3 months ago
23
IRELAND’S 2024 Six Nations campaign is very nearly upon us.
Andy Farrell’s men will travel to Marseille for their opening game against France as they look to defend their Grand Slam crown.
Ireland open their Six Nations campaign against France on FridayThey will be without a host of names for the game, including the retired Johnny Sexton, Andrew Conway, and Keith Earls.
Meanwhile, the likes of Jimmy O’Brien, Dave Kilcoyne, and Mack Hansen are out through injury.
Friday will be their first piece of competitive action since the Rugby World Cup, from which they were eliminated by New Zealand in the quarter-finals.
Despite the underwhelming result, that summer was an enjoyable one for the players, who were joined by their families in France.
This led to regular days out in the various towns and cities in which they played, including one sunny excursion around Bordeaux.
And here, SunSport takes a look at some of those dream familial pairings.
Peter O’Mahony & Jessica Moloney
O’Mahony has been married to Jessica Moloney for four years but last year they decided to have a second wedding after their first tying of the knot occurred during Covid lockdown in 2020.
In September 2023, they got married in a stunning ceremony at Aix-en-Provence in the south of France.
Instagram/peteomahonyBoth exchanged vows as they married after a long-term relationship.
Many of the guests were Ireland and Munster rugby teammates, including Ireland legend Johnny Sexton, whom O’Mahony succeeded as captain.
The pair have two sons and a daughter. Indie is the eldest at seven, Theo is four and youngest Ralph is just two-years-old.
At home, Peter is well known for taking care of rugby’s best gardens and is often praised for having a green thumb.
The Munster star often takes to Instagram to share photos and updates on his garden.
Josh van der Flier & Sophie De Patoul
Josh van der Flier wed Sophie De Patoul in August of 2023 at Luttrellstown Castle in Dublin.
The 29-year-old shared two images of the happy couple on his Instagram account, with the date of their wedding as the caption.
Instagram/sophie_depatoulIn one, the pair are walking down the aisle after marrying and in another, they are outside the castle in front of a vintage car.
Sophie also shared a number of photos, where she said she ‘got to marry her best friend.’
Josh and Sophie started dating in April 2019 and he popped the question in July 2021.
She had her hen party with friends in Portugal and said the wedding was ‘a dream.’
Rugby star Josh has been playing for Ireland since 2016, when he started in the Six Nations against England at Twickenham.
Tadhg Beirne & Harriet Fuller
Tadhg Beirne romantically tied the knot with long-time partner Harriet Fuller in late 2022.
However, the beautiful occasion was almost very different, according to the bride.
Instagram/tadhgbeirne
Instagram/tadhgbeirneMunster’s lock proposed to Fuller in December 2020 at Limerick‘s Adare Manor.
The happy couple got married in August 2022 in a stunning castle wedding in Co. Kildare.
They solidified their vows at Kilkea Castle with friends and family as they enjoyed a lavish ceremony.
The Ireland and Munster lock shared a number of photos from the happy day on social media, including an up-close look at his wife’s white wedding dress.
However, in a Q&A on Instagram, Harriet revealed that said gown was almost completely different as a result of an ill-judged blunder on her part.
She said: “I actually said yes to a different dress before this one. I honestly didn’t enjoy trying on wedding dresses, so I was quick to get it over with.
“After a couple of months, I knew I’d made a mistake as I always wanted a big dress and thankfully I was in a position to change it.
“So moral of the story, try and enjoy yourself and take some time out to think about what you really want for you, and for anyone else x”
Andrew Porter & Elaine Sutton
On the day Ireland won the Grand Slam, many of the stars invited their families onto the pitch to celebrate the win.
That included Porter, who was photographed alongside fiancee Elaine Sutton, whom he also brought along to a subsequent, more formal function, at which the partying began.
Andrew Porter and Elaine Sutton got engaged last summer and have been together for five yearsAlongside of the adorable couple at the function while holding the Triple Crown trophy, he said: “A day to remember”
Elaine, meanwhile, said: “Never been more proud to be Irish 
”
Porter and Elaine have been together for five years, and got engaged in the summer of 2022.
Coming after Ireland’s historic series win in New Zealand over the All Blacks, Porter popped the question in Nice.
