Tadhg O'Connor
Encyclopedia
Tadhg O'Connor is a retired Irish
sportsperson. He played hurling
with his local club Roscrea
and with the Tipperary
senior inter-county team in the 1970s and 1980s. O'Connor captained Tipperary to the All-Ireland
title in 1971.
. He enjoyed much success with the club, beginning in 1968 when he won a senior county title
following a victory over the famous Thurles Sarsfields
club. He won a second consecutive county title in 1969, before adding a Munster
club title to his collection after a defeat of the legendary Glen Rovers
club from Cork. O’Connor won a third county championship medal in-a-row in 1970. This was once again converted into a second consecutive Munster club medal after a 4-11 to 1-6 trouncing of Clarecastle
. O'Connor later lined out in the All-Ireland club final with St. Ryangh's
of Offaly providing the opposition. A 4-5 to 2-5 victory gave Roscrea the honour of being the first club championship decider winners. It also gave O'Connor a coveted All-Ireland
club medal. He won three further county titles in 1972, 1973 and 1980.
under-21 hurling team. In 1967 he enjoyed his first major success when he captured a Munster
title in this grade following a 3-9 to 3-5 win over Galway
. O'Connor later lined out in the All-Ireland final with Dublin
providing the opposition. A close game developed, however, at the full-time whistle Tipp were the 1-8 to 1-7 winners. It was O'Connor's sole All-Ireland
title in the under-21 grade.
O'Connor subsequently joined the Tipperary senior inter-county team. He was appointed captain of the Tipperary senior hurling team in 1971. That year O'Connor led his men out in the Munster final against Limerick
. An exciting game developed, however, at the full-time whistle Tipp were the 4-16 to 3-18 winners. Kilkenny
provided the opposition against Tipperary in the subsequent All-Ireland final, the first to be broadcast in colour by Telfis Éireann
. In an exciting and high-scoring game Tipp relied on two freak goals to capture a 5-17 to 5-14 victory. The game itself is still remembered for the image of Babs Keating discarding his worn-out boots and playing the last few minutes of the match in his bare feet. The victory gave O'Connor the honour of lifting the Liam McCarthy Cup
while also collecting a coveted senior All-Ireland
medal. His performances throughout the year also earned him a place on the inaugural All-Stars
team.
Tipperary surrendered their Munster and All-Ireland title sin 1972. The team bounced back in 1973 to recah the Munster final again. Limerick were the opponents for the second time in three years, however, on this occasion O'Connor ended up on the losing side. In spite of this defeat he was later presented with a second All-Star.
The next decade saw Tipp go into terminal decline. The county failed to win a single championship match, however, O'Connor did win a National Hurling League
medal in 1979. This league victory was followed by a third All-Star award. He retired from inter-county hurling without further success in 1982.
in the inter-provincial hurling championship where he played alongside his championship rivals from other counties. He first played for his province in 1973 as Munster were defeated by arch-rivals Leinster
. It was a similar story in 1974 as Leinster retained the title. Two years late rin 1976 O'Connor captured his first Railway Cup medal as Munster stopped a Leinster six in-a-row. Defeat was O'Connor's lot again in 1980, however, he collected a second winners' medal in the competition in 1981.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
sportsperson. He played hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
with his local club Roscrea
Roscrea GAA
Roscrea GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club is located in the town of Roscrea in North County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland. The club's ground ground shares its name with St. Cronan's BNS in Bray, Co. Wicklow. The club's colours are red and white and they play at Páirc Naomh Cronáin Roscrea...
and with the Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
senior inter-county team in the 1970s and 1980s. O'Connor captained Tipperary to the All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
title in 1971.
Club
O’Connor played his club hurling with his local club in RoscreaRoscrea GAA
Roscrea GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club is located in the town of Roscrea in North County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland. The club's ground ground shares its name with St. Cronan's BNS in Bray, Co. Wicklow. The club's colours are red and white and they play at Páirc Naomh Cronáin Roscrea...
. He enjoyed much success with the club, beginning in 1968 when he won a senior county title
Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship
The Tipperary Senior Hurling Club Championship is an annual club competition between the top Tipperary hurling clubs...
following a victory over the famous Thurles Sarsfields
Thurles Sarsfields GAA
Thurles Sarsfields is a Gaelic Athletic Association hurling club located in the town of Thurles in Tipperary, Ireland. The club was founded in 1881...
club. He won a second consecutive county title in 1969, before adding a Munster
Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for the top hurling clubs in the province of Munster in Ireland...
club title to his collection after a defeat of the legendary Glen Rovers
Glen Rovers GAA
Glen Rovers is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Ballyvolane and Blackpool areas of Cork city, Ireland. The club was founded in 1916 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling.-Colours:...
club from Cork. O’Connor won a third county championship medal in-a-row in 1970. This was once again converted into a second consecutive Munster club medal after a 4-11 to 1-6 trouncing of Clarecastle
Clarecastle GAA
Clarecastle GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in the village of Clarecastle in County Clare, Ireland.-Honours:*Clare Senior Hurling Championship:11**1943, 1945,1949, 1970, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2003, 2005...
