Michael O'Dwyer (9 June 1936 – 3 April 2025) was an Irish Gaelic football manager and player. He most famously managed the senior Kerry county team between 1974 and 1989, during which time he became the county's longest-serving manager, and its most successful at winning major titles. O'Dwyer is regarded as one of the greatest managers in the history of the game. He is one of only three men to manage five different counties. Martin Breheny has described him as "the ultimate symbol of the outside manager".
Born in Waterville, County Kerry, O'Dwyer was introduced to Gaelic football by the local national school teacher who organised games between schools in the area. He enjoyed divisional championship success during a thirty-year club career with Waterville. O'Dwyer also won three Kerry County Football Championship medals with South Kerry.
O'Dwyer made his debut on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen with the Kerry minor team. An All-Ireland MFC runner-up in this grade, O'Dwyer subsequently made his senior debut during the 1956–57 league. He went on to play a key role for Kerry in attack during a very successful era and won four All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) medals, eleven Munster SFC medals and seven National Football League medals. He was an All-Ireland SFC runner-up on five occasions.
As a member of the Munster inter-provincial team, O'Dwyer won one Railway Cup medal in 1972. Throughout his inter-county career he made 48 championship appearances. O'Dwyer retired from inter-county football following the 1974 championship.
O'Dwyer was appointed manager of the Kerry senior team prior to the start of the 1974–75 National League. He led Kerry through a period of unprecedented provincial and national dominance, winning twenty-two major honours. These include eight All-Ireland SFC titles, including a then record-equalling four-in-a-row between 1978 and 1981, and a three-in-a-row between 1984 and 1986, eleven Munster SFc titles in twelve seasons and three National League titles, including two league–championship doubles. O'Dwyer simultaneously took charge of the Kerry under-21 team, winning three successive All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship titles. His tenure in charge of the Munster team saw the province claim six Railway Cups.
After ending his fifteen-year managerial tenure with Kerry, O'Dwyer moved to Leinster, where he took charge of Kildare between 1990 and 1994. After making Kildare a competitive footballing force, he was reappointed for a second tenure in 1996. O'Dwyer ended a 42-year provincial famine by securing two Leinster SFC titles, while Kildare also made their first All-Ireland SFC final appearance for seventy years in 1998. In 2002, O'Dwyer moved to Laois, where he helped end a 57-year wait for a Leinster SFC title.
O'Dwyer remained in Leinster after his Laois tenure, embarking on a five-year stint as Wicklow manager in 2006. Wicklow secured the 2007 Tommy Murphy Cup, and O'Dwyer brought them to the last 12 in 2009 for the first time ever. O'Dwyer ended his managerial career with a less successful one-year stint in charge of Clare.
Mick O'Dwyer was born on 9 June 1936. He was born in the little village of Waterville, County Kerry. He was educated locally at St Finian's national school before later attending Waterville Technical School.
O'Dwyer first played for Kerry as a member of the minor team in 1954. He made his debut against Waterford; however, he was dropped from the starting fifteen for the subsequent 4–10 to 1–3 Munster MFC final defeat of Cork. On 26 September 1954, O'Dwyer was listed amongst the substitutes once again for the All-Ireland MFC final against Dublin. Two late goals resulted in a 3–3 to 1–8 defeat for Kerry.
After joining the Kerry junior team in 1955, O'Dwyer won a Munster medal in this grade the following year after a 4–10 to 1–4 defeat of Waterford.
O'Dwyer is his county's top scorer in National Football League history, finishing his career with 19–313 (370) in that competition. As of 2021, he remained in the top ten all-time scorers in that competition, though he had been passed by numerous players, including Ronan Carolan of Cavan, Mattie Forde of Wexford, Steven McDonnell of Armagh, Conor McManus of Monaghan, Brian Stafford of Meath and David Tubridy of Clare.
O'Dwyer made his senior debut for Kerry in a 0–9 to 0–6 National Football League defeat of Carlow on 21 October 1956. He received his first championship start on 2 June 1957, in an infamous and shock 2–5 to 0–10 defeat by Waterford.
In 1958, O'Dwyer was named at right wing-back in his first provincial decider. A 2–7 to 0–3 drubbing of old rivals Cork gave him his first Munster SFC medal.
O'Dwyer experienced further success in 1959 as Kerry secured the league title. The 2–8 to 1–8 defeat of Derry gave him his first league medal. O'Dwyer later added a second Munster SFC medal to his collection, following a 2–15 to 2–8 defeat of Cork. On 27 September 1959, Kerry faced Galway in the All-Ireland SFC decider. Every aspect of that game seemed to go Kerry's way. A punched Tom Long ball was forced into the net by Dan McAuliffe for Kerry's opening goal. McAuliffe struck again when goalkeeper Jimmy Farrell dropped the ball accidentally in the goalmouth, while substitute Garry McMahon slipped as he sent the third into the net in the final few minutes. A 3–7 to 1–4 scoreline gave Kerry the title, and gave O'Dwyer his first All-Ireland SFC medal.
Kerry made it three-in-a-row in Munster in 1960. The 3–15 to 0–8 defeat of Waterford gave O'Dwyer his third Munster SFC medal. A second consecutive All-Ireland SFC final appearance quickly followed on 11 September 1960, with Down providing the opposition. The game was played on an even keel for much of the first-half; however, an important incident turned the game in the Ulster men's favour eleven minutes after the interval. Kevin Mussen's line ball found Dan McCartan, who sent in a high forty-yard lob, which Kerry goalkeeper Johnny Culloty dropped over the goal-line. Two minutes later Paddy Doherty was pulled down in the square. He converted the subsequent penalty, which put Down six points up. An historic final score of 2–10 to 0–8 resulted in a defeat for O'Dwyer's side, while the Sam Maguire Cup crossed the border into Northern Ireland for the first time.
Kerry reached the final of the 1960–61 National League, with, for the second time in three years, Derry as the opponent. The northerners put up little opposition as Kerry secured a 4–16 to 1–5 victory. It was O'Dwyer's second National League medal. He later collected a fourth successive Munster SFC medal, following a 2–13 to 1–4 replay defeat of Cork.
O'Dwyer won a fifth successive provincial title in 1962 following yet another 4–8 to 0–4 trouncing of Cork. On 23 September 1962, Kerry faced Roscommon in what has been described as possibly the worst championship decider of them all. Garry McMahon went into the history books by scoring Kerry's first goal after just thirty-five seconds. Kerry fielded the resultant kick-out and Timmy O'Sullivan got the first of Kerry's twelve points of the day. A Don Feeley penalty did not lift Roscommon, the team falling to Kerry by a scoreline of 1–12 to 1–6. It was O'Dwyer's second All-Ireland SFC medal.
A largely facile defeat by 1–18 to 1–10 of New York secured the 1962–63 National League title for Kerry. It was O'Dwyer's third winners' medal in the secondary competition. He later added a sixth Munster SFC medal to his collection, after a 1–18 to 3–7 defeat of Cork.