Kerry senior football manager Jack O'Connor has publicly denounced a publicity stunt that featured him in a wedding dress and his All-Ireland final rival, Mayo's Andy Moran, as the bridesmaid.
The poster, which appeared in Kilorglin and carried the tagline, ‘Jack, best of luck on your big day! Andy … always the bridesmaid!’, was part of a marketing effort by an unnamed company. O'Connor stated that he was unaware of the poster until it was sent to him on Friday morning.
Speaking at Kerry's media day, O'Connor expressed his displeasure, calling the image "in bad taste." He intervened to have the poster removed after contacting a friend who knew the person responsible for its placement. "He told the person responsible for it that I wasn’t happy and lo and behold it was taken down," O'Connor said.
O'Connor's objection stemmed not only from his own depiction but also from what he perceived as a lack of respect towards Moran and the Mayo county team. "The only opinion I have about it is it wasn’t in good taste," he stated. He emphasized the importance of upholding a certain style and showing respect to opponents, referencing the traditions of Kerry football. "There’s a massive tradition of Kerry being a good brand... and we treat all our opponents with respect. We fight like hell on the field, but we treat opponents and those involved with them with respect and I thought that was disrespectful to a great footballing county and a great man in Andy Moran," O'Connor explained. He acknowledged that the individual responsible might not have intended significant harm but reiterated that the stunt did not reflect well on Kerry.
Moran, a former player, has transitioned his enthusiasm and toughness to his current role with his team, according to O'Connor.