Sean O'Connell
Encyclopedia
Sean O'Connell was an Irish
Gaelic football
er and manager
. He played for Derry
in the late 1950s, 1960s and 1970s and was on the Derry side that finished runners-up to Dublin
in the 1958 All-Ireland Championship - winning an Ulster Championship
with the county that year, and three more in 1970, 1975 and 1976. For his performances in the 1967 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
, O'Connell won a Cú Chulainn Award (the awards which ran between 1963 and 1967 were the forerunner to the modern day All Star Awards
).
O'Connell played his club football for Ballerin Sarsfields
. He was instrumental in helping Ballerin reach the 1976-77 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
final, where they were defeated by Austin Stacks
of Kerry
. He also won two Derry Championships and an Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
with the club.
He is regarded as a Derry legend, and an all-time great of the game. He was in particular known for scoring exploits - he is ninth in the all-time list of top Ulster scorers in Championship football with a tally of 11-118 (11 goals and 118 points—each goal equals 3 points; 11 x 3 + 118 = 151 points, see GAA scoring rules). In the centenary year of the Gaelic Athletic Association
(1984), O'Connell was named in the Football Team of the Century comprising players who never won an All-Ireland. Former Derry County Board Chairman Gerard O'Kane said of O'Connell "everyone growing up when Sean O'Connell was playing wanted to be Sean O'Connell".
in the 1930s, his father Pat was a farmer and a talented soccer player. His mother Brigid (née McKenna), originally from Slaughtneil was a school teacher. He had four brothers and four sisters. His elder brother Seamus was a priest
and played with Derry in the 1950s. His other brothers Paddy and Gerard played at Under 21 level for Derry, while Cahir was a decent club player in the 1960s and early 1970s.
His cousin Seamus O'Connell
played soccer for the likes of Chelsea F.C.
in England
where he helped the club win their first ever League title
in 1954–55.
Sean boarded at St Columb's College in Derry
. O'Connell tried his hand at boxing
in his youth and was a member of Garvagh Boxing Club. He worked as a teacher and was principal of St Patrick's College in Dungiven
for many years. He lived in Limavady
for many years and he and his wife Margaret had four children. He died in August 2003 and is buried in Limavady.
O'Connell along with some of his Ballerin club-mates represented Derry at Minor level, - breaking into the Minor in 1955 and made his Senior debut two years later.
In 1958 he played for Derry against Galway
in the Wembley Tournament (a tournament played in Wembley Stadium, London
, England
for Irish people in the city to watch). He scored the first ever Gaelic football point scored in the stadium, but Derry lost out to Galway. That year O'Connell as was part of Derry's first ever Ulster Senior Football Championship
winning team, beating Down
in the final by four points (1-11 to 2-04). On 24 August, Derry caused one of the biggest shocks in the history of Gaelic football when the first-time Ulster Champions beat Kerry
in the All-Ireland semi-final 2-06 to 2-05 - O'Connell's "brilliant solo goal" proving decisive. They met Dublin
in the All-Ireland final
but Derry were defeated. It has been claimed a serious of poor refereeing decisions in that game cost Derry greatly, but Derry captain Jim McKeever said in a 2002 interview that it should also be noted that "It was an exceptionally good Dublin team".
The 1950s was a decade of very high standards of football and was a very difficult era to win an All-Ireland, with the likes of Mayo
, Galway
, Kerry, Louth
, Cavan
, Meath
and Dublin having very strong teams at the time. Unfortunately for Derry, they never quite managed to keep that team together, and only O'Connell from that starting 15 would ever win another Ulster title and play in another All-Ireland semi-final. They did however reach the National League
final in both 1958/59 and 1960/61, but they lost out to Kerry on both occasions, partly due to O'Connell being suspended for both deciders - he was suspended because he played soccer, which was against GAA rules at the time (Rule 27).
