Fox family back their cousin for Dancing with the Stars success
Brian Wycherley
Eileen Dunne – one of the eight contestants left on Dancing with the Stars – is not from Westmeath, but she has family roots here.
Eileen retired from working in RTÉ after 42 years of service in November of 2022.
She is married to Macdara O Fathartha (barman in Ros na Run) and has one son, Cormac.
Her mother, Lily, grew up in Delvin and her cousins Bernie and Fergal Fox run Fox’s Fruit and Veg in Mullingar.
Fergal says Eileen got her dancing abilities from her mother, Lily Fox.
“Lily used to dance at the crossroads of Killulagh.”
“They (Eileen and her family) were always down during the summer. We had great childhood memories of Eileen.
“We are very proud of her,” Fergal said of Eileen’s performances on Dancing With The Stars.
Every Sunday at 6.30pm, the family get together at their mother’s house in Delvin and according to Fergal, start “screaming at the television”.
“I’ve heard she’s very good to the crew; makes teas for them,” Fergal says. “She’s the mammy of them!”
“She is doing it more for the craic than competitively. As she goes on from week to week, she’s just delighted she didn’t get knocked out the first week. She’s just enjoying it.”
Fergal believes Eileen has the ability to keep performing well.