Hey Big Spender

Gerald Kean is a lucky man – and, boy, does he know it. A solicitor by profession, he is a multi-millionaire, with impressive properties to his name. He lives what newspapers like to call a champagne lifestyle. He is renowned for the fact that he numbers a host of celebrities among his clients. In fact so successful is he that he doesn’t even bother to have a website – in fact he confesses that he doesn’t even know how to use a computer.

By this stage, Kean is very much a celebrity in his own right thanks to appearances on RTÉ’s The Restaurant and Celebrity Bainisteoir, as well as copious mentions in the gossip columns. The tabloids have an almost insatiable thirst for intimate details of his private life and, in particular, his relationship with Lisa Murphy – a former girlfriend of the dancer Michael Flatley (also a multi-millionaire).
“I didn’t realise how popular this programme was,” he says of Celebrity Bainisteoir. “I was in Moscow for the European Cup Final and myself and Lisa sat in a restaurant and at least 11 or 12 times I was interrupted by people coming up looking for an autograph or photograph. And there was an English crowd beside me and they said, ‘My gosh! Who the fuck are you?’”
A more interesting question, however, is this: how the fuck did he make so much money? It’s a question that people have been asking since he was reported to have splashed out $5 million on a private jet as a present for his then wife Clodagh’s 40th birthday.
“People would say back in 1988, ‘How is Gerald Kean doing so well? There must be something scatty with him’,” he confirms, as we sit down in the boardroom of his law firm for the Hot Press interview. “Well, I got lucky.”
He has clearly decided to explain himself, revealing that one big deal literally fell into his lap.
“A guy says to me, ‘I hear you’re a good solicitor’,” he recalls, “and I said, ‘I don’t know what a good solicitor is; I’m only just out on my own’ – it was literally a year, I think. And he said, ‘I want you to buy the entire Monarch Portfolio’.”
He then slides an ancient folder across the boardroom table.
“That’s the contract. I haven’t showed it to many people,” he says. I’m looking at the contract for the purchase of the Monarch Portfolio, which consisted of several major commercial properties, and cost £23 million in old Irish punts.
“In today’s market that doesn’t sound like a lot – but in 1988 it was 30% of the retail commercial market, approximately,” he states. “And that was a huge start in my life because it meant I had a very big fee to collect – and I was selling it all on as well. So, I got lucky. It was a huge deal. And that provided a platform for me. But I never neglected the taxi driver, the courier, the young musician who wanted some free advice – because if I did that, I would have ended up with one big deal, one big fee, and I’d have to start my career all over again.”
The way he tells it, he used his fee from the Monarch deal to build a business empire.
“I was also lucky because I ended up buying into the Financial Services Centre, which was very profitable,” he explains. “At that stage, nobody was buying in there. And then I bought buildings such as this and a home in Killiney at a very small price. This building cost me £160,000 – it’s worth millions now. I was just lucky.”

JASON O’TOOLE: What type of clients do you handle?
GERALD KEAN: I have 50-odd Premiership footballers and 30 international bands or artists. I don’t want to mention any names of my clients because it would be wrong, but it would be well known that I’m very close to people like Alan Shearer, Peter Reid, Gordon Strachan, Norman Whiteside and Paul McGrath. But the strength of the practice is not about that – it’s about people. It’s a people practice. Just because I have high profile friends, the loyalty to this practice is not necessarily them – it’s the taxi driver, your bicycle courier, it’s your employee in Bus Eireann. They’re very loyal, because if you look after them and treat them properly with respect, they send their brothers, sisters, uncles, and aunts in. That’s why we have a very, very large practice here.
But how did you get so many celebrity clients?