O'Connell won a Cú Chulainn Award (forerunner to the All Star Awards
) in 1967 and won further Ulster Championships in 1970, 1975 and 1976 - and was captain
for the 1970 triumph. In addition to being top scorer in the 1971 Ulster Championship, he was top scorer in both the 1974 and 1975 All-Ireland Championships. O'Connell's goal in the 1975 All-Ireland
semi-final against Dublin has been called one of the greatest ever scored in Croke Park
. He was a replacement All Star in 1976. In the 1976 Ulster decider replay against Cavan, he came off the bench in extra-time and played a vital role in securing the title for Derry. He was 37 years old when he played in 1975-76 National League final against Dublin - Derry lost by a point in what has been described as the "greatest ever League final".
and Derry Senior Championship finals - both on the same day in Magherafelt
. Ballerin however, were defeated in both finals - by Bellaghy and Desertmartin
respectively. In 1957 however, Ballerin won their first ever Derry Championship, beating Ballymaguigan
in the final on a scoreline of 3-08 to 2-06. Playing for Ballymaguigan that day was fellow Derry footballing legend Jim McKeever
. O'Connell, now a 19 year old, scored four points in that decider.
Ballerin won their second ever Derry Championship in 1976, this time defeating Dungiven
in the final by 0-09 to 0-03, with O'Connell playing a starring role. They went on to win that year's Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
- defeating St. Joseph's (Donegal
) in the quarter-final, Enniskillen Gaels (Fermanagh
) in the semi-final and Clan na Gael
of Armagh
in the decider - O'Connell's performances once again proving vital to the club's success. The team easily beat Killererin
of Galway
in the 1976-77 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
semi-final, setting up a final clash with Austin Stacks
of Kerry. The two teams were very closely matched the whole match, with Austin Stacks effectively winning the game in the last three minutes - the game finishing 1-13 to 2-07. Such was the esteem in which O'Connell was held that virtually all the Austin stacks players rushed to commiserate with him after the match. His role in bringing Ballerin to the All-Ireland final cannot be underestimated - with two seventeen year olds, an eighteen year old and an nineteen year old among the six forwards, his experience and ability were irreplaceable.
He retired from club football in 1978, bringing an end to an incredible playing career.
for many years and won five Railway Cup medals with the province (1965, 1966, 1968, 1970 and 1971). He was captain for the 1971 success.
, therefore his football at the school was confined to house and class matches.
, playing in the centre half position. Other smaller soccer clubs he lined out for included Park and Dungiven Celtic. He was an outspoken critic of the GAA's Rule 27 which prohibited its players from playing foreign sports, and received a ban for playing the sport. He was also a decent golf
er and in his youth participated in boxing as well as basketball
.
and All-Ireland Minor Championships
in 1965. He was also manager of the Derry Under 21 team who won Ulster Under 21
and All-Ireland Under 21 Championships three years later in 1968. Many were surprised that he was never given the job of Derry Senior manager. He also served five years as manager of Ballerin and was also Chairman of the club for five years.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
er and manager
Manager (Gaelic games)
In Gaelic games, a manager or coach is an individual involved in the direction and instruction of the on-field operations of a team. Managing, or coaching, entails the application of sport tactics and strategies during the game itself, and usually entails substitution of players and other such...
. He played for Derry
Derry GAA
The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the GAA county of Derry, which covers virtually the same territory as the former administrative county of Londonderry...
in the late 1950s, 1960s and 1970s and was on the Derry side that finished runners-up to Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
in the 1958 All-Ireland Championship - winning an Ulster Championship
Ulster Senior Football Championship
For information on this years competition, see Ulster Senior Football Championship 2011-2010 Draw:-2009 Draw:-2008 Draw:-Top winners:* All-Ireland winning years in bold.-Roll of honour:Notes:* 1907 No final result in records...
with the county that year, and three more in 1970, 1975 and 1976. For his performances in the 1967 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 1967
-Leinster:-Munster:-Ulster:-All-Ireland Championship:--------...
, O'Connell won a Cú Chulainn Award (the awards which ran between 1963 and 1967 were the forerunner to the modern day All Star Awards
GAA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
).
O'Connell played his club football for Ballerin Sarsfields
Ballerin GAC
Ballerin Sarfields GAC is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Ballerin, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. They are a member of the Derry GAA and currently cater for Gaelic football, Ladies' Gaelic football and Camogie...
