Clíodhna O'Connor is a former senior Dublin ladies' footballer. She was a member of the Dublin team that won the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship in

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

. She also played for Dublin in the

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

and

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

finals. She captained Dublin during the 2011 season. In 2004 and 2009 she was selected as an All Star and in 2010 she was included in the LGFA/

TG4 TG4 (; , ) is an Irish free-to-air public service television channel. It launched on 31 October 1996 and is available online and through its on-demand service TG4 Player in Ireland and beyond. TG4 was initially known as (TnaG), before bein ...

Team of the Decade. She also played for the

Ireland women's international rules football team The Ireland women's international rules football team was organised by the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association and represented Ireland in the 2006 Ladies' International Rules Series against Australia women's international rules football team, Aus ...

. Since retiring as a player, O'Connor has coached

Ladies' Gaelic football Ladies' Gaelic football () is an Irish team sport for women. It is the women's equivalent of Gaelic football. Ladies' football is organised by the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association. Two teams of 15 players kick or hand-pass a round ball toward ...

and

hurling Hurling (, ') is an outdoor Team sport, team game of ancient Gaelic culture, Gaelic Irish origin, played by men and women. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goa ...

. She was a member of the coaching team at Cuala when they won the

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

and 2018 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship Finals. In 2019 she became a member of the Dublin senior hurling team coaching staff.

Biography

O'Connor is originally from

Portmarnock Portmarnock () is a coastal town in County Dublin, Ireland, north of the city of Dublin, with significant beaches, a modest commercial core and inland residential estates, and two golf courses, including one of Ireland's best-known golf clubs. , ...

. She attended

University College Dublin University College Dublin (), commonly referred to as UCD, is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 38,417 students, it is Ireland's largest ...

where she gained a BA in English and Music. Between 2008 and 2009 she completed a Masters in International Communications at

Dublin City University Dublin City University (abbreviated as DCU) () is a Third-level education in the Republic of Ireland, university based on the Northside, Dublin, Northside of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Created as the ''National Institute for Highe ...

and in 2015 she gained a Masters in Strength and Conditioning from

St Mary's University, Twickenham St Mary's University, Twickenham is a public university in Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Its stated commitment is to the mission of the Catholic Church in higher education. History Originally foun ...

Playing career

Clubs

At club level, O'Connor played for Naomh Mearnóg.

Inter-county

Between 2002 and 2014 O'Connor was the first choice goalkeeper for the Dublin senior ladies' football team. She was a member of the Dublin team that won the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship in

. She also played for Dublin in the

and

finals. In 2004 and 2009 she was selected as an All Star. In 2010 she was the only Dublin player to be named on the LGFA/

Team of the Decade. She captained Dublin during the 2011 season, including when they won the Ladies' National Football League Division 2 title after defeating

Meath County Meath ( ; or simply , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin to the southeast, County ...

in the final. In April 2017 O'Connor featured in an '' Laochra Gael'' episode which recalled and discussed her inter-county career. Valerie Mulcahy was among the contributors.

International rules football

O'Connor was a member of the

that played against

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

in the

2006 Ladies' International Rules Series The 2006 Ladies' International Rules Series was the first and, as of 2019, the only ladies' International rules football series played between Ireland and Australia. The series was played at the same time as the men's 2006 International Rules S ...

Coach

O'Connor is a

ladies' Gaelic football Ladies' Gaelic football () is an Irish team sport for women. It is the women's equivalent of Gaelic football. Ladies' football is organised by the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association. Two teams of 15 players kick or hand-pass a round ball toward ...

and

coach. While still an active player she worked for the

Ladies' Gaelic Football Association The Ladies' Gaelic Football Association () is the main governing body for ladies' Gaelic football. It organises competitions such as the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship and the Ladies' National Football League. Foundation Th ...

. She was a member of Mattie Kenny's coaching team at Cuala when they won the

and 2018 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship Finals. During 2018 she worked one-to-one as a free-taking coach with Tipperary hurler, Timmy Hammersley. He subsequently scored 0-12, including 0-9 from frees, as he helped Clonoulty-Rossmore win the 2018 Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship final. In 2019 she became a member Kenny's coaching team with the Dublin senior hurling team. O'Connor has also coached Gaelic football with Naomh Mearnóg and in 2019 announced plans to relaunch the adult ladies team after several seasons of inactivity.

Honours

Naomh Mearnóg

* Dublin Ladies' Senior Football Championship : ''Runner-up (3):'' 2004, 2007, 2009

DCU

* O'Connor Cup : Winner (1): 2009

Dublin

* All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship : Winner (1):

: ''Runner-up (4):''

* Leinster Senior Ladies' Football Championship : Winner (9): 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 * Ladies' NFL Div. 1 : ''Runner-up (1):'' 2014 * Ladies' NFL Div. 2 : Winner (2): 2007, 20011

Ireland

International Rules Series The International Rules Series is a senior men's international rules football competition between the Australia international rules football team (selected by the Australian Football League) and the Ireland international rules football team ...

: Winner (1):

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

Individual

* All Stars : Winner (2): 2004, 2009 * LGFA/TG4 Team of the Decade : Winner (1): 2010

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:OConnor, Cliodhna 1984 births Living people Alumni of University College Dublin Alumni of Dublin City University Alumni of St Mary's University, Twickenham DCU ladies' Gaelic footballers Dublin inter-county ladies' Gaelic footballers Hurling coaches Ireland women's international rules football team players Ladies' Gaelic football goalkeepers Naomh Mearnóg Gaelic footballers People from Portmarnock Gaelic games players from Fingal Irish expatriate sportspeople in England 21st-century Irish sportswomen