Local Man Rocking Same Jacket 30 Years Now

“I’ve got bathroom towels older than you, kid,” local man Dessie Casey opened up in defence of his fawn suede jacket which he purchased from Woolworths in Waterford in 1989.

“This jacket is now part of me. I’ve been wearing it so long now that when I don’t, people fail to recognise me on the street,” he added, now caressing the sleeve against his face, almost romantically.

Despite attempts to recycle it in the numerous charity shops around Waterford, wife Tanya Casey said she has come to accept her husbands garment, which they have since christened with the name Betsy. 

“Betsy was probably the reason I first laid eyes on Dessie in 1989, “she recalled, reminiscing of the time the couple first met. “Back then she was a lot more vibrant and not frayed around the elbows. She’s seen a lot of good and bad times and I suppose Dessie and I have a sentimental attachment to her at this stage – he’ll never part with her and I realise that now”.

In the constitution of Ireland, jackets can be worn for up to 35 years before they have to be decommissioned under a state law which stipulates that no man, woman or child in Ireland can wear a jacket for more than 35 years, unless they work in a civil servant role or is currently serving as a Sinn Féin TD.