. He was instrumental in helping Ballerin reach the 1976-77 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament run since 1971, played between the thousands of senior football clubs in Ireland. The current champions are Crossmaglen Rangers of Armagh, who defeated St. Brigid's of Roscommon on March 17, 2011 to win their...
final, where they were defeated by Austin Stacks
Austin Stacks
Austin Stacks is a hurling and Gaelic football club based in Tralee in County Kerry, Ireland. It has more All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medals and GAA All-Stars than any other GAA club in Ireland...
of Kerry
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
. He also won two Derry Championships and an Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
The Ulster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition played between the top clubs in Ulster. The trophy awarded to the winners is the Seamus McFerran Cup...
with the club.
He is regarded as a Derry legend, and an all-time great of the game. He was in particular known for scoring exploits - he is ninth in the all-time list of top Ulster scorers in Championship football with a tally of 11-118 (11 goals and 118 points—each goal equals 3 points; 11 x 3 + 118 = 151 points, see GAA scoring rules). In the centenary year of the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
(1984), O'Connell was named in the Football Team of the Century comprising players who never won an All-Ireland. Former Derry County Board Chairman Gerard O'Kane said of O'Connell "everyone growing up when Sean O'Connell was playing wanted to be Sean O'Connell".
Background and early life
Sean O'Connell was born in GarvaghGarvagh
Garvagh is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is on the banks of the Agivey River, south of Coleraine on the A29 route. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 1,288.-History:...
in the 1930s, his father Pat was a farmer and a talented soccer player. His mother Brigid (née McKenna), originally from Slaughtneil was a school teacher. He had four brothers and four sisters. His elder brother Seamus was a priest
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
and played with Derry in the 1950s. His other brothers Paddy and Gerard played at Under 21 level for Derry, while Cahir was a decent club player in the 1960s and early 1970s.
His cousin Seamus O'Connell
Seamus O'Connell
Seamus O'Connell is an English former amateur footballer who played in the Scottish Football League for Queens Park and in the Football League for Middlesbrough, Chelsea and Carlisle United during the 1950s.O'Connell was born in Carlisle...
played soccer for the likes of Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where he helped the club win their first ever League title
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
in 1954–55.
Sean boarded at St Columb's College in Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
. O'Connell tried his hand at boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
in his youth and was a member of Garvagh Boxing Club. He worked as a teacher and was principal of St Patrick's College in Dungiven
Dungiven
Dungiven is a small town and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is on the main A6 Belfast to Derry road. It lies where the rivers Roe, Owenreagh and Owenbeg meet at the foot of the Benbradagh. Nearby is the Glenshane Pass, where the road rises to over...
for many years. He lived in Limavady
Limavady
Limavady is a market town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, with Binevenagh as a backdrop. It lies east of Derry and south west of Coleraine. It had a population of 12,135 people in the 2001 Census, an increase of some 17% compared to 1991...
for many years and he and his wife Margaret had four children. He died in August 2003 and is buried in Limavady.
Playing style
One of O'Connell main attributes was his amazing and consistent scoring tallies. He frequently scored double-figures in games for both Ballerin and Derry, and was top scorer in both the 1974 and 1975 All-Ireland Championships. He was particularly known for being able to evade his marker by his incredible use of the sidestep dummy. He was also an extremely reliable free-taker. His tally of 11 Championship goals is one of the highest ever in Ulster football history.Inter-county
In 1958 he played for Derry against Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
in the Wembley Tournament (a tournament played in Wembley Stadium, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for Irish people in the city to watch). He scored the first ever Gaelic football point scored in the stadium, but Derry lost out to Galway. That year O'Connell as was part of Derry's first ever Ulster Senior Football Championship
Ulster Senior Football Championship
For information on this years competition, see Ulster Senior Football Championship 2011-2010 Draw:-2009 Draw:-2008 Draw:-Top winners:* All-Ireland winning years in bold.-Roll of honour:Notes:* 1907 No final result in records...
