Kerry GAA legend Mick O’Dwyer (86) celebrates second marriage with Geraldine McGirr (65)

The pair were married during a ceremony at the Civil Registration Office in Killarney on Friday, followed by an intimate reception at the Great Southern Hotel in Killarney.

Mick O’Dwyer and Geraldine first met on the social scene several years ago.

They are expected to reside together in Waterville, Co. Kerry, but only after first enjoying a honeymoon in Waterford.

O’Dwyer’s first wife, Mary Carmel, died in 2012. The couple were married in 1962.

They had four sons – one of whom, Haulie, tragically passed away last October.

Haulie died aged 56 in palliative care at University Hospital Kerry, Tralee, on October 4 following a short illness.

O’Dwyer is the most successful Gaelic football managers of all time, winning eight All-Ireland titles with Kerry.

As well as his managerial success, Micko won four Celtic Crosses as a player with the Kingdom.

Geraldine is originally from Eskragh, Omagh, Co. Tyrone.

According to her social media, she studied nursing at Omagh Technical College.

On her previous employment, she wrote that she worked at Tony Loughman Entertainments between 2005 and 2008.

She lists her interests as attending concerts, dances, walking, gardening and reading.

Of Micko’s marriage, one local yesterday told the Sunday World: “It took a lot of people by surprise, to be honest.

“Word began to get around on Friday evening but people weren’t sure whether it was rumour or fact.

“But people knew he had been seeing someone for the last while and are happy for him.

“It’s great to see him out enjoying life in his 86th year.”

Friday’s wedding ceremony in the Civil Registration Office in Killarney was kept low-key by the couple.

It was witnessed by developer Michael O’Flynn, a long-time friend of O’Dwyer, and Carmel Aspell, a long-time friend of Geraldine.

Grandmother Geraldine was formerly married to Crossmaglen native Lawrence Shields.

In 1992, she and Lawrence sued country music star ‘Big Tom’ – AKA Thomas McBride – accusing him of harassment, defamation, breach of contract and infliction of emotional harm.

The couple had a daughter in 1982, a year after they married.

In their court action against McBride, Geraldine said, at the age of 15, she began a ten-year relationship with the showband singer.

She later said their relationship then “fizzled out”.

The couple also alleged that the singer was harassing them. The couple said McBride’s breach of that agreement led to the 1992 case.

The court initially granted an injunction prohibiting McBride from contacting the couple after it heard that Geraldine was woken at 4am by a phone call, with Four Country Roads, a Big Tom song, being played down the line.

On another occasion the couple said they returned home to find someone had broken into their home and placed a Big Tom album on their record player, a Big Tom cassette in their tape deck, and a Big Tom video in their video player.

McBride denied all the claims and his lawyers accused the couple of attempted blackmail.

The case was eventually withdrawn after a Garda statement made by Geraldine in 1991 came to light.

The couple apologised to McBride in a statement read by their lawyer and said their claims had been false.

McBride did not pursue the couple for his legal costs.

McBride died four years ago at the age of 81.

Lawrence Shields launched a legal action against RTE last year over references that the broadcaster made to a court case in a showing of Cloch le Carn — Big Tom, a documentary first aired in 2020.

The 30-minute programme was broadcast for the second time in May 2021.

The programme made a brief reference to the case that Shields and Geraldine took against McBride.

In the High Court action, Lawrence Shields claimed to have been defamed by statements in the documentary in relation to the court case.

He claims these statements should be viewed “in the context” of a letter written by McBride to Geraldine Shields.

Shields claimed that RTE was negligent by failing to take into account that McBride’s letter changed how the 1992 case should be reported.