Watch Ireland's Fittest Family on RTÉ One on Sundays at 6.30pm. Catch up on RTÉ Player.
With an exciting shake-up to the format, new star coaches, adrenaline-pumping challenges, and stunning new locations, this promises to be the most competitive series of Ireland's Fittest Family yet.
For the first time, the series welcomes three new coaches to the fold. Paralympic swimming champion Ellen Keane, former Dublin GAA star Michael Darragh, and Irish rugby legend Andrew Trimble will join Anna Geary, Donncha O'Callaghan and reigning Fittest Family Champ Davy Fitzgerald for Series 13.
Taking place in the rugged Gormanston Army camp, the Heats will unfold over the first three weeks. This week, it's the turn of Davy McDonagh and Ellen Keane – each with two families.
Davy's Teams
The Smith Family
The Smiths are a family of six. Mam, Cathy, Dad, Mark, and their four children: Shaun, Adam, and twins Mark and Mya. They are all members of their local GAA football club, St. Oliver Plunketts, and are all big gym goers. The three boys will be competing with Cathy.
Forty-four-year-old Cathy is a very active and involved Mammy. She is the hub of the household and is always on the sidelines cheering on the kids. She is an avid gym-goer and Hyrox trainee. She has also completed two marathons.
At 21, Shaun is the oldest child in the family. He is a trainee plumber and a big GAA fan, playing senior for the local club. He loves Hyrox and recently competed in London. He and Cathy often train together.
Adam is 19 and is also a trainee plumber. He plays senior team with Shaun for their local team and is an avid gym goer.
At 15, Mark is the youngest of the family alongside his twin sister, Mya. He is currently in secondary school. He plays for the Louth U-16s team and also enjoys the gym.
The McDonagh Family
The McDonaghs are primarily a boxing and martial arts family. They are all involved with their local GAA team as players, and Dad, Patrick, does a little management with the Junior squad. All the kids have boxed in the club. This is their second time applying to be part of the show. Their first appearance was during COVID and it didn't go as planned so now they are back for revenge!
Fifty-seven-year-old Patrick is Dad and Grandad of the family. He has coached at the local boxing club, Geesala BC, for over 25 years, and does a little management with the Junior GAA squad.
Matthew is 25 and is big into boxing. He is heavily involved with the local club and is also training to be a coach. He is also involved in karate and GAA.
Irish speaker Leah is 21 and is involved with the boxing club. As well as being a boxer, she is training as a coach. She also enjoys GAA and Karate and is a national boxing champion.
Eighteen-year-old Daniel is an active boxer and GAA player. He is Patrick's grandson (nephew of Matthew and
Leah).
Ellen's Team
The Stuart Family
The Stuarts are all GAA mad - it's a Dublin-Kerry dynamic. They live in Loughshinny, surrounded by fields, where it's faster to get to the GAA pitch cross-country than via the road. All the kids play GAA, and the older ones are getting into mentoring and reffing.
Fifty-two-year-old Eoghan is Dad of the family and is a telecoms engineer, and is an avid runner and cyclist.
Mum Bla is originally from Kerry but has lived in Dublin for over 20 years. She is a pharmacist for the HSE
dealing in addiction. She is heavily involved in Gaelic and helped set up the Mothers and Others team. She also does yoga.
Sixteen-year-old Eilise is the oldest in the family and loves her GAA. She has just finished her transition year, in
which she did some teacher training abroad.
Liam is 15 years old and the second youngest in the family. He is in school and loves GAA and soccer.
Baranaville Family
The Costellos are a very close family, who have played sport all our lives and love the hardship of a tough event! They have watched the series for years and it was always something they wanted to do to see how well they would do as a family.
Forty-nine-year-old Niamh works with her daughter, Hayley, and is also an award-winning therapist. She loves Gaelforce and triathlons. She was a County Badminton champ and won many county championships in
badminton.
Paddy is Dad of the family. At 48, he enjoys doing triathlons and Gaelforce with Niamh. He also loves cycling. He thinks he's the most unfit in the family.
Twenty-eight-year-old Hayley was the one who applied for the show. She is an award-winning skin specialist and goes to the gym, plays camogie and it a trained PT. She just recently got engaged to her fiance, Dec.
Jaime is the youngest in the family at age 22. He enjoys soccer and running and is an avid gym goer.
He has a girlfriend and works with his Dad as a door fitter.
