Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories The late Mick O'Dwyer.INPHO The first modern manager of the GAA, Mick O'Dwyer changed everything Kerry legend ‘Micko’, who has died aged 88, won four All-Irelands as a player and eight as a manager. 9.52am, 3 Apr 2025 Share options Declan Bogue WHEREVER THEY GATHER today, and in the days, weeks and months to come, they will talk of the same man, filed under two names; Micko, and Dwyer. There is no argument that he was the greatest modernising influence on the way Gaelic football was played. His success as a player and manager with Kerry across four decades, moving on and spreading his wisdom across other counties, guarantees that. Former players, spectators, business people, politicians and GAA people everywhere will have their own favourite anecdote. He left behind hundreds of them to be savoured, enjoyed and re-told in the great debating society of Kerry football From Waterville in south Kerry, ‘Micko’ was an iconic presence in the Kingdom as both player and manager. While his incredible management career led to the idea of a ‘manager’ in Gaelic Games, he was a remarkable footballer and made his debut in the 1956-57 league season, facing Carlow in October 1956. He went on to win four All-Irelands, eleven Munster medals and seven league titles during his playing days, while he also lost five All-Ireland finals. Having retired as a player, he immediately took over as manager in 1974 at the age of 38. He had 12 seasons in charge, winning eight All-Ireland titles, including a four-in-a-row that was halted in dramatic fashion by Offaly in the 1982 decider. However, after that defeat he still was able to fashion a team to put another three consecutive titles together between 1984 and 1986. Advertisement Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO During his early years, the rivalry that grew against Dublin, fronted by their figurehead manager Kevin Heffernan, brought Gaelic Games to the front and centre of Irish cultural life. After finishing up with Kerry, O’Dwyer then went on to have phenomenal success with Kildare in two different spells. They ended a 42-year famine without the Leinster title and won it twice, while they also made the 1998 All-Ireland final. He then had a spell with Laois and led them to an unlikely Leinster title in 2003. After finishing with Laois he enjoyed a five-year spell at Wicklow. With O’Dwyer at the helm they won a Tommy Murphy Cup in 2007 and reached the last 12 of the All-Ireland in 2009 while claiming the scalp of several counties that resided in loftier league positions. Celebrating a victory with Wicklow.James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO His final role in management came when he had one year with Clare. By then, a troublesome ankle injury that was a legacy of his playing career had left him in a great deal of discomfort and after he had an operation, he called time on his management career. While he was hewn from the richest traditions of Kerry football, he was also one of the modernising influences on coaching. His gruelling sessions held in Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney, outlined in detail by several players, maintained their high level of fitness and tourists would frequently pitch up in the high summer to get a look at what Kerry were doing in training, joining the curious locals. On one occasion, preparing for an All-Ireland campaign, he spoke of training the players for 27 consecutive nights, with no players dropping out. In his later years when he took on other counties, he was famed for conducting sessions that consisted of 40 laps of the pitch, a method that was designed to test the player’s mental resolve as well as building stamina. While such methods would be surpassed with the advent of sports science, he drilled the Kerry players by running from sideline to sideline in Fitzgerald Stadium and touching the perimeter, known as ‘wire-to-wire’ runs, while players also had endless sessions of piggy-back races. Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO But his care over his players was an outstanding feature. During the winters he would round up a certain number of players who he felt needed a bit of physical work and would endlessly train the likes of Eoin ‘Bomber’ Liston by playing basketball and doing beach runs. He also pushed the envelope on the GAA’s curious relationship with sponsorship and amateurism when he took part in a number of commercial deals for the financial betterment of the Kerry team, one particular arrangement with a washing machine manufacturer causing outrage among those concerned with the strictly amateur status of Gaelic Games. An innovator in many ways, O’Dwyer felt his players had to be well looked after and that was reflected on their team holidays that took in Australia, New Zealand and America among other locations. To raise money for these ventures, Kerry took to touring Ulster and playing exhibition games against the likes of Tyrone, where they collected donations towards the holidays. O’Dwyer was best known as a hotelier, but had a wide range of business interests, including an undertaker service, a garage, and several eateries. An immensely popular figure around Kerry, a number of his former Kerry players visited O’Dwyer in Waterville in recent months to say their final goodbyes. Declan Bogue Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “The first modern manager of the GAA, Mick O'Dwyer changed everything”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “The first modern manager of the GAA, Mick O'Dwyer changed everything”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Gaelic Football Mick O'Dwyer News in 60 seconds Mick O'Dwyer, legendary Kerry GAA manager and footballer, has died aged 88 Freeback again 'In ways it’s another game but it’s an opportunity to play in front of 60,000 plus' Tactics in the shower and Snapchat: Obsession fuels Brandon Kavanagh's rise in League of Ireland David Sneyd It's Fat Perez' time to shine: Why the PGA Tour and LIV are now battling for YouTube golfers Poll: Who will win the Leinster football championship? Making A Splash 'I don’t feel famous, it’s more people being inspired' - Wiffen targeting world record at Irish Open Champs Barcelona set up Copa del Rey final with Real Madrid after edging out Atletico Crowley yet to agree new contract but 'hopes to continue' with Munster Standing Room Only Up to seven Munster senior hurling games set to sell out amid high demand for tickets Munster duo and Connacht's Tucker join O'Connell's coaching team for Ireland's summer tour Points On Board Tipperary and Clare get first wins in Munster U20 hurling championship more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account