'I was kneeling down and she just started crying': Cork couple get engaged at Ireland's highest cave 

Joanne Supple was in for a lot more than a tough climb whilst hiking to Diarmuid and Grainne's Cave with her partner last weekend

Tadhg Twomey proposed to his girlfriend Joanne Supple at Diarmuid and Grainne's cave last Sunday.

A Cork climber was in for a big surprise while on a staycation in Sligo last weekend, after her boyfriend of three years decided to propose at the top of a mountain in Ireland’s highest cave.

"I told her to stand out and put her hands up for a picture and I had my phone set up with an app that takes pictures every three seconds. I pressed it and knelt down behind her while she was still looking out,” says Tadhg Twomey, who is now her fiancé.

A proposal was the last thing on Joanne Supple’s mind whilst climbing up to Diarmuid and Grainne’s Cave. While she was worried about how the couple was going to make the dangerous descent back down the north face of Benbulben mountain, Tadhg was unwrapping a ring.

"She was shocked. We were nervous enough in general because the hike was so tough and we were wondering how we were going to get back down. Then when she turned around and I was kneeling down she just started crying with the shock and excitement."

Joanne and Tadhg had a lot of celebrating to do on the walk down.

The hour-long climb up was especially nerve-wracking for Tadhg, who had been hiding the ring for three days while the 30-year-olds travelled around Limerick, Achill and Sligo.

"It was a long hour. I was trying to keep my cool and I had the ring inside of a box wrapped in a sock and a shirt in my backpack. It was like that for the whole weekend. I didn't want to leave it in the car so had it with the luggage and I was sleeping with one eye open every night in case she'd find it,” he says, laughing.

"I was so nervous between making sure we didn't slip and fall walking up and then when we got there I didn't want a lot of people around so I was waiting. Then Joanne told me there were a lot of people coming up the mountain so I just did it there and then."

The cave was the perfect location for the couple to get engaged on a sunny day.

Diarmuid and Grainne’s Cave has become especially popular in recent months, after Tiktok users started to document their climbs online. Before the pandemic, Tadhg had originally wanted to propose while abroad, but thought the cave looked like the perfect spot once he read about it.

"Covid definitely put a stop to my plans. Originally I would have wanted to go to somewhere like Norway and do a climb there but the way this worked out was ten times better,” he says.

'As it got closer I started to think about how it would be so great to propose to her while we were there and I started thinking about rings.'

The couple first met in 2018 on Tinder and bonded over their work as engineers, farming backgrounds, and shared love of the outdoors. 

“With lockdown easing, we thought it would be a good weekend to go away, and then as it got closer I started to think about how it would be so great to propose to her while we were there and I started thinking about rings. She was delighted with the way it worked out."

The couple was especially happy with the pictures that came from the day. Though Tadhg hadn’t wanted anyone around, a woman nearby ended up taking a video of the whole proposal. 

"Joanne was so surprised and the way the pictures worked out and the weather, it was just brilliant. We practically slid down the mountain on the way back. It was nice to do something different and make the effort. I could have gone to some random beach and it would have been nice but this made it so much more special."

Joanne had her suspicions but was still caught off guard. "She said after that she thought maybe it would happen. When we stayed in Limerick the night before I had bought flowers and chocolate and champagne but she didn't expect it at the top of the mountain.” 

Joanne and Tadhg, who both work for engineering firms in Cork, are planning to tie the knot sometime next summer around Goleen, where Joanne is from. 

Tadhg, who is from Dromahane, says that the couple is just enjoying the celebrations for now - and are glad they come at a time when they can see friends and family again.

"I could have proposed at Christmas but it's just so much better with things opening up now. Joanne is meeting her friends to celebrate tonight and we can see our families. The last year has been depressing for so many people and no one had anything to look forward to. I'm glad I waited until now. "