February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Andrew Bushe
DUBLIN — An American who lost a late-night betting game in a County Kerry hotel bought 4,000 red roses for President Clinton’s daughter, Chelsea, to settle his wager.
Pat Galvin, manager of Benner’s Hotel in Dingle, said he has the £10,000 check for the flowers, which he was offered as proof the bet had been honored.
Galvin said the American, Sean Shanahan of Boston, had been staying in the hotel and claimed he had taken out the president’s daughter.
"He and another American were playing a betting game called three fingers, which you play with your hand," Galvin said. "It was late at night and the bet was that whoever lost would send the flowers — 4,000 red roses.
"I am planning to get the check framed as a memento. We don’t have many betting games like that in the hotel."
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Galvin said the man, who in his late 20s, had a pet parrot with him that often sat on his shoulder during his stay in the town.
The manager said that both of the guests involved in the bet had left for America before Christmas.
Sheehy’s florists in Dingle confirmed they had processed the order for the flowers for delivery to the White House in Washington.
"The flowers were sent by a tele-order, but we are making no other comment on the matter," a spokeswoman said.