Alongside a photo of the two shared on Instagram, he said: “”23. 7. 2022 
. I love you @elainecsutton.”
Elaine, meanwhile, said: “I get to marry my best friend!!! Easiest yes ever.”
The wonderful news attracted a variety of congratulations, including from several of Porter’s Ireland teammates.
Conor Murray & Joanna Cooper
Conor Murray is relatively open about his private life with model wife Joanna Cooper.
The pair first met on a night out in 2017 but interestingly it wasn’t exactly a case of instant attraction.
Conor Murray and Joanna Cooper during their weddingMurray and Cooper tied the knot in June 2023 after jetting themselves and a large group of their family and friends to the Algarve in Portugal for a lavish ceremony.
When it came to the wedding itself, Murray swaggered in a charcoal grey suit, while Joanna was resplendent in a strapless white dress.
29-year-old Derry native Joanna is also a huge advocate for The Alzheimer Society of Ireland.
It’s a cause close to her heart as she revealed in February that her mother has been dealing with the condition for two years.
Paul O’Connell & Emily O’Leary
Ireland’s forwards coach Paul O’Connell married Emily O’Leary in the south of France in July 2013.
While plenty of familiar faces were in attendance such as Donnacha O’Callaghan, Ronan O’Gara, Keith Wood, Jerry Flannery and Alan Quinlan, there were also a few gatecrashers present as O’Connell revealed in an appearance on the Potholes & Penguins podcast.
Paul O’Connell and his wife Emily O’leary have three kidsO’Connell is a doting dad of three kids, Paddy (13), Lola (8), and Felix (5).
Their eldest son, Paddy, was born in April 2010, while daughter Lola arrived in November 2014.
Paul and Emily’s youngest, Felix, was born in November 2017.
Andy Farrell & Colleen O’Loughlin
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell married childhood sweetheart Colleen in 1995.
They have four children together, Gabriel, Gracie, Elleshia, and most famously Owen, who is a legendary England international.
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell with his wife Colleen, left, grandson Freddie, son Gabriel and daughter Elleshia during the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Ireland and England at the Aviva Stadium in DublinSeb Daly/SportsfileHis entire family was in tow to help Farrell celebrate leading Ireland to the Grand Slam last year.
Understandably, Owen was not as overjoyed, having been on the receiving end of the result that clinched his dad’s team’s first ever Grand Slam on home soil.
The out-half, who recently completed an unlikely move to Racing92, had his disappointment alleviated by his dad on the day.
Andy’s exploits as Ireland head coach since succeeding Joe Scmidt saw him given a contract extension in December, keeping him at the helm until 2027.
And his ever burgeoning reputation also saw him appointed as the British & Irish Lions head coach for its tour of Australia in 2025.
Garry Ringrose & Ellen Beirne
Leinster and Ireland centre Garry Ringrose was the most recent of his teammates to tie the knot.
The 29-year-old tied the knot with long-time partner Ellen Beirne last June, shortly before the Rugby World Cup.
Among the many names who attended the wedding were Josh van der Flier, James Lowe, Joey Carbery, and others.
Josh’s wife Sophie took to Instagram to share pictures with her husband and his teammates as the glamourous reception.
Earlier in the year, Ringrose was the epicentre of a different kind of celebrations as he hosted an Ireland team party following their Grand Slam win.
Footage emerged of the team arriving at the South Dublin family home with bottles and cans of beer before marching into the house to continue the celebrations.
Bundee Aki & Kayla
Bundee and Kayla got married back in 2018 and they had their ceremony in their native New Zealand.
They have three daughters – Armani-Jade, Adrianna and Ailbhe – and one son – Andronicus.
After a poor experience in the hospital the first time around, Kayla decided to do a home-birth for the rest of their kids.
Bundee is a big family man and is constantly sharing photos of his loved ones on social media.
After the World Cup opener against Romania, he shared a post of his son and his wife also posted a snap as the kid wore a replica shirt with his dad’s name and number on the back.
The Ireland star scored two tries in the whopping 82-8 win as the Connacht centre went on to be one of Ireland’s Players of the Tournament.
He was nominated for World Player of the Year, and attended the ceremony in October alongside his wife.
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