Irish Sunday Mirror

It’s Aidan the dancer now.. I played GAA for 14 years and I did 12 weeks of dancing... I don’t know how to take that O’mahony more famous for RTE show win than top football career

- BY SIOBHAN O’CONNOR

most worrying thing is everyone comes up to me now and says, ‘Hey, you’re Aidan O’mahony the dancer’. “I said to one person I played GAA football for 14 years, I did 12 weeks dancing and now you’re calling me a dancer. “I’m not known as a footballer any more – it’s worrying. I don’t know how to take that.” Life has been non-stop for the “celebrity” Garda who was straight back to work for some banter after the dance-off. He revealed: “I got plenty of slagging about my clothes for the first couple of weeks. “I’m still trying to explain to the guys I didn’t actually pick my own outfits. But the lads were very supportive – Aidan and wife Denise Healy it was a positive spin for the gardai to have someone in the show as it took the whole country by surprise.”

The Rathmore man admitted he had to pinch himself when he won the show because he always felt like an underdog.

He revealed: “When I decided to do the show I remember people saying to me, ‘Sure that’ll be a gangload of Z-listers’.

“Then I thought, ‘What’ll they make of me?’

“Of course I thought they’d think I was a Z-lister, a retired GAA player, but I’d no problem saying I’ll go from Z to A.”

Becoming a new dad with wife Denise Healy eight weeks ago has kept the champion on his toes since he hung up his dancing shoes. Aidan and Valeria in semi-final He added: “Life has been pretty hectic. Baby Lucia sleeps during the day and is awake at night. “When I was doing the quarter-final I was thinking the most important thing in life was my baby, even when the final came I just enjoyed it and I relaxed. “You obviously don’t know what’s ahead – it wasn’t about winning it was more about all the memories I have from it. “It was stressful – we were told to rehearse 12 hours a week but I was so Aidan playing bad it was more for Kerry like 12 hours a day for me. “I was just happy I won it and I came from scratch so I was thrilled.” news@irishmirro­r.ie

 ??  ?? SMOOTH MOVES Aidan O’mahony and Valeria Milova with DWTS trophy SWING OUT
SMOOTH MOVES Aidan O’mahony and Valeria Milova with DWTS trophy SWING OUT
 ??  ?? COUNTY STAR
COUNTY STAR
 ??  ?? PROUD PARENTS
PROUD PARENTS

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