The first season of Celebrity Bainisteoir was broadcast in Ireland on RTÉ One from 23 March 2008.[1] It was won by the radio and television presenter Marty Whelan who replaced Fianna Fáil TD Mary O'Rourke as bainisteoir of Maryland, County Westmeath, during the series. Whelan's team beat solicitor Gerald Kean's Cork team, Mayfield, in the final at Parnell Park on 16 May that year.
The other six bainisteoirí were television presenter Bazil Ashmawy, model Glenda Gilson, comedian Jon Kenny, journalist and civil rights campaigner Nell McCafferty, panellist Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin and politician-turned bookmaker Ivan Yates.[2]
RTÉ later described the first series of Celebrity Bainisteoir as having "brought the worlds of celebrity and GAA club football crashing together", citing the unexpected early departure of Mary O'Rourke, Nell McCafferty's speech in which she informed her team that the roads were "lined with coffins"[3] when they were young due to the violence in Northern Ireland and Gerald Kean's request for help from celebrity clients who flew in on helicopters as memorable events from the series.[4] The series was produced by Animo Television's Jean Devlin.[1]
Celebrities eye GAA glory in new TV show was invoked but never defined (see the help page).Na Bainisteoirí/ The Managers was invoked but never defined (see the help page).