With the success of ‘Peaky Blinders’ actor Cillian Murphy cemented his name as one of the most talented actors working today. Now with the ongoing success of Christopher Nolan-directed biopic ‘Oppenheimer’, Murphy has yet again proved himself to be able to captivate the audience and critics alike with his thrilling performance. However, contrary to his imposing demeanour as Tommy Shelby or his womanizing ways as J Robert Oppenheimer, the humble Irishman likes to keep it very private when it comes to his personal life.
He has been married for over 16 years to Yvonne McGuinness, a Kilkenny-born visual artist. While one has the aura to blend into any character the other brings life to the character through innovative art installations. But nonetheless, it’s the art that connects the native Irelanders. And, just like the season five’s cliffhanger, there is very little to offer about the mother of Murphy’s two kids, Yvonne McGuinness. So who exactly is Cillian Murphy’s wife? And, how did he meet her? Let’s dive into it.
Contents
Faq on Yvonne McGuinness
How old is Yvonne McGuinness?
Born on October 12, 1972, she is 50 years old.
What does Yvonne do for a living?
According to her own website, she is an artist specialising in film, performance, sound and writing, sculptural and textile elements.
How did Yvonne and Cillian Murphy meet?
There are sources that claim that Yvonne and Cillian met at Murphy’s rock concert in 1996. However, according to an interview given to the Guardian, Cillian revealed that he met his wife during the shooting of the 2001 Irish film “Disco Pigs.” He admitted that was the time he met her and she was on the roads with him during the whole tour.
How many kids do Murphy and McGuinness have?
Two. Malachy Murphy born on December 4, 2005, is 17 whereas Aran Murphy is 16 (2007).
What’s Yvonne’s net worth?
Around $1 Million (estimated)
Early Life of Yvonne McGuinness
The Irish artist Yvonne McGuinness was born in Kilkenny, a small medieval town in southeast Ireland. She first witnessed the world on October 12, 1972. McGuinness was born to a father Gay McGuinness and his wife whose identity is not known. Her father is a prominent businessman in Ireland. He is the owner of a popular French Vineyard named “Domaine de Notre Dame des Anges Vineyard.” The Vineyard was founded in 1990 just 18 years after Yvonne was born.
As per the information written on its website, the company produces award-winning wines marinated with Gallic passion and Gaelic Joie de vie. He has really worked hard to make his business a success. There weren’t many Irish winemakers in the town at that time. But, still, he made courage and now his name comes under the list of powerful businessmen. He shared his start-up thoughts as:
“I had a general interest in wine though I hadn’t and still don’t have a great knowledge of wine. I like drinking wine, I know a little about it, but that’s it I was interested in the fact that it was totally different from anything.”
It seems like Yvonne McGuiness has inherited some traits from her father. Just like him, Yvonne is also very passionate and is very keen on following her interests no matter what. Grown up under the shadow of a businessman, her childhood must have been a fairy tale story.
Yvonne is a Niece to an Irish Politician
Apart from the business background, Yvonne is also well connected in politics. Her uncle John James McGuinness is a renowned Fianna Fail Politician and Parliamentarian in Ireland. In his political career, he has served as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee from 2011 to 2016. John has also served as Chair of the Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach Committee. Well, she really must have enjoyed the limelight from a young age being the daughter and niece of famous personnel.
Yvonne’s Education Laid Foundation for her Career
Yvonne did her schooling at a local school located in her hometown. She has been interested in arts since her childhood days. So to change her interest into a career, she decided to get a degree in arts to strengthen her passion. After completing her basic education, she went to attend Crawford College situated at Cork. She graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Arts from the college. Likewise, upon graduation, she further went to the Royal College of Arts in London. She got a Master’s degree in Visual Arts from the university in the year 2002.
Soon after completing her education, it didn’t take her long to establish herself as a Visual artist.
Furthermore, she owns a website “Yvonne McGuinness” where she promotes her visual arts and photography works. Although she hasn’t updated her works in a while, you can still enjoy the artistry of McGuinness. Her website bio describes her as an Irish artist living and working in Dublin.
Yvonne McGuinness has worked hard to achieve this success for her. But, that’s not enough for her. She doesn’t want to settle for small things and still wants to achieve more success just like her husband Cillian Murphy.
