The depictions of Mrs Catherine and the late Tom Nevin which emerged in court yesterday were starkly contrasting.
He was described by the prosecution as a "quiet and deeply inoffensive" man who younger staff in his pub had called "Daddy".
His widow was portrayed as a woman who had borne him ill will and contracted a gunman to "dispose" of him and make it look like a botched robbery.
Mrs Nevin sat upright and expressionless, her hands loosely clasped on her lap, as Mr Peter Charleton SC spent about an hour outlining the prosecution's case to the jury of six men and six women.
Facing the elevated jury box with his back to the accused, Mr Charleton said the couple had been married for 20 years and had slept apart at the time of the killing. To the knowledge of her husband, Mrs Nevin had "shared her affections" with other people, he said.
There was barely standing room in the crowded courtroom as journalists, gardai, witnesses and relatives of Mr and Mrs Nevin filled the wooden benches.
Mrs Nevin was neatly dressed in a black-and-white chequered double-breasted suit, a white blouse and black sling-back shoes. She appeared composed and tanned with blonde shoulder-length hair, metal-rimmed glasses, gold jewellery and red-painted nails.
To her right sat a plain-clothes Garda officer with a large file box containing exhibits.
As witnesses were called, the jury members pored over detailed floor plans of Jack White's Inn, which the couple owned and where Mr Nevin was killed while counting the takings after the St Patrick's Day weekend in 1996.
In the part of the plan marked kitchen, there was an outline of Mr Nevin's body where he had fallen after being shot.
The jury was also shown some 52 colour photographs, including several shots of Mr Nevin's body lying in a pool of blood.
Earlier, Mrs Nevin stood up while four charges were read out - one of murdering her husband and three of soliciting three different men to murder him. She faced the judge and replied "not guilty, your honour" to each charge.
Mrs Nevin talked briefly with her defence team after the hearing, and left the Four Courts on foot, accompanied by her sister, Ms Betty White.