Edward O’Connor (born 2 October 1964) is an Irish
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 ...
manager and former player who played for
Kilkenny Senior Championship club
Glenmore. He played for the
Kilkenny senior hurling team
The Kilkenny county hurling team represents County Kilkenny, Kilkenny in hurling and is governed by Kilkenny GAA, the County board (Gaelic games), county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major annual inte ...
for eight seasons, during which time he usually lined out as a right corner-back.
O'Connor began his hurling career at club level with Glenmore. He broke onto the club's top adult team, having earlier lined out for the club's junior team, and enjoyed his greatest success when was at right corner-back on Glenmore's
All-Ireland Club Championship-winning team in
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
. O'Connor's club career also saw him claim two
Leinster Club Championship titles and five
Kilkenny Senior Championship titles.
At inter-county level, O'Connor was part of the successful Kilkenny minor team that won the
All-Ireland Minor Championship in
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
before later winning an
All-Ireland Under-21 Championship with the under-21 team in
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
. He joined the Kilkenny senior team in
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
. From his debut, O'Connor was ever-present as a defender and made 23 Championship appearances in a career that ended with his last game in
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
. During that time he was part of two
All-Ireland Championship-winning teams – in
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
and as captain of the team in
1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
. O'Connor also secured three successive
Leinster Championship medals and a
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition featuring teams from Ireland and England. Founded in 1925 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation within the l ...
medal. He was joined on the Kilkenny senior team by his brother,
Willie O'Connor.
Playing career
Glenmore
O'Connor joined the
Glenmore club at a young age and played in all grades at juvenile and underage levels before eventually joining the club's top adult team in the
Kilkenny Senior Championship.
On 29 September 1985, O'Connor was selected at left corner-back for his first
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
appearance. He ended the game on the losing side after Glenmore suffered a 4–18 to 3–13 defeat by
Ballyhale Shamrocks
Ballyhale Shamrocks is a Gaelic games club located in the parish of Ballyhale in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is a member of the Kilkenny branch of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). Founded in 1972, the club was a amalgamation of three team ...
.
O'Connor lined out in a second
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
on 1 November 1987 when Glenmore faced Ballyhale Shamrocks for the second time in three championship seasons. He ended the game with his first
winners' medal after the 4–10 to 3–09 victory.
For the third time in five seasons, Glenmore and Ballyhale Shamrocks clashed in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
of the Kilkenny Senior Championship when they faced each other on 1 October 1989. O'Connor lined out in his customary position of left corner-back but ended the game on the losing side for the second time in his career after the 2–11 to 1–13 defeat.
On 7 October 1990, O'Connor lined out in the fourth
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
of his career when Glenmore faced
Clara
Clara may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Clara'' (2018 film), a Canadian sci-fi drama
* ''Clara'' (2019 film), a Ukrainian animated fantasy film
* ''Clara'' (TV series), a German TV series
* Clara the Cow, mascot of the Greek TV show '' P ...
. Playing at right corner-back, he claimed a second winners' medal after the 3–15 to 2–06 victory. On 25 November 1990, O'Connor claimed his first
Leinster Club Championship medal after Glenmore's 0–15 to 1–09 victory over
Camross. The subsequent
All-Ireland final on 17 March 1991 saw Glenmore faced
Patrickswell
Patrickswell, historically known as Toberpatrick (), is a small town in County Limerick, Ireland. It is primarily a commuter village for people working in Limerick, including the nearby industrial suburb of Raheen. The population was 848 at th ...
at
Croke Park
Croke Park (, ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, it is referred to as Croker by GAA fans and locals. It serves as both the principal national stadium of Ireland and headquarters of the Gaelic At ...
. O'Connor was selected at right corner back and claimed an
All-Ireland medal after the 1–13 to 0–12 victory.
For the fifth time in his career, O'Connor lined out in the
county final on 11 October 1992 when Glenmore qualified to play
Tullaroan
Tullaroan () is a village in the western part of County Kilkenny in the Slieveardagh Hills near the Tipperary border. Tullaroan is also the name of the local civil parish.
