The secret to true love . . .

Six couples tell PAMELA DUNCANabou the key to a good relationship

Claire Rochet from France and Ondøej Veluch from the Czech Republic

Together for:Three months

How did you meet?

Ondøej: "We are flatmates"

What is the most romantic thing you've done together?

Claire: Yes, he bought me flowers - two bunches of flowers - that's the most romantic thing.

What do you think is the secret to a good relationship?

Ondøej: "Sometimes go to the park, you know, spend Sundays together. Sometimes when you're working you don't see each other too much during the week. I don't know - we are only a few months together - we must find the secret. But compromise is important."

Jane and Ryan Martin with their children Adam and Chloë

Together for:10 years

How did you meet?

Jane: "We met in the Odeon, a pub in town, through friends. A drunken night out! We were just out with mutual friends and we just met that night."

How did you propose?

Ryan: "I proposed in Paris. It was over a meal wasn't it?"

Jane: "Yeah it was over a meal in Paris."

What do you think is the secret to a good relationship?

Jane: "Being friends. Just talking and working things out. And patience."

Ryan: "Patience, a lot of patience.

Simon Easton, originally from England, and Marian Dekker from Holland

Together for:Almost two and a half years

How did you meet?

Simon: "I used to have a shop in Holland and she came into the shop one day and...she saw a carpet that she liked. I was closing down the shop...and there was a small carpet there that she liked but she said she wasn't sure if it would fit and this and that so I said, take it and if you don't like it bring it back tomorrow. And she came back the following day."

What is the most romantic thing you've done together?

Marian: "It was really romantic in Braga in Portugal. It's a really romantic city. And he's done romantic stuff like putting flowers on the floor."

Simon: "Oh yeah, I did that! Two years ago she went to the States with a friend of hers and when she came back her bed was covered in flowers."

Marian: "And he'd cleaned my whole house."

Simon: "See, that's romantic!"

What do you think is the secret to a good relationship?

Simon: "Communication. And doing nice things together as well."

Marian: "To be attractive for each other. Not just thinking - I have a free weekend and I don't have to go to work so I'm going to put on my old trousers, you know. You're seeing each other so it's also important then to dress well and give each other the feeling that you respect and like each other."

Sharon Kolkmeyer, who was born in Ireland and her German boyfriend Christopher Braun

Together for:One year and a few months.

How did you meet?

Sharon: "We met at work. We used to work in the same company."

What is the most romantic thing you've done together?

Sharon: "The most romantic thing? Gosh, I don't know. Is that a bad sign? I think he's the most thoughtful and most romantic in the relationship. He does the cooking."

Christopher: "Yeah, I make breakfast, lunch."

Sharon: "He would get up in the morning and make coffee or do the breakfast."

What do you think is the secret to a good relationship?

Sharon :"Work on it - like listen to the other person and make compromises."

Christopher: "Say what you think - don't just keep it in your mind."

Sharon: "And be honest."

John Ellis and his Japanese girlfriend, Tomoko Akiba

Together for:Just over four years.

How did you meet?

John: "We met backpacking in Australia. We met in Cairns in North Queensland. She's here on her working holiday visa at the moment. This is her sixth time in Ireland. We just keep going back and forward."

What is the most romantic thing you've done together?

John: "I'm a bit more romantic thing I think. What's the most romantic thing we've ever done? I don't know. I get her flowers occasionally. You know, not on any special occasions or anything like that and little bits of jewellery, things like that. I suppose we've always had a really romantic time together at Christmas.

What do you think is the secret to a good relationship?

John: "You have to love each other obviously. Just talking about things."

Tomoko: "Trust and talk every day about everything."

Gavin Keegan and Jazmin Sutcliffe

Together for:A year.

How did you meet?

Gavin: "I was walking in the street and I just seen her."

Jazmin: "He asked me for a smoke and he's still bumming off me" (laughing).

What is the most romantic thing you've done together?

Gavin: "Gave her back cigarettes."

Jazmin: "He gave me flowers before but I gave them away. I gave them to my mother!"

What do you think is the secret to a good relationship?

Jazmin: "Having fun. We have a good laugh together. And I love him. But he doesn't love me."

Gavin: "Yeah, I do."