These three relationships started the old-fashioned way (forget the apps), with romantic stories that could have been lifted straight from a rom-com

Julie Gartland and Daniel Coady at The Applemarket, Waterford City, the place where they met. Photograph: Patrick Browne
Once upon a time, people met the great love of their life in a way that didn’t involve diving into the swampy underworld of online dating.
This Valentine’s Day week, we present you with three love stories that began in the most unexpected of ways.