him.

A few months later, in November 2019, Brady plucked up the courage to invite her over to visit him – 7,000 miles away in Hawaii.

It would be the first time they had met face-to-face and despite being cautious, Clodagh booked a ticket and hopped on a plane.

‘Even though we had spoken on FaceTime, I was still very unsure,’ she said.

‘It’s really not like me to do something so spontaneous.

‘I did worry I wouldn’t feel the same when we met in person, but I definitely felt a spark straight away.’

Clodagh had only planned to stay for a week, but ended up sticking around for an extra seven days. She then came back over to spend Christmas and the New Year together.

Despite Covid making journeying to each other difficult, the couple managed to see each other whenever they could.

It was during a trip to Jamaica that Clodagh fell pregnant with their son, Jamie, who arrived on July 23, 2021.

Brady moved to Dingle shortly afterwards, and now the couple hope to tie the knot next.

‘We didn’t plan to have a baby, but it was the best surprise,’ said Clodagh.

‘Since Jamie was born, Brady has moved to Dingle, and we’ve got a house together.

‘I never thought anything like this would ever happen.

‘But things felt right with Brady, and I had to follow my heart.’

Brady said: ‘We matched on the last day of my vacation, and I thought she was gorgeous.

‘I was pretty obsessed with her from the get-go.

‘Even though it seemed a bit silly to keep texting someone two oceans away.

‘I asked the universe for a sign and then Nancy Mulligan came on by Ed Sheeran, and I knew for sure it was meant to be.

‘I kept asking her to visit me in Hawaii because I knew she was something insanely special.

‘We kept talking for months and call nonstop and finally got her a ticket.

‘Meeting her at the airport was the most nerve-racking day of my life.

‘I knew Clodagh was the one right there in that airport and our first few weeks together felt like we had known each other through a thousand lifetimes.

‘Living in Ireland is amazing – I never would have imagined living in a different country.

‘But living here with her and our little baby boy is the most surreal thing I will ever experience, and I love every second of it.’