The first season of Celebrity Bainisteoir was broadcast in Ireland on RTÉ One from 23 March 2008. 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.
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" 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. The series was produced by Animo Television's Jean Devlin.
Bainisteoirí
Eight bainisteoirí competed in the first season Celebrity Bainisteoir.
Bazil Ashmawy
Bazil Ashmawy is an actor and co-presenter of the RTÉ Two programme, How Low Can You Go? and is described as having "behaved badly" in several international cities.
Glenda Gilson
Glenda Gilson is a model and television presenter described as having one of the most recognisable (and photographed) faces in Ireland. Constantly photographed for newspapers and magazines, she is one of Ireland's most well-known faces. Gilson described the show as her "most daunting experience" ever, saying she nearly burst into tears on her first day.
Gerald Kean
Gerald Kean is a celebrity solicitor and socialite who was born in Cork but studied law in Dublin. Known for his glamorous lifestyle, Kean interrupted his participation in the series to celebrate the confirmation of his eleven-year-old daughter, Kirsten, and to buy her dresses in Los Angeles. However, he also ensured his team were prepared, with yoga sessions, diets and talks with associates of his from the worlds of Premier League football and Gaelic games.
Jon Kenny
Jon Kenny is an actor and comedian who formed D'Unbelievables with Pat Shortt in the 1990s. He has played a manager before; Timmy Ryan is a well-known character in Ireland.
Nell McCafferty
Nell McCafferty is a veteran journalist, intellectual and civil rights campaigner. She is experienced in the politics of Northern Ireland and of The Troubles, having grown up in Derry during the violent era of the 1970s and has won a Jacobs Award. McCafferty chose to take part in the show following a heart attack and because it was "a completely new [experience] to work exclusively with men, and for them it will be a completely new one working with a woman".
Mary O'Rourke
Mary O'Rourke is a Fianna Fáil TD for the Longford–Westmeath constituency. She has been Ireland's Minister for Health, Minister for Education and Minister for Public Enterprise and was the leader of Seanad Éireann for five years. Her father and brother were politicians.
Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin
Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin is the 2005 winner of The Rose of Tralee and a recurring panellist on the topical comedy show The Panel. She described the experience of managing " a gang of lads" as "daunting".
Ivan Yates
Ivan Yates is a Fine Gael TD-turned bookmaker. He was Ireland's Minister for Agriculture for seven years.
Clubs
Eight clubs competed in the first season of Celebrity Bainisteoir.
Ballymanus
Ballymanus are based in County Wicklow. They appeared in the RTÉ documentary, Green Fields, filmed in 1984 when the GAA was celebrating its centenary. During Celebrity Bainisteoir they were managed by Bazil Ashmawy, who was mentored by Kevin O'Brien.
Crumlin
Crumlin have been based in Dublin since 1970, playing both hurling and football. The team's clubhouse is located at Lorcan O'Toole Park on Stanaway Road. Crumlin's footballers were winners of the junior football championship in 2006. During Celebrity Bainisteoir they were managed by Glenda Gilson, who was mentored by Tommy Lyons.
Galtee Gaels
Galtee Gaels are based in County Limerick. Their players come from a maximum pool of 980 people.The famous limerick footballer Sean McGrath played for the gaels. During Celebrity Bainisteoir they were managed by Jon Kenny, who was mentored by John Ryan.