Again, I got lucky. I met Jim Kerr and became very good friends with him, and then from him Andy McCluskey of Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark and then I met Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran. I looked after Jerry Lee Lewis for years. I think it’s unfair of the likes of the Mail saying, “Self-Styled Celebrity Solicitor.” I have regularly contacted the media and said I’m not self-styled and I’ve asked for it not to be used – because ‘celebrity solicitor’ damages my business in that the amount of people that say to me, “God! Gerald, I can’t believe you’re so nice,” or, “I can’t believe how cheap or reasonable you are. I thought you’d be very expensive.” They think I’m going to rip them off because they assume I’m only dealing with the high end. My practice is about a couple this morning coming in to see me to buy an apartment for €320,000 because they got four quotes and I was the cheapest! But I think the main thing is that I’ve always treated people with respect. People who know me know that I’m exceptionally honest. If you ask me to send out a letter tomorrow and I forget to do it and the day after you ask me, “How’s it going?” I will say, “Jesus! Jason, I forgot to send it out.”
Cynics would suggest that it’s unusual for a solicitor to be honest!
I think honestly prevails in life. I have advised some very high profile clients that got into some difficult situations to admit that you made a mistake. Don’t bullshit. That’s my advice to everybody in life – if you make a mistake; say you go drunk-driving and, God forbid, you knock down a woman and kill her – say you did wrong. I mean, everybody makes mistakes. I make more mistakes than anybody. But don’t hide from it. Don’t pretend they’re not there. Years and years ago before young Jason was working with Hot Press, people would say, “Watch Gerry Kean – he’ll be in the Tribunals and tax scams!” I have never set up foreign companies. I have no offshore accounts. I had one offshore account 25 years ago. There’s no offshore accounts. There’s nothing there. I’ve never been before a tribunal. If you are doing it right and you’re honest, if you make a mistake you should admit to it and say you’re sorry.
Somebody told me you had businesses in Eastern Europe and Russia?
Let me – for the record – state I have no business in Eastern Europe and I have no business in Russia. I have no business in any country other than I had two houses in Florida. The only time I was ever in Russia in my life was two weeks ago when I went over for the Chelsea and Manchester United game and I was only there for 36 hours – and I’ll never be going back!
I interviewed the solicitor Giovanni di Stefano, who represented the likes of John Gilligan and Saddam Hussein, last year and he said he didn’t care if a client was innocent or guilty. Would you have a similar view?
I hope you’re not putting me in the same league as him (laughs). I’m lucky in that I don’t do criminal law for starters, so I don’t have to answer that question. What I don’t like is – and I do actively dissuade it – people who exaggerate their injuries. We have one of the biggest accidents claims departments in the country, there’s no doubt about that. We have thousands of accident claims. But I don’t like people who exaggerate the situation and not many do.
Did you have any clients recently attempting to pull the wool over your eyes?
I had a client with me about six weeks ago saying, “I was in an accident and my back is killing me. I’m crippled. I can’t move with the pain.” Whatever way he put it, I just wasn’t buying it and I said to him, “That’s great news because the insurance company would have had a PI on you. They’ll have photographed you and they’ll have seen that you can’t move.” And there was silence! So I added, “There’s no way in the world they’ll have seen you doing anything and that will get us loads of money for compensation, which you rightly deserve because you’re a cripple!” There was a big long silence and then he said, “Some days it’s not too bad! A couple of days I was able to play golf but it was sore.” And I said, “Hold on a second! Before we go any further, golf is the most difficult game to play if you have a back injury.” So, within a few minutes I had brought the story back to that he did suffer back injury.
How did you first become a public figure?
I remember many years ago – when you were still a kid in primary school – going to a function with Simon Le Bon and one of the papers at the time – the (now defunct) Sunday Press – asked for a photo of myself and my ex-wife Clodagh and Simon, and we pulled out of the picture and then the paper said: “Who does Gerald Kean think he is? He wouldn’t get in for a photograph?” So, I said, “I’ll go for the photograph next time.” So, I sort of felt I couldn’t win. When my marriage ended, I remember there was a piece on RTÉ saying, “Why is Gerald Kean on the front pages of all the papers?” Well, I was saying, “Why am I?” You answer me that – I have no idea. People didn’t know me outside of South Dublin at the time. It shocked me. It shocked me that when I bought a plane for my wife it was on the front page of two Sunday newspapers. It shocked me the amount of publicity it got.
Speaking of buying a plane for your now ex-wife’s 40th birthday as a present, you seem to relish splashing the cash!