Sport
Tullaroan GAA are the most successful Gaelic Athletic Association ...
. Lining out at centre-back, he ended the game with a third championship winners' medal following the 1–14 to 2–06 victory.
On 15 October 1995, O'Connor was selected at full-back when he lined out in a sixth
county final of his career. He claimed a fourth winners' medal after the 3–19 to 1–14 victory over
Fenians
The word ''Fenian'' () served as an umbrella term for the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and their affiliate in the United States, the Fenian Brotherhood. They were secret political organisations in the late 19th and early 20th centurie ...
. On 26 November 1995, O'Connor collected a second Leinster Club Championship medal after Glenmore's 2–13 to 2–10 defeat of
Oulart-the Ballagh in the
Leinster final.
O'Connor lined out in the seventh and final
county final on 24 October 1999 when Glenmore faced
Graigue-Ballycallan. Lining out at full-back, he claimed a fifth winners' medal after the 1–14 to 2–08 victory.
Kilkenny
Minor and under-21
O'Connor first lined out for Kilkenny as a 16-year-old when he was selected for the minor team in advance of the
1981 Leinster Championship. He won his first
Leinster Minor Championship medal, albeit as a non-playing substitute, on 12 July 1981 after Kilkenny's 3–10 to 3–09 defeat of
Wexford
Wexford ( ; archaic Yola dialect, Yola: ''Weiseforthe'') is the county town of County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the ...
in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
. On 6 September 1981, O'Connor was once again listed amongst the substitutes when Kilkenny faced
Galway
Galway ( ; , ) is a City status in Ireland, city in (and the county town of) County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. It is the most populous settlement in the province of Connacht, the List of settleme ...
in the
All-Ireland final. He remained on the bench for the entire game but collected a
winners' medal after the 1–20 to 3–09 victory.
O'Connor was once again eligible for the Kilkenny minor team that contested the
1982 Leinster Championship. He claimed a second Leinster Minor Championship medal as a non-playing substitute on 25 July 1982 after Kilkenny's 3–16 to 3–04 victory over
Offaly
County Offaly (; ) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe. It was formerly known as King's County, in honour of Philip II of Spain ...
in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
.
O'Connor was added to the Kilkenny under-21 team prior to the start of the
1984 Leinster Championship. He claimed his first
Leinster Under-21 Championship medal on 15 July 1984 after lining out at full-back in Kilkenny's 0–18 to 1–10 defeat of Wexford in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
. On 26 August 1984, O'Connor was once again selected at full-back when Kilkenny qualified to play
Tipperary in the
All-Ireland final. He ended the game with a
winners' medal following a 1–12 to 0–11 victory.
On 21 July 1985, O'Connor claimed a second successive Leinster Under-21 Championship medal after once again lining out at full-back in the 4–18 to 1–04 defeat of Wexford in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
. For the second successive year, Kilkenny faced Tipperary in the
All-Ireland final on 25 August 1985, with O'Connor again playing at full-back. He ended the game, which was his last in the under-21 grade, on the losing side after a 1–10 to 2–06 defeat.
Senior
Glenmore's run of success to the
1991 All-Ireland Club Championship title saw O'Connor being drafted onto the Kilkenny senior team for the latter stages of the
19901-91 National League. He made his first appearance for the team on 30 June 1991 when he was introduced as a 15th-minute substitute for
Liam Walsh in a 2–09 to 0–13 defeat of Wexford in the
Leinster Championship. On 21 July 1991, O'Connor broke onto the starting fifteen when he was selected at right corner-back for Kilkenny's
Leinster final-meeting with
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
. He ended the game with his first
winners' medal after the 1–13 to 1–11 victory. On 1 September 1991, O'Connor was switched to left wing-back for the
All-Ireland final against Tipperary. He ended the game on the losing side after the 1–15 to 0–16 defeat.
