Sixty years ago, a young English rugby player met the woman of his dreams at a dance in Dublin. Now, at age 79, he’s on a mad search for her. Have you seen Bridie Fortune?

It was 1958 when sparks flew between the two. Michael Freer’s rugby team was on tour, and after a match at Landsdowne Road Stadium, he and his teammates were out on the town when he met Bridie Fortune.

In an interview with Newstalk he described her as “a very nice girl – small, dark-haired, attractive and very pleasant, and very easy to get on with.”

They wrote to each other for a few years before they finally set a date to meet in London. Unfortunately, Freer, who was working for the police force at the time, had to leave Bridie hanging because of an urgent police case.

Bridie had already purchased two tickets for the theater. “I felt very embarrassed and also sorry,” Freer said. He regrets not being able to repay her or apologize. They never spoke again.

“I have always thought about her over the years. I feel I let her down quite badly,” he admits. Today, Michael Freer is a widower, and with his daughters living overseas, he admits to being quite lonely.

He has been on a dedicated search for Bridie Fortune, and has gotten in touch with numerous women of the same name, to no avail. He even contacted the undertaker of a deceased Bridie Fortune for information. Luckily, Freer knew that Ms. Fortune’s brother was a priest, and the undertaker confirmed that this wasn’t true of the deceased.

After so many years, Bridie could be anywhere – but if you have any leads, be sure to contact [email protected].

Let’s help this man find his long lost love.

Listen to the full interview here: