Shane Lowry is set to appear on the Late Late Show on Friday night, following a busy year which included Ryder Cup success.
The Offaly native secured Team Europe’s triumph over the US at the Ryder Cup, and off the course, he credits his wife Wendy behind his success.
‘There were plenty of times I have been crying myself to sleep or wondering am I able to keep going,’ he previously admitted. ‘But when you have a good strong woman behind you, it makes it easier. I owe a lot to her.’
He was everyone’s hero over the weekend, sealing Team Europe’s triumph at the Ryder Cup, but Shane Lowry insists the real star in his life is his wife, Wendy. Pic: Carl Recine/Getty Images
The couple first crossed paths on what Shane has described as a ‘random night out’ in 2012.
Just two years later, he proposed during a holiday in Dubai.
‘I am absolutely delighted. Wendy is a great girl and we are both looking to our future together,’ he said at the time.
The Offaly native has long credited Wendy as the quiet force behind his success. Pic: Vaughn Ridley/Sportsfile
They tied the knot in New York on 12 April 2016, opting for an intimate ceremony instead of a big Irish wedding.
‘The guest list was spiralling and I get stressed very easily, so we decided the big white wedding at home was not what we wanted,’ Shane told the Irish Independent.
‘Anyone who knows Wendy knows that she doesn’t like the limelight or anything like that… it was really all very chilled.’
‘There were plenty of times I have been crying myself to sleep or wondering am I able to keep going,’ he previously admitted. ‘But when you have a good strong woman behind you it makes it easier. I owe a lot to her.’ Pic: INPHO/James Crombie
Today, their family life revolves around daughters Iris, born in March 2017, and Ivy, born in September 2021.
Lowry often shares tributes to his wife on social media.
Marking their sixth wedding anniversary, he wrote: ‘Six years of marriage filled with ups and downs, laughter and tears and a couple of kids along the way. I couldn’t imagine doing it with anybody else @WendyIrisLowry.’
The couple first crossed paths on what Shane has described as a ‘random night out’ in 2012. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Wendy, a registered nurse from County Laois, is admired for her chic yet understated style and her charitable work with the Irish Kidney Association.
While she shares the occasional family moment online, she largely prefers to remain out of the limelight.
Her quiet presence has sometimes been tested, particularly during Ryder Cup events.
Wendy Horner, wife of Shane Lowry sits with daughter Iris during the Par 3 Contest prior to the Masters at Augusta. Pic: Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Spectators have been known to heckle players’ families, with one incident over the weekend even seeing Rory McIlroy’s wife Erica Stoll targeted.
‘I didn’t think it was that bad until I asked my wife what it was like for her, and they got dog’s abuse coming around as well,’ Shane told The Scotsman following a previous tournament.
‘It’s not very nice for them to have to listen to this. But that’s a small percentage of the crowd.’
Despite the pressures that come with life on tour, Shane says Wendy remains his anchor.
‘When you have a good strong woman behind you,’ he stated. ‘It makes it easier.’
Shane is set to appear on the Late Late Show’s Christmas special (not the Toy Show, although he did make a virtual appearance during that last week!), where he’ll be discussing his banner year with Patrick Kielty.
The Late Late Show airs at 9.35pm on RTÉ One and on the RTÉ Player.