I spend money. I have one great phrase, I want to die broke! My daughter is very well looked after; my ex-wife is looked after. I think money is for sharing and enjoying. It’s quite likely that the next party I have, I’ll contact you and say, “Are you free, Jason, would you like to come along for a drink?” It is something like that. I think life is for enjoying. The only drink I’ll drink is red wine and the odd time I’ll have a pint. I have expensive taste in red wine. Every day I’ll have a cigar. It’s far from that I was reared but I enjoy it.
Do you know how much you are actually worth?
No, I don’t know how much I’m worth. It doesn’t bother me. I’ve never been the sort of person who’s obsessed with wealth. I like the lifestyle I have. I don’t accumulate wealth – I tend to spend it. So, I’ll spend money on assets. I hate to see money build up in a bank account earning interest. I spend it with the purpose of enjoying it with other people. Have a good time. We’re not coming around again. I also think it’s very important to share. I would be a big supporter of a number of charities. It is good to give something back. I’m not a very good receiver – I’m a very good giver. I’d get embarrassed if you come to my party and the first thing you say is, “Gerald, I got you a present,” type of thing. “Oh, thanks,” I’d say, “But listen to me, how are you? And give me a hug and let’s go have a glass of wine and a cigar and tell me about your life and what’s happening with you.” I’m much more comfortable in that atmosphere.
Prior to your marriage break-up, there were allegations circulating in the media about you having a lovechild.
This annoyed me a little bit and I spoke to Clodagh at the time and she said, “Make no comment.” So, I made no comment and then what happened was the story was running all week and it got very annoying. I was getting annoyed at this no comment because it’s like if you come into me and say, “Gerald, they charged me with being drunk and disorderly.” And I’ll ask, “Were you?” and you’d reply, “I have no comment to make!” What does that mean? People were suggesting that I gave an interview to a paper, but what happened was: I rang Anne Harris in the Sunday Independent – a lady whom I have a lot of time for – and I said, “Listen, I’m making three comments – number one: I’ve never been with another woman in my life since the day I met Clodagh; number two: I have never had a lovechild and if I had I’d love to meet the lovechild – and it’s not possible, anyway; and number three: if any woman says differently they can contact your paper.” I think it was two-and-a-half pages in the Sunday Independent and then some of the papers went with front pages on this.
How did your marriage end?
There was no third parties involved. I was never with another woman when I was married. Never. I think when you lead crazy lifestyles you might grow apart. We both had high pressure jobs. Clodagh was heavily involved in the ISPCC and golf and I was heavily involved in Manchester United and my business. You kind of grow apart but I wouldn’t say a bad word about Clodagh – she’s a wonderful woman. We are still good friends. Clodagh’s a wonderful woman. I will always be there for Clodagh.
The media scrutiny after your marriage break-up must have been difficult?
I had photographers outside my house for three weeks after the break-up of my marriage. They followed me around on motorbikes. I remember coming off a plane from the States with a girl whom I just came through customs with and they got a photograph and they then checked up if I was with her. They called to her house! She rang me and she was in awe of the whole thing. She was chuffed that they’d gone up to her house and asked her, “How long have you known Gerald Kean? We know you were in the States. We have your hotel room!” She told them, “I only met him on the plane! He was in Miami and I was in New York.”
Under that kind of scrutiny, it must have been strange trying to go out on a simple date?
I had security and I got help from people like Jeff Collins who would look after me. We’d arrive and leave in different cars and different times because I would have had two photographers on me all the time. I had to arrive in the back of restaurants. Very difficult. There was no money spared in some quarters (of the media) – I had them camped outside my house and I got the Guards to move – several times – one particular photographer. It was very aggressive. At times I felt that if I was any way underhanded I could have mislead them because I know once or twice there were photographs taken of myself and my sister and I was going to say, “Hold my hand,” you know? She’s happily married with three kids – but they were ready to run a story. But after about two years, I met a wonderful girl named Dolores Corrigan down in Waterford and the next thing they (the tabloids) were down in her place of work – they got pictures of her buying her groceries. That kind of surprised me a bit. I was only dating the girl. It was difficult for her.
So, when you became single again was it a case of being like a child in a sweetshop?