winning team, beating Down
Down GAA
The Down County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Down GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Down...
in the final by four points (1-11 to 2-04). On 24 August, Derry caused one of the biggest shocks in the history of Gaelic football when the first-time Ulster Champions beat Kerry
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
in the All-Ireland semi-final 2-06 to 2-05 - O'Connell's "brilliant solo goal" proving decisive. They met Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
in the All-Ireland final
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
but Derry were defeated. It has been claimed a serious of poor refereeing decisions in that game cost Derry greatly, but Derry captain Jim McKeever said in a 2002 interview that it should also be noted that "It was an exceptionally good Dublin team".
The 1950s was a decade of very high standards of football and was a very difficult era to win an All-Ireland, with the likes of Mayo
Mayo GAA
The Mayo County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Mayo GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Mayo and the Mayo inter-county teams.-History:...
, Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
, Kerry, Louth
Louth GAA
The Louth County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Louth GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Louth. The county board is also responsible for the Louth inter-county teams....
, Cavan
Cavan GAA
The Cavan County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Cavan GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Cavan...
, Meath
Meath GAA
The Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath inter-county teams.- Pre-1960s :...
and Dublin having very strong teams at the time. Unfortunately for Derry, they never quite managed to keep that team together, and only O'Connell from that starting 15 would ever win another Ulster title and play in another All-Ireland semi-final. They did however reach the National League
National Football League (Ireland)
The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...
final in both 1958/59 and 1960/61, but they lost out to Kerry on both occasions, partly due to O'Connell being suspended for both deciders - he was suspended because he played soccer, which was against GAA rules at the time (Rule 27).
O'Connell won a Cú Chulainn Award (forerunner to the All Star Awards
GAA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
) in 1967 and won further Ulster Championships in 1970, 1975 and 1976 - and was captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
for the 1970 triumph. In addition to being top scorer in the 1971 Ulster Championship, he was top scorer in both the 1974 and 1975 All-Ireland Championships. O'Connell's goal in the 1975 All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 1975
-Leinster Senior Football Championship:-Munster Senior Football Championship:-Ulster Senior Football Championship:-Semi-Finals:-All-Ireland Final:...
semi-final against Dublin has been called one of the greatest ever scored in Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
. He was a replacement All Star in 1976. In the 1976 Ulster decider replay against Cavan, he came off the bench in extra-time and played a vital role in securing the title for Derry. He was 37 years old when he played in 1975-76 National League final against Dublin - Derry lost by a point in what has been described as the "greatest ever League final".
Club
O'Connell made his debut for the Ballerin Senior team in 1953. That year, as a fifteen year old year he played for Ballerin in both the Derry MinorDerry Minor Football Championship
The Derry Minor Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition between the top Derry Minor clubs. The winners of the Derry Championship qualify to represent their county in the Ulster Minor Club Football Championship...
and Derry Senior Championship finals - both on the same day in Magherafelt
Magherafelt
Magherafelt is a small town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 8,372 people recorded in the 2001 Census. It is the biggest town in the south of County Londonderry and is the social, economic and political hub of the area...
. Ballerin however, were defeated in both finals - by Bellaghy and Desertmartin
Desertmartin GAC
St. Martin's GAC Desertmartin is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Desertmartin, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA and currently cater for Gaelic football and Ladies' Gaelic football....
respectively. In 1957 however, Ballerin won their first ever Derry Championship, beating Ballymaguigan
Ballymaguigan GAC
St. Trea's Ballymaguigan GFC is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Ballymaguigan, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. They play in the Derry league and championships. They currently cater for both Gaelic football and Ladies' Gaelic football....
in the final on a scoreline of 3-08 to 2-06. Playing for Ballymaguigan that day was fellow Derry footballing legend Jim McKeever
Jim McKeever
James "Jim" McKeever is an Irish former Gaelic footballer. He played for Derry in the late 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s and played club football for St. Trea's GFC Ballymaguigan and Seán O'Leary's GAC Newbridge...
. O'Connell, now a 19 year old, scored four points in that decider.
