RYAN Tubridy has revealed the romantic way he popped the question to his fiance Dr Clare Kambamettu.
The Dublin native got down on one knee and popped the question during a beautiful getaway in the west of Ireland earlier this month.
Ryan first confirmed his relationship with former Rose of Tralee Clare with The Irish Sun for his first print interview since the RTE payments controversy broke in 2023.
The pair have since kept the inner details of their love under wraps and while Ryan hadn’t planned on revealing the news just yet, he was forced to come clean after a jewellers let it slip that he had visited their store.
The radio host, who shared the news with his listeners on Tuesday, has now revealed how he carefully planned the romantic proposal to his long-term partner.
Writing in his Mail on Sunday column, he said: “I don’t want to give all the details but I do want to share a few moments because some people were enormously helpful along the way.”
Ryan explained that he had always planned to buy the ring in Clifden, an area which him and Clare both love and where the local jewellers has been a long-standing family run business.
He explained: “I’ve also been preaching about shopping local for years so I wasn’t going to Tiffany’s… I called Jonty Daly in O’Dalaigh’s and asked for some guidance and I can tell you, the man’s a diamond!”
The podcaster then went on to say: “The care, attention and thought he put into every detail was above and beyond, right down to him driving out to Renvyle House Hotel to deliver the ‘package’ to Anne Marie Kelly, the incomparable general manager there. It was all so much fun and it felt distinctly Irish.”
Ryan has often spoken about his love for the West Coast of Ireland, and this proposal showed just how much the area means to the pair.
He said: “By the Atlantic shore, I asked the important question and thankfully, the answer was in the affirmative – and so began the most gorgeous weekend.”
The 52-year-old revealed that the “staff and joyful hotel patrons” helped make each part “feel special”.
He added: “We called into Jonty the next day to thank him and his staff; there was a little confusion about online stories but that was entirely at my end. Jonty did not let the cat out of the bag, it was an innocent miscommunication and we’re all firm friends.
“In fact, he joined us at The Abbeyglen Castle Hotel that evening where my cousin Brian Hughes and his amazing wife, Michelle, raised a few glasses with another cousin, Rachael Coyle and her brilliant husband, Shane.
“Another lovely night was had that ended with songs at the piano! After that, it was Scrabble, cycling and sleeping before boarding a plane in Shannon and heading to the skies a different man with a whole new vista ahead. I felt and feel lucky, happy and ready for another welcome twist in the tale.”
Earlier this week, the dad-of-two told his Virgin Radio UK listeners: “I have a little bit of news that I was kind of keeping a little bit to myself – to ourselves.
“Even though I’m a public person doing the job I do, I also have quite a lot of privacy that I like to keep to myself.
HAPPY COUPLE
“However, the cat has been removed from the bag for a number of reasons and I’m very, very, very happy to confirm that I did indeed get engaged to my partner Clare on Thursday evening in the West of Ireland.”
Speaking about his longterm love, Tubs previously told The Irish Sun: “She has brought an awful lot of joy into my life and happiness and support.
“I don’t want to talk too much about her, because my private life has always stayed private.
“But I think anyone who has met or knows Clare will know exactly why we are seeing each other. I feel very lucky.”
Asked at the time if the clinical psychologist, who he first interviewed on his RTE Radio One show in March 2023, had been a major support during the last six months. Tubs replied: “Remarkably so.”
