Cork model Aoife O'Sullivan and GAA sports star Colm Spillane have just announced the gender of their first child, but how did their happy ever after come to be?
Aoife, who won the Miss Ireland crown in 2018, works as a primary school teacher in Glounthaune in Cork City, and Colm, who announced his retirement from inter-county games in 2021 due to injury, is also a maths and PE teacher.
She previously told EVOKE that while she and her now-husband work in the same field, the stars aligned to unite them in a completely different way.
How they met
Aoife told us: 'Colm would be two years older than me and I was studying and in college and Limerick but he was studying in Cork. So our paths just never crossed.' They met in a now-traditionally modern way in 2017 — online.
Sparks flew pretty instantaneously, as she reminisced: 'We went out on our first date and we were going out within five weeks. People say it was always meant to be but obviously, well, you know, Ireland is a small place. You would think we would have met before then but we didn't.'
Throughout their relationship, their summers were always taken up with the GAA season so after Colm retired, they booked a long overdue sun holiday — a month-long adventure to hit Italy and go on to the Philippines afterwards.
Popping the question
Aoife and Colm announced their engagement in 2022 after he got down on bended knee in highly romantic style while they were enjoying a sunset cruise on the Amalfi Coast in Italy.
Recounting the fateful night when he asked the all-important question, Aoife revealed that Colm rented a private boat and only told the skipper minutes before that he was planning to pop the question.
'He did an amazing job, it couldn't have been any better,' Aoife said proudly.
There was cause for even more jubilation as it was the former Rebel defender's birthday the following day and they celebrated both milestones with a trip to the island of Capri where she said she was delighted to be able to deflect some of the attention!
Putting a hold on their wedding plans
Although they got engaged in 2022, Aoife and Colm put a hold on their wedding plans. Chatting to RSVP Aoife spoke of how, due to several family commitments, they've had to be patient about getting their own big day.
She said: 'To be honest, there is a huge backlog of weddings between family and friends post Covid. Even if we wanted to get married this summer, we wouldn't have been able to get the dates.'
Preparing for their big day
Although they waited almost two years after the question was popped to tie the knot, Aoife and Colm made the most of the process and celebrated the milestones along the way.
There was Aoife's sun-soaked hen to Spain, which saw her bride tribe pull out all the stops to give Aoife a fabulous weekend away, and the couple enjoyed a visit to their venue for the wedding menu tasting.
Another milestone to celebrate
As if planning a wedding wasn't enough, the couple has also been building their dream home. Chatting to EVOKE about how the two big milestones have fallen at the same time in March 2024, Aoife said: 'Both things are extremely enjoyable and I'm well aware of how lucky I am to be in this position. We want to look back in a few years fondly on this time which is such a big year for us.
'They are a little different as the house is more the two of us and the wedding has more family and friends involved. It's not too stressful at the moment honestly and I've been trying to split my time between the two things - one evening I'll dedicate to researching bathrooms then the next it'll be looking up spray tans!'
Saying 'I do'
Aoife and Colm finally said I Do on Friday, June 21, 2024, at Mount Juliet Estate in Co Kilkenny. Aoife looked every inch the beautiful bride in an off-the-shoulder gown with a lengthy train.
She wore a floor-length veil clipped into her long brown locks and held a bouquet of pretty white and blue flowers in the first picture from the wedding day.
A little one on the way
Aoife and Colm announced in May 2025 that they're embarking on the 'best chapter' of their lives yet.
In a sun-soaked video, the former Miss Ireland is seen cradling her growing baby bump as she and Colm exchange looks of love and he kisses the mum-to-be on the cheek.
In June 2025, Aoife revealed she and Colm will soon be parents to a little boy by posting a photo of themselves with their scan photo and another of a cute set of tiny blue socks.
