Willie John O'Connell

Willie John O'Connell (1869-25 April 1897) was an Irish hurler who played as a quarter-back for the Cork senior team.

Willie John O'Connell
Personal information
Irish name Liam Seán Ó Conaill
Sport Hurling
Position Quarter-back
Born 1869
Cork, Ireland
Died 25 April 1897
Cork, Ireland
Occupation Fitter
Club(s)
Years Club
1886-1897
 St. Finbarr's
Club titles
Cork titles 0
Inter-county(ies)
Years County
1893-1895 5
 Cork
Inter-county titles
Munster titles 2
All-Irelands 2

O'Connell made his first appearance for the team during the 1893 championship and was a regular member of the team for the next three seasons. During that time he won two All-Ireland medals and two Munster medals.

At club level O'Connell played with the St. Finbarr's club.

O'Connell died following a freak accident in a trial game following a clash with teammate Denis Coughlan. He was the first member of the Gaelic Athletic Association to die on the field of play.[1]

Playing career

Club

O'Connell played his club hurling with the famous St. Finbarr's club. He was captain of the senior team from 1895 until his death in 1897.

Inter-county

O'Connell first came to prominence on the inter-county scene with Cork as part of the Blackrock selection in 1893. That year he lined out in his first provincial decider with All-Ireland champions Limerick providing the opposition. A rout developed as Cork defeated Limerick by 5-3 to 0-0. It was O'Connell's first Munster title. Kilkenny provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final. Cork won the game on probably the most unsuitable playing field in hurling history. After someone had neglected to get the grass cut at Ashtown, both teams moved to the Phoenix Park where the game took place. A 6-8 to 0-2 victory gave Young a second All-Ireland title.[2]

For a second consecutive year O'Connell was selected for championship duty with Cork. An easy 3-4 to 1-2 defeat of Tipperary in the provincial decider gave him a third consecutive Munster winners' title. For the second time in three years Dublin provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final. The game turned into an absolute rout as Cork won easily by 5-20 to 2-0. With that O'Connell captured a second consecutive All-Ireland winners' medal. It was his last game with the Cork hurling team.

Sources
  • Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists (Hodder Headline Ireland, 2005).
  • Cronin, Jim, A Rebel Hundred: Cork's 100 All-Ireland Titles.
  • Donegan, Des, The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games (DBA Publications Limited, 2005).
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References
  1. "The tragic death of Willie John O'Connell". Diarmuid O'Donovan blog. 30 March 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  2. "Cork Hurling Profile". www.hoganstand.com. Retrieved 21 March 2009.
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