You will not hear about the rows currently tearing apart the little clubs that are competing in series two of Celebrity Bainisteoir. You didn’t hear about them last year either, when the series was launched – I was one of the bainisteoiri then, so I know all about it.

The local and national media were not interested, though it was common knowledge in the GAA. Local media were enchanted that their clubs had a chance at national prominence and did not want to spoil the party. The national media did not think that local clubs were worth the publicity. The series producers didn’t mention it.

Celebrity Bainisteoir supposedly offered the opportunity to make a dream come true – club players who had no chance of ever competing across the county line, never mind winning an all-Ireland trophy, were granted the chance to do so on national TV and win a cash prize of €10,000 into the bargain.

It did not take long for TV to work magic and wreak havoc. In the very first episode, the eight teams gained immediate national exposure. Every player became a hero in his own parish, in his own local paper, on his own local radio and TV station.

As happens, you only have to appear once on national TV and everybody recognises your face throughout the land – unless, of course, you were the local coach (bainisteoir). These men, who had coached players over decades, were never seen on TV. They were not even known to exist. They were rendered invisible and some resented the GAA gods who had been parachuted in to reap the possible glory for which, as some local coaches saw it, they had laid the groundwork.

By the time the first show went out, the Cork coach had already resigned. By the time the series ended, Cork was on its third local coach. Donal Hegarty, the first coach, cited family pressures and left within a week. He agrees that he and celebrity bainisteoir Gerald Keane didn’t see eye to eye but says that the positive publicity that Keane brought to Mayfield, a tough working-class area, was priceless. Cork made the final and was defeated by Westmeath.

Westmeath went through two celebrity bainisteoiri - Mary O’Rourke left after one training session and was replaced by Marty Keane who had also to cope with a new coach, the first one having swiftly followed O’Rourke.

Gary Quinn, local coach of my own team, Faughanvale, Co Derry, resigned after we were defeated in the semi-final, citing differences about team selection with celebrity mentor Brian Mc Eniff. (TV maintains the fiction that celebrity coaches such as myself picked the team. In fact, we merely gave the nod to whoever was chosen by mentor and local coach.) Quinn says a former top league player, home on holiday, was recruited into the semi-final over his objections.

Quinn complains that players, training for the club season, were risking life and limb for a fake competition being staged outside of, and before, the season began. The team was so demoralised by losing, he says, that the following week eight of the players played soccer in the morning, rather than conserve their energies exclusively for the football league that afternoon. He resigned in protest. He rejoined a few weeks later and still manages the club.

Nonetheless, the televised semi-final that Faughanvale lost brought an audience of 4,500 fans from all over Ulster - the team normally attracted a fan base of 40. The game took place in Greysteel, historically associated with a Halloween massacre of nationalists during the Troubles.

Joy and pride replaced strife and sorrow and a glorious aftermath continues long after the cameras have gone away - celebrity bainisteoiri Jon Kenny and Gerald Keane attended the Co Derry GAA annual dinner last autumn, and later this month Faughanvale will play host in a friendly match with its former opponent, the Galtee Gaels, who travel up from Co Limerick in what promises to be an annual event.

All the same, three local managers out of eight is a heavy fall-out price to pay. The GAA happily paid the bill and reaped the publicity. The TV company hoped to make a profit and a reputation. Some of the celebrity bainisteoiri went on to greater things – Baz Ashmawi was elected sexiest man on TV and went on to front another celebrity series about hotels and Gerald Keane has become a TV and radio pundit.

The waters have closed over the furore that engulfed three of the original eight clubs. They will roil again over the current eight competing clubs.

Nell McCafferty’s autobiography Nell was published by Penguin in 2004.