It was Love at First Sight for Cillian and Yvonne
McGuinness and her husband first crossed each other’s path when they both were in their 20s in the summer of 1996. At that time, both Murphy and his current wife were struggling to establish themselves in their respective field of interest.
Before making his career as an actor, Cillian tried his hands on music and law. He failed his law exams at the University College Cork. That’s when he dropped the idea of pursuing his career in the law world. Besides, Cillian also used to play the guitar for a rock band ‘Sons of Mr. Green Genes’.
The band was locally popular and was offered many shows. Different sources claim that Murphy met his wife in the lounge of a London hotel on one of his shows. However, in an interview, he revealed that he met his wife during his time shooting for “Disco Pigs.”
That time, making Disco Pigs, was kind of the most important period of my life. The people I met there remain my closest friends. They shaped me in terms of my tastes, in terms of what I wanted to do with my life. And it was around the same time I met my wife. She came on tour with us.
In just a couple of months, his life changed dramatically. Law and music were gone and he was left with acting and a long-lasting relationship with McGuinness. As they say, whatever happens, it happens for the best, maybe it was all planned by destiny. His acting career along with his love life is going strong. In an interview with a newspaper, Murphy commented about the first time he saw McGuiness as:
“I remember the confidence of youth that you have. You’re just going for it, and when you are 19 or 20 nothing seems permanent. It was an adventure, but, looking back, it does seem hugely formative.”
Cillian Murphy and Yvonne are Married for Almost Two Decades
Cillian and Yvonne have been married for 19 years now. The Irish couple got hitched in 2004 after dating for eight years. Their wedding took place at Yvonne’s father’s vineyard in Provence, France which made it more special for the couple.
As both of them extremely love their privacy, their wedding details aren’t known. But, their wedding must have been a lavishing one as both of them belong to the family of richness.
Despite the fame that continues to chase after Cillian, the couple has remained grounded and very much in love even after more than two decades. Cillian gives much of this credit to his wife. In an interview, he talked about how much his wife helped him in keeping himself grounded. He said:
“It’s very important to have someone like that. My life has not changed in any way, really. I still have the same friends and we go to the same places.”
McGuinness’s Sons, Malachy & Aran are Raised as Native Irishman
The couple have been blessed with two adorable sons named Malachy and Aran. Their firstborn, Malachy was born in December 2005 just one year after they got hitched. They again embraced parenthood in 2007 when they gave birth to their younger son Aran Murphy. Both of them have grown up and now are in their early teens.
Yvonne McGuinness and Cillian Murphy were living in London due to Murphy’s work schedule. But, later on, the family of four moved to their native land Dublin, Ireland. They shifted to Ireland after living in London for 14 years. Tabloids claim that they made the move because the couple wanted their children to be closer to their grandparents. Likewise, both Murphy and McGuinness belong to Irish culture and it’s natural they want their sons to be Irish. The Batman Begins actor told Armchair Expert podcast:
“We wanted them to be Irish, I suppose. It’s amazing how quickly accents have adapted. Even within a year of moving back, they are fading into this rakish west Brit kind of thing. Which I think, hopefully, will get them lots of girls when they’re 15.”
Well, you should be careful what you wish for as the eldest Murphy son is soon to be 15. And, he’s already feeling the pressure of parenthood.
At the launch of a new Activity Social Empathy Program for Junior Cert students, he opened up about the cert pressure and how raising children during teens could be a complex task.
“Regarding empathy, I’m a father of two teenagers, and I once was young as well so I recognize how tricky it is as a young person today in society.”
Cillian and Yvonne are an extremely private person and don’t like to be followed by media tantrums. Yvonne rarely makes public appearances with her star husband. She doesn’t even attend the premiers and red-carpet events with Murphy. They are only seen together when they are enjoying quality time with their two sons either on a vacation or on dinner. Murphy has even told that he likes avoiding the spotlight and prefers being at home with family. He told:
“For me, it’s about being home and living life. Taking the dog for a walk, doing the shopping, emptying the dishwasher, going for a run.”
Yvonne has Built a Career as an Artist
After getting all the qualifications she needed to become an artist, Yvonne McGuinness followed her passion and eventually made a career in her art. Murphy’s is a well-established Visual artist and producer by profession. The talented lady showcases her works through diverse mediums such as video installations, print arts, context-specific installations, exhibitions, live performances, and the like.
