Ryan Tubridy spotted on Galway pub crawl celebrating baby announcement

The couple, who got married at Clifden’s Abbeyglen Castle Hotel in December announced the news over social media on Sunday night.

Ryan, who has two adult daughters aged 27 and 21 said: “Thank you for the kind and thoughtful well wishes about our impending arrival, they mean a lot. We’re beyond excited and looking forward to a very busy 2027, Onwards.”

Before he revealed his exciting news to the world, the ex RTE star was pictured in Galway city, Clifden and Oranmore ahead as he checked out three of the county’s finest pubs.

First, Ryan was called into action inside the bar of Murphy’s on High Street where he pulled pints for thirsty punters.

He also was snapped outside Glynn’s in Oranmore as well as holding a pint of Guinness at one of his favourite pubs, Lowry’s in Clifden.

The announcement comes after he gave his strongest indication yet that he may follow in the Fianna Fáil footsteps of his late grandfather, Dr Seán Tubridy, and his mother's family – the Andrews, where brothers David and Niall followed their father Todd into Dáil Éireann, which Galway Live exclusively revealed last month.

Speaking at the party's centenary celebrations in the Galway Bay Hotel in Salthill at the weekend, the former Late Late Show host made no secret of his fascination with politics or the possibility of one day entering the political arena himself.

He was taking part in a panel discussion entitled 'From Revolution to Representation: The Pioneers of Fianna Fáil in Galway West', alongside former Ministers Éamon Ó Cuív and Frank Fahey, historians Prof Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh and Brian Murphy, and moderated by RTÉ's Mary O'Regan.

Asked by Ms O'Regan whether he would consider a career in politics, Mr Tubridy left the door firmly open.

“How can I not?” he told the packed gathering.

“This bloody politics is coursing through my veins. I've got Andrews on one hand and Tubridy on the other.

And there is no shortage of political pedigree on the Andrews side of the family either.

His maternal grandfather was Todd Andrews, a veteran of the War of Independence, while his uncles David and Niall Andrews both served as Fianna Fáil TDs. His first cousin Barry Andrews also served as a Fianna Fáil TD and Minister of State before becoming an MEP.

Seán Tubridy represented Galway in Dáil Éireann from 1927 to 1932 and Galway West from 1937 until his death in 1939.

“It's unavoidable,” he continued.

“I am fascinated by politics, fascinated by public service and fascinated by Fianna Fáil as a political party, the ups and downs, the slings and arrows.

“Some people go to the sporting ground and watch football. I follow politics.”

He drew laughter from the audience as he imagined the headlines should he ever decide to contest an election.

“Deputy Tubridy” in “Galway West, reclaiming his grandfather's seat on the second count,” he said with a smile. “Every night of my life I go to bed dreaming 'some day'.”

Mr Tubridy also recalled how a remarkable twist of fate had saved his grandfather's life when he first arrived in Connemara to take up a position as a GP in Béal a' Daingin, near Casla and An Cheathrú Rua.

Arriving a day early, the eager young doctor wanted to begin work immediately but was persuaded to wait until the following morning.

“He was told to go and find his lodgings and 'we will see you tomorrow',” Mr Tubridy recalled.

The retiring GP had arranged to visit a seriously ill patient on an island off the Connemara coast.

“That lovely doctor said he was going to an island to look after some people who were not well and say goodbye to them,” Mr Tubridy continued.

“He went off to the island and he minded them and he said his goodbyes.”

Having completed his visits, he boarded a currach with two boatmen for the return journey to the mainland.

Tragically, the currach sank during the crossing and all three men lost their lives.

It was a tragedy that brought home just how differently things might have turned out had his grandfather started work that day.

“If my grandfather had gone on the boat there would be a spare chair here today,” he said. “Such is the vagaries of life.”

There was a lighter side to his grandfather's time in Connemara too, with Mr Tubridy entertaining the gathering with the story of the famous “Tubridy Stones”.

As a popular local GP, Dr Seán Tubridy was among the few people in the area who owned a motor car, although his driving was apparently less than assured.

According to local lore, the doctor was occasionally offered a drop of poitín, which was particularly strong in those days, and his driving ability became a source of some concern.

“The poor fella wasn't great behind the wheel and the poitín was strong.” said Mr Tubridy.

The story goes that locals took matters into their own hands, painting stones along one side of the road white so that the headlights of his car would pick them out and guide him safely home after dark.

The stones became known locally as the “Tubridy Stones”, a name that has survived down through the generations.

“I asked if this story was true,” explained Mr Tubridy, “and was told that, if you look closely you will see the peeling paint on the stones.”

Taoiseach Micheál Martin also paid tribute to Dr Seán Tubridy during his address to the centenary gathering, recalling his contribution to the community and to the early years of Fianna Fáil in Galway.

“Amongst our first TDs was Dr Seán Tubridy, a gaelgeoir of note but also a community doctor respected everywhere he went,” he said.

Having already received the Freedom of Clifden and Connemara in July 2011, Ryan Tubridy's connections to the locality stretch back even further.

His great-grandparents, Patrick and Jane Tubridy, were teachers at Scoil Mhic Dara in An Cheathrú Rua and worked with Roger Casement in 1913 to help provide free school meals for children living in poverty in the area.