It was a little bit – except for the fact that I was very sensible, focused. I took a year off after the break-up of my marriage – and it was probably the best thing ever. I would advise anybody in a break-up to take a year off. It’s very important to think about things and take your time – don’t rush into anything. But again, you are grounded by your work. I only sleep for four-and-a-half hours max. So I start work at 6.30am and I will work some evenings till quite late. If you are that focused on your job, you are not easily influenced by some young model coming up and saying, “You’re wonderful! I’ve always wanted to be with you. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
So young models come on to you?
It’s the high profile. I’m not a fool. I mean, I’m 50 years of age. It was very flattering, but you’ve got to see through all that. You’ve got to see who wants to be with you because they really care. I went out and the girls were literally – I’m talking about beautiful models and I’m talking about well-known individuals – throwing themselves at me. I don’t want to say throwing themselves; that might be wrong. I can see the Mail picking that up: “Kean Says Women Throwing Themselves...” No, but they were forward and they wanted to party and they wanted to be with me. And they wanted to move in and they wanted to get married. The day of chatting up a girl is gone! I think if I was a drinker you’d be out and sleeping with different girls every night of the week. That was definitely an option. I would have too much respect for myself and my own family to do that, so it wasn’t something that I (was interested in).
You make it sound as if you’re shocked at sexual approaches?
I was shocked at how things had changed. I was shocked at the number of females who are, I suppose, on the prowl. In my day, when I dated Clodagh, after about six dates you might get your arms around the back of her neck and then after about another ten dates you might get a kiss on the cheek and after another ten dates you might get a (pauses)...
I interviewed Senator Eoghan Harris recently and he said: “When men are being interviewed by you like this and they say they love women, what they really mean is that they love young blondes or beautiful women.”
I love young blondes and beautiful women (laughs)! Let me be honest about it – I enjoy female company. I’ve an interest in ladies fashion. I hasten to add in case the Mail take this up wrong – I don’t wear ladies clothes! But I love ladies fashion; I’m a fan of John Paul Gautier, Dolce and Gabbana, Valentino and Versace. I love looking at style and I’m very honest about giving opinions. I have very good female friends who would say, “Gerald, I have a choice of two dresses, would you have a look and tell me which one you like,” or “Do you like my hair up or down?” I enjoy female company more than male company.
How did you meet Lisa Murphy?
We met in The Four Seasons. We’d only met very briefly – for about a half an hour – and then for the next three or four months she kept ringing me all the time to know if I’d ask her out and I kept saying, “No! No! No!” That’s a lie but you can put it in (laughs)! No, the truth is that we met and we got on well. If you had said to me in advance, “I’m having a dinner party tonight. Would you like to meet Lisa Murphy and go out with her?” I probably would have said, “Ah, that’s not going to work,” you know? I thought Lisa would be kind of a materialistic type of young lady who’s into the finer things in life and who really had nothing much to add to a relationship – and that was the furthest from the truth that I have ever been about judging anybody. She’s not into the materialistic things in life – just because they were showered on her doesn’t mean she wanted them. She's an extraordinary, kind, warm person. She gives 120 per cent to everything she does, including a relationship.
Were you friends with Lisa’s former partner, Michael Flatley of Riverdance fame?
No. I met him once – very briefly – in Korea at the World Cup.
He’s probably one of the only Irish celebrities that you’re not good friends with.
Exactly. And certainly not now, I’d say (laughs)!
Can you see yourself ever getting married again?
Yes, I could see myself getting married again. And I could see myself having more children. If God allows me!
Did you come across much drugs when you went back out onto the social scene?
I have not come into contact directly or indirectly, in any shape or form, with drugs.
People will find that hard to believe!
That may come as a surprise. I’ve certainly been talked to by a couple of girls and my friend would say to me, “Did you see her nose?” and I would see some white powder on her nose. But very rarely. I have been in the gents toilets as many times as anybody else and I’ve never seen drugs there. Maybe I’m just missing it! But I have to say also that the only place I’d ever frequent is – I don’t go to bars – The Four Seasons, because you can sit out in the courtyard and have a cigar and a glass of wine. I don’t go to the Ice Bar that much – I did a little bit for a couple of years after my marriage ended. I’ve only gone to the Shelbourne two or three times because I find it too crowded. So, I’d be telling a lie if I say I have come across drugs. I go to a lot of parties but certainly the people who I hang around with – who are people like Bill Cullen, Sean Barron and Eoin Conway – there’s no drugs there. So maybe I’m not going to the right parties!