Ballerin won their second ever Derry Championship in 1976, this time defeating Dungiven
Dungiven GAC
St. Canice's GAC Dungiven is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Dungiven, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. They currently cater for Gaelic football and Ladies' Gaelic football. The hurling club in the town is Kevin Lynch's....
in the final by 0-09 to 0-03, with O'Connell playing a starring role. They went on to win that year's Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
The Ulster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition played between the top clubs in Ulster. The trophy awarded to the winners is the Seamus McFerran Cup...
- defeating St. Joseph's (Donegal
Donegal GAA
The Donegal County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Donegal GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Donegal. The county board is also responsible for the Donegal inter-county teams.Gaelic football is strongest in the...
) in the quarter-final, Enniskillen Gaels (Fermanagh
Fermanagh GAA
The Fermanagh County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Fermanagh GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. The county board is also responsible for the Fermanagh inter-county teams-History:...
) in the semi-final and Clan na Gael
Clan na Gael CLG
Clan na Gael is a Gaelic Athletic Association club situated in the town of Lurgan, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The club was formed in 1922 in the Francis Street area following the demise of its predecessors, The Michael Davitts. The club's pitch, Davitt Park is still named in honour of Michael...
of Armagh
Armagh GAA
The Armagh County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Armagh GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Armagh...
in the decider - O'Connell's performances once again proving vital to the club's success. The team easily beat Killererin
Killererin
Killererin is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Tuam area in County Galway, Ireland. The club is a member of the Galway GAA. Underage teams up to U-16s play in the Galway league and championships. Killererin is a Gaelic football club with a proud tradition of producing gutsy...
of Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
in the 1976-77 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament run since 1971, played between the thousands of senior football clubs in Ireland. The current champions are Crossmaglen Rangers of Armagh, who defeated St. Brigid's of Roscommon on March 17, 2011 to win their...
semi-final, setting up a final clash with Austin Stacks
Austin Stacks
Austin Stacks is a hurling and Gaelic football club based in Tralee in County Kerry, Ireland. It has more All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medals and GAA All-Stars than any other GAA club in Ireland...
of Kerry. The two teams were very closely matched the whole match, with Austin Stacks effectively winning the game in the last three minutes - the game finishing 1-13 to 2-07. Such was the esteem in which O'Connell was held that virtually all the Austin stacks players rushed to commiserate with him after the match. His role in bringing Ballerin to the All-Ireland final cannot be underestimated - with two seventeen year olds, an eighteen year old and an nineteen year old among the six forwards, his experience and ability were irreplaceable.
He retired from club football in 1978, bringing an end to an incredible playing career.
Province
O'Connell played for UlsterUlster GAA
The Ulster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, and handball in the province of Ulster. The headquarters of the Ulster GAA is based in Armagh City....
for many years and won five Railway Cup medals with the province (1965, 1966, 1968, 1970 and 1971). He was captain for the 1971 success.
School
While O'Connell was at St Columb's, the school didn't compete in open competitions, such as the MacRory CupMacRory Cup
The MacRory Cup is an inter-college Gaelic football tournament in Ulster. It is staged every year with the stipulation that players must be under eighteen-and-a-half at the start of the tournament...
, therefore his football at the school was confined to house and class matches.
Other sports
O'Connell played some soccer with Irish League side Coleraine F.C.Coleraine F.C.
Coleraine F.C. is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1927, hails from Coleraine, County Londonderry and plays its home matches at the Showgrounds. Club colours are blue and white...
, playing in the centre half position. Other smaller soccer clubs he lined out for included Park and Dungiven Celtic. He was an outspoken critic of the GAA's Rule 27 which prohibited its players from playing foreign sports, and received a ban for playing the sport. He was also a decent golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er and in his youth participated in boxing as well as basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
.
