Ryanair chief 'set to marry'

Wedding bells are set to ring for Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary later this year, it was revealed today.

The 42-year-old chief executive of the no-frills airline confirmed he will give up his status as one of Ireland’s most eligible bachelors towards the end of the year.

O’Leary – who is worth more than €400m - is reported to have been dating Dubliner Anita Farrell for the past year.

But his airline would not give details of the wedding, or whether the happy couple use his budget airline to travel to their honeymoon.

A Ryanair spokeswoman said: “Michael O’Leary is getting married to Anita Farrell from Blackrock, Co Dublin, later this year.

“This is a personal matter and they would like their privacy respected.”

Although he is said to have been engaged once, the businessman has never been married before.

O’Leary, of Mullingar in Co Westmeath, grew up on farms and then worked as an accountant.

He bought two Dublin newsagents, increased their turnover and sold them for a profit.

The high-flying entrepreneur later turned struggling airline Ryanair into one of the world’s leading budget carriers.

When he joined in 1991 he realised that keeping costs as low as possible was the key to success and began selling seats for as little as one euro (70p).

Ryanair now employs 1,800 workers and aims to increase this to 2,200 in the next financial year.

But O’Leary has also hit the headlines for less positive reasons.

There was criticism recently when it emerged he bought a taxi licence to beat Dublin's traffic gridlock.