. O'Connor later lined out in the All-Ireland club final with St. Ryangh's
St. Rynagh's GAA
St. Rynagh's is a Gaelic Athletic Association club that encompasses the towns of Cloghan and Banagher in County Offaly, in Ireland. Formed in 1961, the club gained almost immediate success - winning the senior championship in 1965. St. Rynagh's went on to appear in three All-Ireland club finals...
of Offaly providing the opposition. A 4-5 to 2-5 victory gave Roscrea the honour of being the first club championship decider winners. It also gave O'Connor a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling tournament played between hundreds of senior hurling clubs in Ireland. The Tommy Moore Cup is awarded to the winners. The current champions are Clarinbridge...
club medal. He won three further county titles in 1972, 1973 and 1980.
Inter-county
O’Connor first came to prominence on the inter-county scene in the mid-1960s when he was a key member of the TipperaryTipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
under-21 hurling team. In 1967 he enjoyed his first major success when he captured a Munster
Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Under-21 Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for players aged between 18 and 21 in the province of Munster in Ireland...
title in this grade following a 3-9 to 3-5 win over 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,...
. O'Connor later lined out in the All-Ireland final with 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...
providing the opposition. A close game developed, however, at the full-time whistle Tipp were the 1-8 to 1-7 winners. It was O'Connor's sole All-Ireland
All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of hurling played in Ireland...
title in the under-21 grade.
O'Connor subsequently joined the Tipperary senior inter-county team. He was appointed captain of the Tipperary senior hurling team in 1971. That year O'Connor led his men out in the Munster final against Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
. An exciting game developed, however, at the full-time whistle Tipp were the 4-16 to 3-18 winners. Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny 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 Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
provided the opposition against Tipperary in the subsequent All-Ireland final, the first to be broadcast in colour by Telfis Éireann
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
. In an exciting and high-scoring game Tipp relied on two freak goals to capture a 5-17 to 5-14 victory. The game itself is still remembered for the image of Babs Keating discarding his worn-out boots and playing the last few minutes of the match in his bare feet. The victory gave O'Connor the honour of lifting the Liam McCarthy Cup
Liam McCarthy Cup
The MacCarthy Perpetual Challenge Cup is a trophy awarded annually by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the hurling team that wins the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.-The trophy:...
while also collecting a coveted senior All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
medal. His performances throughout the year also earned him a place on the inaugural All-Stars
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...
team.
Tipperary surrendered their Munster and All-Ireland title sin 1972. The team bounced back in 1973 to recah the Munster final again. Limerick were the opponents for the second time in three years, however, on this occasion O'Connor ended up on the losing side. In spite of this defeat he was later presented with a second All-Star.
The next decade saw Tipp go into terminal decline. The county failed to win a single championship match, however, O'Connor did win a National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
medal in 1979. This league victory was followed by a third All-Star award. He retired from inter-county hurling without further success in 1982.
Provincial
O'Connor also lined out with MunsterMunster GAA
The Munster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Munster.-Constituent counties:*Cork*Clare*Kerry*Limerick*Tipperary*Waterford-Honours:...
in the inter-provincial hurling championship where he played alongside his championship rivals from other counties. He first played for his province in 1973 as Munster were defeated by arch-rivals Leinster
Leinster GAA
The Leinster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Leinster. The Leinster Council has been partnered with the European County Board to help develop Gaelic Games in Europe...
. It was a similar story in 1974 as Leinster retained the title. Two years late rin 1976 O'Connor captured his first Railway Cup medal as Munster stopped a Leinster six in-a-row. Defeat was O'Connor's lot again in 1980, however, he collected a second winners' medal in the competition in 1981.
Roscrea
- All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Senior Club Hurling ChampionshipThe All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling tournament played between hundreds of senior hurling clubs in Ireland. The Tommy Moore Cup is awarded to the winners. The current champions are Clarinbridge...
:- Winner (1): 1971
- Munster Senior Club Hurling ChampionshipMunster Senior Club Hurling ChampionshipThe Munster GAA Club Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for the top hurling clubs in the province of Munster in Ireland...
:- Winner (2): 1969, 1970
- Runner-up (2): 1972, 1980
- Tipperary Senior Hurling ChampionshipTipperary Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe Tipperary Senior Hurling Club Championship is an annual club competition between the top Tipperary hurling clubs...
:- Winner (6): 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1980
- Runner-up (7): 1967, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1985
Tipperary
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
:- Winner (1): 1971All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1971The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1971 was the 85th staging of Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition. Tipperary won the championship, beating Kilkenny 5-17 to 5-14 in the final at Croke Park, Dublin.-Participating counties:-Format:...
- Winner (1): 1971
- Munster Senior Hurling ChampionshipMunster Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe Munster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Munster in Ireland....
:- Winner (1): 1971
- Runner-up (2): 1970, 1973
- National Hurling LeagueNational Hurling LeagueThe National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
:- Winner (1): 1978-1979
- Runner-up (2): 1970-1971, 1975-1975
- All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipThe All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of hurling played in Ireland...
:- Winner (1): 1967
- Munster Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipMunster Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipThe Munster GAA Hurling Under-21 Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for players aged between 18 and 21 in the province of Munster in Ireland...
:- Winner (1): 1967
Munster
- Railway Cup:
- Winner (2): 1976, 1981
- Runner-up (3): 1973, 1974, 1980