Managerial career
O'Connell was manager when Derry Minors won the Ulster MinorUlster Minor Football Championship
The Ulster Minor Football Championship is the Minor "knockout" competition in the game of Gaelic football played in the province of Ulster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Ulster Council. The trophy for the winning side is The Liam Murray Cup. The competition began in 1930, with...
and All-Ireland Minor Championships
All-Ireland Minor Football Championship
The All-Ireland Minor Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for under-18 competitors of the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland...
in 1965. He was also manager of the Derry Under 21 team who won Ulster Under 21
Ulster Under-21 Football Championship
For the Senior equivalent see: Ulster Senior Football ChampionshipThe Ulster Under-21 Football Championship known for sponsorship reasons as the Cadbury Ulster Under-21 Football Championship is a Gaelic football tournament for players under the age of 21, contested by the nine counties of Ulster in...
and All-Ireland Under 21 Championships three years later in 1968. Many were surprised that he was never given the job of Derry Senior manager. He also served five years as manager of Ballerin and was also Chairman of the club for five years.
County
- All-Ireland Senior Football ChampionshipAll-Ireland Senior Football ChampionshipThe All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
:- Runner up: 1958
- National Football LeagueNational Football League (Ireland)The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...
:- Runner up: 1958-1959, 1960–1961, 1975–76
- Ulster Senior Football ChampionshipUlster Senior Football ChampionshipFor information on this years competition, see Ulster Senior Football Championship 2011-2010 Draw:-2009 Draw:-2008 Draw:-Top winners:* All-Ireland winning years in bold.-Roll of honour:Notes:* 1907 No final result in records...
:- Winner (4): 1958, 1970, 1975, 1976
- Runner up: 1957, 1971
- Dr. McKenna Cup:
- Winner (5): Years?
- Dr Lagan CupDr Lagan CupThe Dr Lagan Cup was inter-county Gaelic football competition in the province of Ulster. The competition was discontinued in 1967 when Donegal won the competition. The Lagan Cup was the trophy for a Senior Football League limited to five Ulster counties at a time unlike the Dr McKenna Cup which was...
:- Winner (1): Year?
Club
- All-Ireland Senior Club Football ChampionshipAll-Ireland Senior Club Football ChampionshipThe All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament run since 1971, played between the thousands of senior football clubs in Ireland. The current champions are Crossmaglen Rangers of Armagh, who defeated St. Brigid's of Roscommon on March 17, 2011 to win their...
:- Runner up: 1976-77
- Ulster Senior Club Football ChampionshipUlster Senior Club Football ChampionshipThe Ulster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition played between the top clubs in Ulster. The trophy awarded to the winners is the Seamus McFerran Cup...
:- Winner (1): 1976
- Derry Senior Football Championship:
- Winner (2): 1957, 1976
- Runner up: 1953, 1964, 1965, 1972
Individual
- All StarGAA All Stars AwardsThe All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
:- Winner (1): 1967
- Replacement: 1976
- Nominated (runner up): ??
- Derry Senior football captain: Years?
- Captain of Derry Ulster Championship winning team: Years?
- Captain of Ulster Railway Cup winning team: 1971
- Top scorer in All-Ireland Championship: 1974, 1975
Derry Under 21s
- All-Ireland Under-21 Football ChampionshipAll-Ireland Under-21 Football ChampionshipThe All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and are played during the summer months...
:- Winner (1): 1968
- Ulster Under-21 Football ChampionshipUlster Under-21 Football ChampionshipFor the Senior equivalent see: Ulster Senior Football ChampionshipThe Ulster Under-21 Football Championship known for sponsorship reasons as the Cadbury Ulster Under-21 Football Championship is a Gaelic football tournament for players under the age of 21, contested by the nine counties of Ulster in...
:- Winner (1/2??): 1967??, 1968
Derry Minors
- All-Ireland Minor Football ChampionshipAll-Ireland Minor Football ChampionshipThe All-Ireland Minor Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for under-18 competitors of the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland...
:- Winner (1): 1965
- Ulster Minor Football ChampionshipUlster Minor Football ChampionshipThe Ulster Minor Football Championship is the Minor "knockout" competition in the game of Gaelic football played in the province of Ulster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Ulster Council. The trophy for the winning side is The Liam Murray Cup. The competition began in 1930, with...
:- Winner (1): 1965