Steven Laverty decided tattooing his eyelids was a good idea. Photo / CATERS
Steven Laverty decided tattooing his eyelids was a good idea. Photo / CATERS
A dad-of-one is worried a bachelor party stunt he took too far may have ruined his chances of finding love - after he got his eyelids tattooed.
Steven Laverty sneaked off during the three-day drinking binge to get the Northern Irish phrase "what about ye" inked across both eyelids despite a warning from pals - and his mother - not to do it.
Steven, from east Belfast, was in Spain as part of a 15-strong group celebrating his cousin James' upcoming marriage.
And the call centre worker came home with an unwanted present after he drunkenly decided to go ahead with the €22 ($30) tattoo.
Steven opted for the phrase "What about ye" across his eyelids. Photo / CATERS
The phrase is widely used in Northern Ireland as a colloquial greeting meaning "how are you?".
Now singleton Steven is worried what potential love interests might think and fears his one-year-old child Tommy will grow up to think he is an "idiot".
Steven, 24, said: "It was all a bit of a blur. Obviously I regret it now but at the time I clearly thought it was a good idea.
"I had to take my wee lad, Tommy, to nursery and I was just keeping my head down and hoping nobody recognised me. I saw someone I knew and tried not to look at them for fear they would see the tattoos.
"I don't know how I'm going to chat up women in the future. Just go up and stare at them maybe? There's bound to be someone who likes them [the tattoos].
Steven says his mother had warned him not to do anything silly. Photo / CATERS
"Tommy's mum has seen it. She wasn't best pleased to put it lightly. It might be a bit of struggle to talking to strangers now, especially women.
"I haven't been back to work yet but apparently it's the talk of the place.
"I've got a few daft tattoos and I'd been talking about this one but the rest of the lads wouldn't let me go.
"We'd been in the bar all afternoon, I can't remember if it was Sunday or Monday, but they all went for a walk down to the beach and I just ducked out.
"I didn't know where the tattoo parlour was so I just walked until I found it. I told them what I wanted and that was that.
"The fella wanted €60 for it but I only had €22 so that's what I gave him."
Steven jetted out to Benidorm from Belfast on Saturday for a three-night stay and admitted he 'lost count' of how much he had to drink before going under the needle.
The new ink adds to a collection of tattoos which also includes a finger sleeve and work on his arms and bum.
Steven said: "It was pretty much non-stop drinking from the point we got to the airport until we got home. The lads who went are all a bunch of rockets but I had to be the one who took things too far.
"I got a finger sleeve when I was in Las Vegas last year and my mum warned me this time not to do anything silly. She knows what I'm like.
"When I had a few drinks in me I was telling everyone I was going to do it but my other cousin Ryan talked me out of it. Then when everyone went to the beach, I just thought: 'F*** it'.
"It's not even like the words mean much to me. 'What about ye' is just a saying. When everyone saw it they just laughed their heads off at me."
