New addition on the way to Carrigstown
Actors expecting their first child
BY
FAIR City stars Shane Quigley Murphy and Connie Donna are expecting their first child.
The couple first got together while working on the RTE One soap but kept their relationship under wraps for several months.
Shane, 33, who plays Carrigstown’s Gareth Boyle, and his 27-year-old partner, who plays Zoe Allen, found out Connie was pregnant in December.
Revealing the news exclusively to RSVP, she told RSVP Magazine: “We found out about two weeks before Christmas, and it was the best present ever. It was an exciting Christmas for all the family.
“Poor Shane got a Facetime out of the blue. I had Covid the week before and I said to him, ‘My Covid test is negative, but I’ve done another test and this one is more positive.’
“He got a taxi from town all the way out to Roundwood in Wicklow, where I’m from.
“As soon as we saw each other we were totally ready for it and so excited. We had very joyous giggles, and it was a very surreal moment for us.”
Shane added: “I had just started Dancing With The Stars. I wouldn’t say I was shocked because we put two and two together. I knew we were ready for this and she would be the best person to raise a child with.”
Connie added: “We decided quite early on that we wanted to raise a family. We felt that deep connection.”
Fair City bosses have been very supportive of their news. Shane said: “They were really happy because they thought we were telling them that we were leaving.”
When it comes to names, Connie said: “Shane is more reasonable, whereas I’m like ‘No’! I’ve found it hard to pick out boys’ names for some reason. We won’t decide until the baby arrives, but we’re big fans of Irish names and we love Irish mythology.
“We were recommended to use this app called Kinder, it’s like Tinder but for picking baby names.”
Shane said: “We’ve a mad list for girls, but we’ve only one for a boy.”
Shane was one of the 11 celebs who took part on the recent series of DWTS. He said: “It spurred me on to work as hard as possible. Connie told me to focus on the show and to get as far as I could.
“My pro partner, Laura Nolan, guessed our news early on so I confided in her. She was a wonderful support.
“There was a part of me that really wanted to win it to get a cushion in place for a child on the way.
“People assume that all actors are living the high life, but that’s only the 1%. We all have debts to pay.”
Shane’s elimination was a surprise to viewers at home and he was disappointed to leave when he did.
He said: “The competitor in me hated losing and I thought I had more to give. It was a competitive year.
“But a part of me was happy to rest and focus on our baby news. I was also double jobbing, so I didn’t have as much rehearsal time as the others.
“I’m a lad who has done everything from pulling pints and stacking shelves to working in a factory, and now I’ve had the opportunity to appear on one of Ireland’s biggest shows.”
We’ve a mad list for girls’ names but only one for a boy SHANE QUIGLEY MURPHY RSVP