Yvonne McGuinness’s art can be spotted in many art galleries around the globe in countries like the USA, UK, Ireland, and more. Yvonne launched her first art exhibition in 2005. The exhibition was held in a small mobile library in Cork. This was the project which changed her life. Her creations were liked by many and even many art lovers praised her for her work. The most noteworthy fact about Mrs. Murphy’s work is that she usually fuses her videos with her own writing that’s the cherry on the cake. Besides, she has also worked as a sculptor.
Apart from this, she has also tried her hands on visual editing and is credited for producing a few short movies. She has shown her skills in the short movie “The Well” released in 2017. The play is about a man named the Guardian of the well sweeping leaves outside of a well as a dancer.
Likewise, her other projects include The Wood Lands, The Central Field, You Can’t Feel What You Feel, Moving mountains, Mobile Monuments, Bridget Clearly We Won’t tell, and many others. She has also produced small movies like ‘This is Between US’, ‘Charlie’s Place’, and ‘Procession’.
Moreover, the same year she nabbed a contract from Drajocht in alliance with the Fingal County Council Arts Office. The project was for a site-specific performance and movie installation for the eleventh edition of Amharc Fhine Gall. The Amharic Fhine Gall is a project that organizes exhibitions to provide platforms for Fingal-based visual artists to showcase their creativity.
In 2018, Yvonne collaborated with another fellow artist Rhona Byrne to create ‘The Central Field’ project that was commissioned by South Dublin County. She stayed at the art site for six months and over the months produced a series of live and immediate responses and actions, public events, gatherings, workshops, performances and other activities.
2019 also became quite a busy year for Yvonne with her releasing her two works. In September, as part of her Ground Songs exhibition, she held performative interventions across Maynooth University. Likewise in October, she held a participatory event called ‘Before the Last Sun Sets’ that was played out in 5 acts of rescue, recovery, uprising, plans and evacuation.
In 2022, Yvonne was also revealed to be engaged with the architecture award at Arts Council Ireland. The Arts Council is a government agency that primarily provides funding to develop arts in the country of Ireland.
Yvonne and Cillian’s Youngest Son is following in his Father’s Footsteps.
It is always a proud moment for a parent when their children look up to them and follow their footsteps. Despite having a much more private upbringing than most celebrity children, Cillian and Yvonne’s youngest son, Aran had already started taking interest in acting. At just the age of 11, Aran played Hamnet, a stage show about Shakespeare’s only son and toured in major cities of the UK, New York, Boston and Hong Kong.
Aran made his film debut in 2022 starring alongside The Witcher’s Emma Appleton in the movie ‘Lola’. He is also set to appear in Taika Waititi’s adaptation of the popular novel by Kazuo Ishiguro ‘Klara and the Sun’ alongside Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams.
When asked about his thoughts on Aran following his footsteps in acting, Cillian replied that he was very proud of his son and he did not give him any advice. He said:
“I’m very very proud of him. You know, he is a great, great actor, so I’m very proud of him.”
He continued:
“He does not need my advice. He’s well able.”
Yvonne was Cillian’s biggest supporter throughout the Oppenheimer Award Season
The award season of 2024 was dominated by the biopic Oppenheimer with Cillian Murphy taking home every award for his performance as Robert J Oppenheimer. He took his wife and children to every award and every time he won an award, he always thanked them. While accepting the Desert Palm Achievement Award at the Palm Springs International Film Awards, Cillian gave a special shout-out to his loved ones.
“Because I don’t ever really get to do this too often, I want to say thanks to my family,” he said from the stage. “Two-thirds of them are sitting down there. We had to leave one of them at home doing exams,” he continued. “But just thanks for putting up with me; putting up with the half me and the shadow me and the absent me, the remains of me when I’m doing a film like this or work in general. You’re always there. I love it. So thanks, guys.”
McGuinness is the Recipient of the Amharc Fine Gall Award
In 2017, she became the latest artist to be awarded by the Fingal Arts Office for ‘Holding Ground Where the Wood Lands.’ The story tries to explore a teenager’s journey to manhood. The award is programmed annually by Fingal County Council’s Arts Office to promote artists in Fingal.