Did you ever try marijuana?
The closest I ever came to saying, “I’d love to have a joint,” was with 70,000 people in 90 degrees of heat, backstage as a guest of the record company, listening to Bob Dylan in Dallas, singing ‘Lay Lady Lay’ and ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’. I wanted to have a joint and I don’t mind saying that. Now, nobody offered it to me but people were smoking joints all around me. But I was afraid, so I’m a coward in some ways. I was afraid that if I had a joint that the next time you’d see me I’d be injecting myself with methadone, shaking on the streets. Now, that is lack of education on my part. But I was afraid that I’d end up a junkie. Friends of mine – and Kevin Sharkey is a good friend of mine – have told me over the years, that doesn’t happen. So, I suppose legalising soft drugs merits discussion.
Did you know Katy French?
I have been friends for many years with her mum and dad. It’s kind of sad and I explained it to Janet, the mum, at the time – because I have great time for Janet – that I didn’t go to the funeral because I was afraid of the newspapers, such as the Mail, saying: “Here’s Gerald Kean and Lisa Murphy turning up at the funeral of somebody for the sake of some publicity stunt.” That would hurt me if it was written. In fact, it was the one funeral I’d have loved to be at because I met Katy only twice but I was very close friends with her mother and father for 20 years. They are tremendous people. Katy was a wonderful daughter and it’s a very sad loss – not because it was Katy French, a very successful model, but if you know anybody personally it hurts. She was a beautiful girl and she really was – I’m not saying this because she’s dead – a lovely girl; she had lovely style; a lovely way about her; she was a great support to her parents. I’ve nothing but great things to say about her.
Does the media scrutiny get to you?
Sometimes it gets to me. Bad publicity is not what the problem is. It’s publicity that is misleading and incorrect – that’s what the problem is. I’ve had a battle with the Mail because of information that is simply wrong. I have a lot of celebrity clients give out about bad publicity – I never have because if it’s true, just shut up. If I leave this office today and, God forbid, I’m drunk and I knock down and kill somebody then that should be on the front page of every newspaper. Or if I steal money from my client’s account. Or if I hit you a box. Or if I touch up a girl. But some papers portray me as if I’m a Champagne Charlie or something. Everyone says, “He has a new Bentley every year.” Well, it’s not because I want to be better than Joe Soap, it’s because it’s cheaper to change every year. If I hold it for another year, I’m shagged (laughs).
There were some critical comments made about your recent birthday party, which was certainly extravagant.
I couldn’t get over the press coverage for something like that. It was interesting reading some of Philip Nolan’s (Daily Mail contributor) remarks – I don’t know who this guy is talking about: “Who does he think he is? And why does he do this?” Well, I’m all for it. I hope to God I’m around for my 60th – I plan on doing the same. I had to laugh at papers like the Mail going into why I picked – was it King Louis the XIV? Well, I didn’t know what I picked!
To most ordinary people that would have seemed over the top.
Do you know what happened? Can I tell you the truth about that? I didn’t want to have a black tie event – boring! I didn’t want a fancy dress because I didn’t like people coming in Robin Hood rigouts. I wanted to do something different. Then I had this vision, which worked out. It was as good a night as you ever had. We had horse and carriages bringing in the guests and we had choirs calling out their names as they arrived. We had Belinda Carlisle, ABC, Aslan, Lloyd Cole and The Commotions, Ronan Keating. And everybody was dressed up and all the girls who were thinking about a boob job decided that it wasn’t necessary because they have these corsets – they were just chuffed with their breasts! All the lads were going around with their wigs, saying, “Jesus, I look quite good in a wig!” It wasn’t meant to be serious. My lasting memory of the night is looking around the room and 300 people were dancing to Aslan singing ‘Crazy World’.