Patrick Dempsey has been named by PEOPLE Magazine as the 2023 Sexiest Man Alive.

Dempsey, who was born in Maine to Irish American parents, said he was “shocked” with the honor, joking that he has "always been the bridesmaid" in the annual list. 

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Back in 2021, Dempsey - who famously starred as Dr. Derek Shepherd, aka 'McDreamy,' on the hit show "Grey's Anatomy" - made a splash when he visited Ireland to film "Disenchanted," the sequel to the Disney movie "Enchanted."

Ahead of his visit to Ireland in 2021, Dempsey told Sunday World Magazine: "There is talk of us making the sequel to 'Enchanted' and filming in Ireland and it would be great to visit your country for the first time and explore a little more of my connections.

"It's something I really want to dive into and getting an understanding of what my heritage is and what my background is."

Aside from filming alongside Amy Adams, Idina Menzel, and Maya Rudolph in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, Dempsey made great use of his time in Ireland, exploring some of its most iconic locations.

His Irish visit began with a hush-hush stay at a guesthouse in Co Derry belonging to Olivia Burns, a luxury candlemaker.

During his stay at the Derry guesthouse, Dempsey uploaded a video of himself with his "new trusty steed," which Burns now later revealed is her donkey Neddy.

"Mr. Dempsey was also a big hit with our donkey, Neddy, who is now Insta famous with over 1.1 million views on Instagram," Burns said.

Dempsey's Instagram post with Neddy the donkey racked up more than 1.3 million views.

Dempsey continued sharing personal pictures and clips from his visit to Ireland on his Instagram page.

His first one, shared on May 6, was simply captioned "Ireland!"

He followed up this post with some moody shots taken at Mussenden Temple in Co Derry:

"Love being in Ireland," Dempsey said in this post that featured him wearing an Irish sweater from Inis Meáin Knitting Company:

Of course, it wasn't long until Dempsey got a taste of some beloved Irish food at Leo Burdock's Famous Fish and Chips shop in Dublin, which he endorsed as "bleeding deadly!"

In June, Dempsey shared pictures from Powerscourt Estate in Co Wicklow, describing the iconic site as "so beautiful."

He even shared pictures from atop the Sugarloaf in the Wicklow Mountains, which he said had been "calling" to him.

Dempsey continued his travels around Ireland through August, making stops at the Cliffs of Moher in Co Clare, Ashford Castle in Co Mayo, Inishmore off the coast of Co Galway, Trinity College Dublin, and Glendalough in Co Wicklow.

It seems the Irish American star was a bit more taken with Ireland's natural beauty than its cities. During the premiere of "Disenchanted" that November, Dempsey said: "I like the west coast the best and getting out of the cities.

"We were in lockdown so you could feel that sadness and frustration, then when you get out to the countryside it was a whole different experience, so that was great." 

Related: Irish American, Aran Islands, Cliffs of Moher, Dublin, Movies