Folk singer Aoife Scott has revealed how her backing musician boyfriend popped the question after they returned from India where they were part of a travelling delegation with the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Just five weeks ago, during the trip to India, Scott suggested to her boyfriend of 11 years, Andy Meany, that they change their ticket and extend their time there to arrive home on Christmas Eve.
Laughing, she admits 'I should have known then something was up' when he flatly refused.
The couple flew back to Dublin as scheduled, and two days later he proposed while they were on a romantic walk in Dublin.
Scott told the Irish Mail on Sunday: 'We'd been out in India for a week or nine days and the gig came to an end, and I said: "Why don't we stay on for an extra few days?" We didn't have to be back for anything.
'Usually he'd be very easy going about things like that but he was adamant that he wanted to go home I found out later that he had to collect the ring from the jewellers. So we ended up going to the Stella cinema in Rathmines where we go every Christmas to see a Muppets Christmas Carol, my favourite Christmas movie.
'Afterwards, he suggested a walk and we ended up in Dartmouth Square on the same bench where we sat on our second-ever date and I was thinking, "What are we doing here?" And he started rustling in his pocket' She added: 'Yeah, it's great, I'm delighted to be his fiancée.'
Scott's star has been rising since she recorded the traditional ballad Grace with her musical cousins, Danny O'Reilly of the Coronas and Roisin O, topped the Irish iTunes chart in 2016.
Her solo single All Along the Wild Atlantic Way also topped the chart and she is also now a presenter on RTÉ Radio 1's Late Date. Scott also presents Women of Note at St Patrick's Cathedral on Wednesday as part of Dublin's Tradfest.
Her musical success is hardly surprising, given that her mum is Frances Black and music is in the DNA of her extended family.
'The first thing people usually know about me is that I'm part of the Black family. I learnt singing when I was growing up from my mam, my aunty Mary and my nana,' she said.
'There were always sing songs in our house. After any family event, there would be a sing-song, everyone had to do their piece.'
She now gigs extensively abroad, including representing her country on missions with the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The musician said her broadcasting career began after she did an online course on radio presenting from her Kildare home during the lockdown.
'It's great to be able to gig, and then when I'm home to be able to fill in on Radio 1 - I'm privileged,' she said.
'It's been huge learning curve because I'd never presented before. I'd learnt a lot on the online course, but I'd never done live radio, and it was like jumping out of an airplane and panicking that your parachute wouldn't open but of course it does.
Scott said her fellow RTÉ presenters have been an inspiration.
'I listen to John Creedon and try to learn from him. I remember in particular listening on the night Sinéad O'Connor died, and that was such a great show he did. I pulled over the car and listened and I felt part of a wider thing, all these people in shock over her death and he brought everyone together.'
Scott also has huge affection for the annual Dublin Tradfest and credits it with kickstarting her singing career.
'I had my first ever album out and they gave me my first proper solo gigs,' she said.