Her Richness in Figures
Cillian Murphy’s wife McGuinness has incredibly done well in her career. She has been part of many big projects that led her towards stardom. From her professional career as an artist and producer, she must be playing in millions. Some sources claim that she has been able to collect around $1 million as a net fortune. However, her net worth will be only estimated until she reveals it on her own. On the other hand, Cillian Murphy is a millionaire with an estimated net worth of $15 million.
While talking to ‘On Demand Entertainment‘, Cillian said that he was too old for social media. His wife too shares his ideology.
Even though she is the wife of a renowned actor and she herself is in the public industry, she likes being away from the media glitz. She is a private person and does not even make her active presence in social media like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and so on.
However, she has a Twitter account with the handle @mcguinnessyv. However, the account is protected with only 388 followers. Further, her Tumblr account has not been updated for five years. Moreover, her Instagram account is also private with only 156 followers. By the looks of it, she only seems active on Instagram where she keeps her private life bottled up.
Yvonne and Cillian’s Youngest Son is following in his Father’s Footsteps.
It is always a proud moment for a parent when their children look up to them and follow their footsteps. Despite having a much more private upbringing than most celebrity children, Cillian and Yvonne’s youngest son, Aran had already started taking interest in acting. At just the age of 11, Aran played Hamnet, a stage show about Shakespeare’s only son and toured in major cities of the UK, New York, Boston and Hong Kong.
Aran got his film debut in 2022 starring alongside The Witcher’s Emma Appleton in the movie ‘Lola’. He is also set to appear in Taika Waititi’s adaptation of the popular novel of Kazuo Ishiguro ‘Klara and the Sun’ alongside Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams.
When asked about his thoughts on Aran following his footsteps in acting, Cillian replied that he was very proud of his son and he does not really give him any advice. “I’m very very proud of him. You know, he is a great, great actor, so I’m very proud of him.” He continued, “He does not need my advice. He’s well able.”
Yvonne was Cillian’s Biggest Supporter throughout the Oppenheimer Award Season
The award season of 2024 was dominated by the biopic Oppenheimer with Cillian Murphy taking home every award for his performance as Robert J Oppenheimer. He took his wife and children to every award and every time he won an award, he always thanked them. While accepting the Desert Palm Achievement Award at the Palm Springs International Film Awards, Cillian gave a special shout-out to his loved ones that said:
“Because I don’t ever really get to do this too often, I want to say thanks to my family,” he said from the stage. “Two-thirds of them are sitting down there. We had to leave one of them at home doing exams,”
He continued:
“But just thanks for putting up with me; putting up with the half me and the shadow me and the absent me, the remains of me when I’m doing a film like this or work in general. You’re always there. I love it. So thanks, guys.”
That’s a lovely story about the couple. Love Cillians bodies of work!
Yvonne and Cillian are an extremely talented and beautiful couple with two beautiful sons. I adore all of Cillian’s work, I watch them all and obsessed with Peaky Blinders. I’ve seen some of Yvonne’s work which is beautiful. Love to follow all of their work. Love from Diane U S.A.
Thank you so much for writing this! Cillian Murphy is a great actor! Just wanted to let you know that you may want to change the photo with his kids. I believe those are actors from a movie he starred in, not his actual children.
I think that Cillian Murphy is beautiful to look upon, I am an American who just saw peaky Binders j a few months ago, And that’s when I saw Cillian for the first time. I wondered why the rest of the world hadn’t heard of him so I looked him up and was very pleased to see the body of work he has achieved.. I wonder if there will be more opportunities to see him in the theatre or movies..
Not to be redundant, but I I truly wonder, how does a man become so beautiful. Women have makeup and all sorts of tricks to make themselves appear better looking,
But you, my friend, are the real thing.
Love all this about the couple love you cillian Murphy I follow everything you do and am a big fan of peaky blinders have watched it over and over again
I love their love story. A very happy and loving family. I totally respect their private life. It makes them normal but yet they are so talented in their respective careers.
I first saw Cillian on PB. I immediately fell for those blue eyes and that perfect face. The more I researched this gorgeous and talented man the more I respect him for the way he lives his life. Bravo to you and Yvonne on your perfect and private life. Wishing you all the happiness and health??