Couple who pull together through thick and thin
Instagram star Claire Fullam and her husband Ian O’Beirne are childhood sweethearts, and he was a huge support when she lost her hair through alopecia, writes Andrea Smith
IAN O’Beirne was just as devastated as his social media star wife Claire Fullam when she lost 85pc of her hair in 2016, principally because he felt so helpless seeing her upset. “It was horrific because there was nothing I could do apart from telling her that she was still the beautiful girl I had married the previous year,” he says.
However, Claire insists that Ian’s unwavering support greatly helped to relieve the stress she was under, as the down-to-earth and witty pair are each other’s best friends. “Ian quietly took the reins around the home and the kids,” says Claire.“I’d come home from work and peel off my wig, exhausted from pretending I was OK, and the house would be clean, the dinner ready and Farragh’s homework would be done. I could also joke about it with Ian as we have always been able to laugh together.”
Having met at 15, the pair started dating at 18, and got intense very quickly, which they reckon drove everyone around them mad. They were inseparable and even did the same college course, although Ian had very little interest in event management.
While young romances can be tempestuous, they only ever broke up for 12 hours, after Claire kissed a friend for a dare. “It was around the time of that Katy Perry song and Ian went mad, thinking I was leaving him for a girl,” she laughs.
Now both 31, Claire and Ian both grew up in Marino in north Dublin, and while he fancied her for a long time, it wasn’t reciprocated initially. Claire jokes that Ian was one of the “geeks”, and that she resisted because she knew that once they got together, they’d be in it for the long-haul.
“Claire was very sexy and great fun but also one of the lads, so I knew she wouldn’t be high maintenance,” Ian says. “We always gravitated towards one another and could talk to each other about anything.”
As to what Claire fancied, it might give hope to others that his “dad bod” was high on the list. “I don’t like thin men and I fancied his pot belly,” she says. “Ian is a very caring person and I knew he’d always look after me.”
They were 22 when Claire discovered that she was pregnant. It came as a shock, but in retrospect, they say it was the best thing that ever happened to them. Their families were very supportive, and as they were both working, they were able to get a mortgage for a house in Marino. They had their daughter Farragh, now eight, followed by their son Elliott (four), and settled down to family life. Ian works as a special needs assistant at St Joseph’s CBS Primary School in Fairview, which he loves, and previously worked in rehabilitation training for adults with mental health difficulties.
Claire and Ian decided to get married in August 2015 and didn’t want a fuss, so they didn’t tell anyone. They told their families to reserve the date for Elliott’s christening, and just before the big day, Ian told them the priest was unavailable to conduct the ceremony. Claire was really disappointed, he said, so he wanted them all to go out anyway..
He asked them to wait outside the entrance to St Stephen’s Green at a particular time, supposedly to surprise Claire, but it was the families who were shocked when Claire, Ian, Farragh and Elliott came along in a horse and carriage, dressed in wedding attire. The shocked and delighted families went on to the register office, and the happy couple were married with Claire’s parents, Carol and John, and her younger brothers Conor and Gavin in attendance, as well as Ian’s parents, Martin and Jackie, and younger siblings Emma and Mark.
Nine months later, Claire developed alopecia areata, which she puts down to being exhausted. Elliott wasn’t sleeping, she was working full-time and feels that she just wasn’t minding herself. She was devastated as her gorgeous red hair was her pride and joy, and she had to wear a wig as she lost 85pc of her hair within three weeks.
Claire was traumatised and had very dark days, and then one day she began talking on her Snapchat account about the situation, self-deprecatingly calling herself Claire Balding. Her followers soon grew because she was funny, real and honest. Now residing on Instagram, Claire’s 55k followers love that she doesn’t hide what she feels and is very relatable, and she shows the good and bad parts of her daily life. In doing so, she has also managed to transform her own life.
“I never really liked asking for help,” she says. “I think that being
‘I think that being open and honest and vulnerable literally brought me back to life’
open and honest and vulnerable for the first time in my life literally brought me back to life again. I was depressed when my hair fell out, and speaking into my phone was like therapy for me.”
Ian felt Claire change and heal as she became more empowered and validated through social media. “It has also brought us great opportunities, and even though it has been a roller coaster ride, it won’t last forever, so I feel we should strap ourselves in and enjoy it ,” he says.
Ian is so laidback, he doesn’t even mind when Claire gives out about him to her followers. “I usually just think, ‘Ah yeah, that was spot on’,” he laughs. ”Sometimes people in the staffroom say to me, ‘Oh you were in trouble last night,’ because they’ve watched Claire’s story.”
As Claire’s appeal has grown, she has managed to convert the situation into a new career. She came up with the idea of putting on funny TED-type talk shows nationwide about her own experiences that are designed to inspire and empower others. Ian and her brothers help with putting on the shows — and rumour has it that Ian takes to the stage to provide a bit of the entertainment — and they sell out almost instantly the tickets go on sale, to the point where they have three times had to put on two shows in the one day in Dublin.
The shows have gone so well that it has enabled Claire to take the next step in her future. Having initially worked in hotels in events management and corporate sales, she recently left her job at Marino Institute of Education after almost eight years. She will be opening her own hair salon in Whitehall, Dublin 9, in April, in conjunction with Denise Phillips from Pelo Hairdressing in Newbridge. It was Denise who gave Claire hair extensions when her own hair started growing back, and a great friendship and bond developed between them.
The new salon will be a regular hair and make up salon, with the addition of a private wig and scalp clinic. This part is very important to Claire as she remembers how vulnerable, terrified and upset she was when she had to get fitted for a wig. The clinic will specialise in wigs for alopecia and chemotherapy patients.
Claire’s hair has grown back and looks fabulous again, and she is loving the idea of helping other people with their own hair and scalp issues.
Claire will run their joint salon in Dublin, but there will be lots of collaboration with Denise and classes and exciting events. And as always, Ian will be in the background, helping and keeping the home life running smoothly. “Our relationship is very strong and Ian will always be the first port of call for everything I do in my life,” says Claire. “After 13 years, we enjoy each other a lot more now and he is incredibly intelligent and socially aware. He is also the best dad I’ve ever seen.”
As for Ian, it’s clear that he is hugely proud of his lovely wife.
“Obviously you love your partner, but I think we’ve grown to really respect each other,” he says. “I’ve always known that Claire was strong, but I had no idea how strong she could actually be. I knew she was great at her job and is one of the most driven and hardworking people I’ve ever met, but to see what she has been able to achieve in the past few years has been amazing. She’s also really thoughtful and a great mam and I still think she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met”