EP proposal – music fan says ‘yes!’

VENICE, Paris, New York, Caribbean beaches, all have been well-exercised locations for the hairier of the pair to drop on one knee and offer a tiny lump of pressurized carbon, but a Quizzy Van in a field in Laois?

Well, that turned out to be the dream venue for a couple from Athy, who finally got engaged after 20 years in a most curious corner of the Electric Picnic last week.

Jess Scott (43), a schoolteacher at Scoil Mhicil Naofa in Athy was the sweepee, while her partner of two decades – farmer Andrew Finn (46) - was the sweeper, in this highly original proposal at a table quiz in the trailer field.

“Yes, I was proposed to at a table quiz at the Electric Picnic – the Quizzy Van in the trailer park!” laughed Jess.

(We were put in touch with this great story by Jess’ friend, our very own Sales Manager Sandra ‘The Nagleator’ Nagle, herself an Olympic standard pup.) 

“It was brilliant, we always go, but never expected the Quizzy Van, and the music quiz, but it’s been on our to-do-list,” said Jess.

“To be fair, we had been talking about marriage recently, but I never expected this!” she laughed.

“We were there on the Friday night, and Andrew thought ‘could this be the place?’ “He had the idea, and he ran it past our friends, and they were all like: “Oh, it’s SOOO ye!” “So, he spoke to the Quizzy Van man, and he said it was alright,” explained Jess.

(The Quizzy Van is a curious thing, that was sort of spawned out of the production team at the Helix in DCU, and only comes out just once a year.) 

“I think it [the proposal] was supposed to happen earlier in the day, but Andrew had to work, and so it happened much later,” she said.

“They re-opened around half midnight and let one run through, then asked for two more teams, and ours was called. I had no idea!” she chuckled.

“They set the questions up! I was asked about my favourite songs, and I thought I was amazing!” she roared.

“Then it was the last question of the night, and they handed the mic to Andrew, and I nearly died!

“I am not one for the limelight, but it was great fun, it was fabulous, and then we had great celebrations!.

“We had about 12 people with us, but there were about 100 in the crowd!

“Yeah, I’m 43 and he’s 46,” said Jess when formally asked, “he’s dragged it out for 20 years, but he did it!” “He made a big show when he finally did it, and both sides are delighted, and the kids are thrilled,” she said.

(These are Finn, 20, Adi, 13, Jools, 11, and Penny, 10.) In the meantime, Jess returns to school next week, while Andrew is already back on the family farm in Milltown, before they start planning the big day out in Nerja, Spain in June 2025.

“Sandra will there, please God [I told ye], and all that’s in the works now,” beamed Jess.

And the Picnic memories?

“Oh, we go every year, it’s our favourite weekend of the year!” declared Athy’s newest BtB.

“When people heard what we did they were like, Oh my God! That’s your favourite place! It’s so you!” 

“There’s plenty of laughter around us,” she concluded, most comfortably.