{"id":139348,"date":"2025-10-22T23:59:57","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T23:59:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/139348\/"},"modified":"2025-10-22T23:59:57","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T23:59:57","slug":"declan-hannon-and-louise-cantillons-young-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/139348\/","title":{"rendered":"Declan Hannon and Louise Cantillon’s young love"},"content":{"rendered":"

Louise Cantillon and Declan Hannon have enjoyed a ten-year romance and counting, following on from a fateful teenage disco dance.<\/p>\n

The loved-up pair got engaged in December 2021 when Declan, who works as a healthcare recruitment manager, popped the question during a getaway to the scenic spot of Slea Head beach in Dingle.<\/p>\n

But how did the two get together before it even got to popping the question and the walk down the aisle? As Declan announces his retirement from sport<\/a>, we’ve had a look back at their beginnings… <\/p>\n

\"LouisePic: Louise Cantillon\/Instagram<\/p>\n

Young love:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Louise has previously talked\u00a0about how they ended up settling down while so many of their peers went off travelling the world.<\/p>\n

She said: ‘We finished college in 2015 and loads of our friends went to Australia for a year, then others decided to head off to Dublin and we found that we were the only two left in Limerick’<\/p>\n

The radio presenter and Limerick hurling captain shared their first kiss in ‘Insomnia’, a teen night in Garryowen Rugby Club back when they were 15 and 16.<\/p>\n

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Speaking to\u00a0EVOKE<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0Louise<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0cast her mind back, fondly remembering that time, and laughed, ‘I’d say it could have been a case of will you meet my mate but we were all young and had the same friends.’<\/p>\n

‘That was the first kiss but we didn’t start going out after that, but maybe there was a seed sown then.’ That seed grew and blossomed into a relationship when the pair wrapped up their secondary-level education in their separate local girl’s and boy’s schools.<\/p>\n

Growing together:<\/strong><\/p>\n

‘We’ve known each other for years. It was literally an underage disco that we first met at but we didn’t start going out until we were 18, until after we finished our Leaving Cert,’ she explained.<\/p>\n

‘We’re from the same parish within Co Limerick so yeah, young love,’ Louise enthused before recounting where they ventured to on their first dates.<\/p>\n

The summer months after finishing secondary school are a seriously special rite of passage for many.<\/p>\n

\"LouisePic: Louise Cantillon\/Instagram<\/p>\n

For Declan and Louise, those dog days were filled with dates, the first of which the radio presenter joked was ‘real cuclhie’.<\/p>\n

‘We knew each other for years but the summer after our Leaving Cert we went on a few dates. We went to a concert in Newcastle West called WestFest it was real culchie,’ she laughed.<\/p>\n

Delving into how their love has changed in the decade that followed those early days of dating, Louise mused, ‘I suppose we’ve kind of grown up together.’<\/p>\n

\"LouisePic: Louise Cantillon\/Instagram<\/p>\n

‘We’ve known each other literally since we were 15 and 16 and we’ve been going out since we were 18, so everything we’ve done in our twenties has been together really. It’s lovely.’<\/p>\n

‘We’re living together for the last four years. When you live with someone it changes everything, doesn’t it? It just becomes that your whole life happens together,’ she enthused of the house they share in Limerick.<\/p>\n

Popping the question:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"LimerickLimerick hurler Declan Hannon with Louise Cantillon Pic: Ramsey Cardy\/Sportsfile<\/p>\n

The GAA star popped the question to\u00a0the Spin South West broadcaster<\/a>\u00a0on Slea Head beach in Dingle back in December 2021, with Louise dropping the big news with the obligatory social media post.<\/p>\n

In the sweet snap, the radio star can be seen kissing her other half while flashing her ring with the caption, ‘extra sparkly sunrise\u00a0ar Chom Dh\u00edneol ar maidin\u2026’, beside a set of sparkle emojis.<\/p>\n

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Louise admitted that she was slow to get into the wedding planning part of things, saying in an interview with RSVP<\/a> in August 2022 that she’s not the best at it.<\/p>\n

‘I’m doing a little bit of\u00a0wedding\u00a0planning, I’m not great I must say. But I have a sister who lives in Dubai, she came home and has took a lot of pressure on me to do with the planning. But we have no dates, no nothing yet – but we are going to get married<\/a>,’ she said.<\/p>\n

Tying the knot<\/p>\n

\"LouisePic: Louise Cantillon\/Instagram<\/p>\n

What a difference a year makes as despite Louise not being confident in her planning skills last summer, it seems like the couple have put together their dream wedding.<\/p>\n

They said I Do at Adare Manor in September 2023, with Louise sharing a few snaps from the night before celebrations<\/a> on Thursday. She looked gorgeous in a white mini dress and heels – we can’t wait to see what she wears on the big day!<\/p>\n

Unconventional living set-up<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"DeclanDeclan Hannon and Louise Cantillon. Pic: Instagram<\/p>\n

In February 2025, Louise told the Irish Independent that she and Declan are living apart while he’s based in Limerick and she’s in Dublin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

She said: ‘It\u2019s gas- I feel we were more like a married couple before we got married. It\u2019s clearly gone the opposite way. <\/p>\n

‘With everything else going on, my weekends are generally full of work, but it does make the time together more special.’<\/p>\n

In May, Louise added to RSVP Magazine, Louise said: ‘It’s definitely not conventional, but we\u2019ve found our rhythm. We\u2019re very motivated people and we\u2019re still really young…<\/p>\n

‘There were more struggles last year, but we don\u2019t have kids and we don\u2019t own a house just yet. We\u2019re making it work and Declan is so supportive.’<\/p>\n

A new chapter<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"7Declan Hannon. Pic: Stephen McCarthy\/Sportsfile<\/p>\n

In October 2025, Declan announced his retirement from Limerick GAA after 15 years, praising his wife for her support in ‘this chapter of our life’.<\/p>\n

”It has been one of the greatest honours of my life to wear the Limerick jersey, to represent my county, and share the highest of highs with people I love,’ he said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Thanking Louise, Declan continued: ”A special thank you to my wife Louise, to have had you by my side for this chapter of our life has been such a joy. <\/p>\n

‘Your love, care and huge sacrifice has been instrumental in allowing me to chase my dreams.’<\/p>\n