On 5 July 1992, O'Connor won a second successive Leinster Championship medal after lining out at right corner-back in the 3–16 to 2–09 victory over Wexford in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
. He retained his position on the starting fifteen for the
All-Ireland final against
Cork
"Cork" or "CORK" may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Stopper (plug), or "cork", a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
*** Wine cork an item to seal or reseal wine
Places Ireland
* ...
on 6 September 1992. O'Connor ended the game with his first
All-Ireland medal after the 3–10 to 1–12 victory.
In October 1992, O'Connor was nominated by his club for the
captaincy
A captaincy ( , , ) is a historical administrative division of the former Spanish colonies, Spanish and Portuguese colonies, Portuguese colonial empires. It was instituted as a method of organization, directly associated with the home-rule admin ...
of the Kilkenny senior team. He later claimed a third successive Leinster Championship medal on 18 July 1993 after captaining the team from right corner-back to a 2–12 to 0–11 defeat of Wexford in the
final replay. On 5 September 1993, O'Connor captained Kilkenny to a third successive
All-Ireland final appearance with Galway providing the opposition. He ended the game with a second All-Ireland winners' medal after the 2–17 to 1–15 victory. In accepting the
Liam MacCarthy Cup
The Liam MacCarthy Cup () is a trophy awarded annually by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) to the team that wins the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. Based on the design of a medieval drinking vessel, the trophy was first awarded i ...
, O'Connor caused something of a minor controversy when he used his speech to suggest that it was time for the
GAA
Gaa may refer to:
* Gaa language, a language of Nigeria
* gaa, the ISO 639 code for the Ga language of Ghana
GAA may stand for:
Compounds
* Glacial (water-free), acetic acid
* Acid alpha-glucosidase, also known as glucosidase, alpha; acid, an e ...
to formally fund a holiday for the All-Ireland finalists. He ended the year by winning his only
All-Star Award.
On 7 May 1995, O'Connor won a
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition featuring teams from Ireland and England. Founded in 1925 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation within the l ...
medal when he lined out at right corner-back in Kilkenny's 2–12 to 0–09 defeat of
Clare Clare may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land
Australia
* Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley
* Clare Valley, South Australia
Canada
* Clare (electoral district), an electoral district
* Cl ...
in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
.
He was again at right corner-back when Kilkenny suffered a 2–16 to 2–05 defeat by
Offaly
County Offaly (; ) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe. It was formerly known as King's County, in honour of Philip II of Spain ...
in the
Leinster final on 16 July 1995.
On 13 July 1997, O'Connor made his fifth and final
Leinster final appearance when he lined out at right corner-back against Wexford on 13 July 1997. He ended the game on the losing side after being substituted in the 2–14 to 1–11 defeat. O'Connor retired from inter-county hurling at the end of the season.
Career statistics
Honours
;Glenmore
*
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Club Championship, known simply as the All-Ireland Club Championship, is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-coun ...
(1):
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
*
Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the AIB Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Club Championship) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Leinster GAA, Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Associa ...
(2):
1990
Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
,
1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
*
Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship
The Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the St Canice's Credit Union Senior Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Kilkenny SHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Kilkenny County Board of ...
(5):
1987
Events January
* January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency.
* January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade.
* January 3 – Afghan leader ...
,
1990
Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
,
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
,
1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
,
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
;Kilkenny
*
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship, known simply as the All-Ireland Championship, is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest-tier competition for ...
(2):
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
,
1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
(c)
*
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Leinster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hur ...
(3):
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
,
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
,
1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
(c)
*
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition featuring teams from Ireland and England. Founded in 1925 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation within the l ...
(1):
1994–95
*
All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling Under-20 All-Ireland Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the oneills.com GAA Hurling Under-20 All-Ireland Championship) is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). ...
(1):
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
*
Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Under-20 Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the oneills.com Leinster GAA Under-20 Hurling Championship), is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic ...
(2):
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
,
1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...
*
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Electric Ireland GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship) is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Associ ...
(1):
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
*
Leinster Minor Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Minor Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Electric Ireland Leinster GAA Hurling Minor Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic ...
(2):
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
,
1982
Events
January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oconnor, Eddie
1964 births
Living people
Glenmore hurlers
Kilkenny inter-county hurlers
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship winners
20th-century Irish sportsmen