Caoimhín Kelleher's quiet life with teenage sweetheart fiancée Eimear Murphy

Cork football star Caoimhín Kelleher has had a very eventful summer - not only signing a major €21m deal to leave Liverpool FC for Brentford, but the 26-year-old shared his romantic side by announcing his engagement to long-term girlfriend Eimear Murphy.

The talented goalie hit headlines for more than football this week as he asked his childhood sweetheart to marry him. The Irish keeper, who got his start at Ringmahon Rangers, has been with Eimear since the pair were only teenagers.

He shared his lesser-seen soft side by taking to Instagram with a sweet snap of himself proposing. In a fairytale moment, he took Eimear out on a boat at sunset, got down on one knee and popped the question. And of course, Eimear said yes!

(Image: Instagram/caoimhinkelleher98)

Who is Eimear Murphy?

Caoimhín Kelleher's fiancée, Eimear, is also from Cork and the young couple have been together for around a decade. Eimear keeps her personal life under wraps and is far from the typical WAG. She keeps her social media private and has shied away from a life as an Instagram influencer, despite being now engaged to one of the biggest names in Irish football.

And while Caoimhín is also a fairly private person, choosing to only share little insights into their relationship, the smitten goalie has described his fiancée as "really intelligent" and gushed over her dancing skills.

Eimear is a very accomplished Irish dancer, with ties to the popular Kiely-Walsh Academy of Irish Dance, which has schools in Carrigaline, Douglas, Rochestown and Mallow.

(Image: Facebook)

Caoimhín is from Blackrock and was educated at Presentation Brothers College. He has four brothers, and older sibling Fiacre (29) is also a professional footballer, playing in defence for Colchester United.

Caoimhín has shared tidbits about his girlfriend on Instagram and in interviews, and previously dished how she has been a huge support in helping him in his sporting career. He said: “My partner is a big help for me. She’s a really intelligent person, so I can always talk to her.”

He previously said Eimear helped him learn to Irish dance to boost his coordination skills on the pitch. The keeper previously told the LFC.com website: "My girlfriend is very good at Irish dancing, so I've been trying to learn a bit of that.

"I used to do it at school back home, so I've been trying to pick it up because I want to learn it again. I've actually been getting on quite good at it, so one day I want to be able to do a full dance or something like that.

"You have to have your feet in great coordination and be able to move them so quickly, so it definitely helps in terms of goalkeeping. It does me no harm. I won't be showing it to anybody."

The Cork sports star is recognised for a calm attitude both on and off the pitch, and joked how he makes Eimear laugh with his 'chilled' approach. In a 2021 interview, he said: "I think I'm just quite laid back and chilled. My girlfriend always says to me, 'Nothing fazes you.' She kind of just laughs at me because I'm always just so chilled. I've always had that trait with me."

He added that being in the limelight can be tough when it comes to his personal life, but that he just 'gets on with it.' He concluded: "I just like to get on with it and not be in the spotlight. If I had a choice, I wouldn't be, but it's part and parcel of what comes with football. And I know if you do well on the big stage, you're going to be in the spotlight. But it's not something I particularly enjoy."

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