Seán Óg Ó hAilpín

Infobox GAA dualplayer
code= Hurling
sport = Hurling


name = Seán Óg Ó hAilpín
irish = "Seán Óg Ó hAilpín"
fullname = Seán Óg Ó hAilpín
placeofbirth = Rotuma
countryofbirth = Fiji
bday=22
bmonth=7
byear= 1977
dyear=
dday=
dmonth=
feet = 6
inches = 2
nickname = Ógie
occupation = Bank Official
county = Cork
province = Munster
club = Na Piarsaigh
clpositionh = Left wing-back
clpositionf = Left wing-back
clubs = Na Piarsaigh
clyears = 1995-present
clapps(points) =
clcounty =
clprovince=
clallireland =
counties = Cork (H)
Cork (F)
icpositionh = Left wing-back
icpositionf= Left wing-back
icyears = 1996-present
1999-2001
icapps(points) = 47 (0-6)
11 (0-1)
icprovincef = 1
icprovinceh=5
icallirelandh= 3
icallirelandf =0
allstarsf=0
allstarsh=3
clupdate =
icupdate =

Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, (born 22 May, 1977 in Rotuma, Fiji) is a sportsperson of Fijian-Irish descent. He plays hurling with his local club Na Piarsaigh and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 1996. Ó hAilpín captained Cork to the All-Ireland title in 2005. He is widely regarded as one of Cork's most iconic players and is one of the most well-known faces in Irish sport.

In a senior inter-county career that has lasted since 1996 Ó hAilpín has won three All-Ireland titles, five Munster titles, one National Hurling League title and one Railway Cup title. As a former Gaelic footballer he has also won both Munster and National Football League honours.

He has also been the recipient of many awards and honours off the field. Since 2000 Ó hAilpín has won three All-Star awards. In 2005 his hurling prowess earned him the three most prestigious personal awards in the game – the Vodafone, Texaco and Gaelic Players’ Association Hurler of the Year Awards. That same year he was also presented with the RTÉ Sports Person of the Year award. [cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/2007/1217/rteawards.html|title=RTÉ Awards shortlists revealed|publisher=RTÉ Sport|date=2007-12-17|accessdate=2008-09-23] Ó hAilpín was the only amateur sportsperson on the award’s shortlist.

Biography

Seán Óg Ó hAilpín was born on the island of Rotuma, 400 miles north of the main Fiji islands in 1977. He was the first of six children born to Seán Ó hAilpín, a native of County Fermanagh in Ireland, and his wife Emilie, a native of Rotuma. This clash of cultures was the subject of one of commentator Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh’s most famous and oft-quoted one-liners. During a match he famously described Ó hAilpín as follows: "...his father's from Fermanagh, his mother's from Fiji, neither a hurling stronghold." [cite web|url=http://archives.tcm.ie/roscommonherald/2005/09/14/story2100.asp|title=From Rotuma to Croker|publisher=Roscommon Herald|date=2005-09-14|accessdate=2008-09-23] Ó hAilpín was the only child of the family to be born on his mother's native island, as the family later moved to Australia when he was just three years-old.

From an early age Ó hAilpín showed great accomplishment at various sports, particularly rugby league in Sydney where the family lived. The Ó hAilpín family later moved from Australia to Cork in Ireland in 1988. They rented a house in the city before moving permanently to Blarney, just a short few miles outside the city. Ó hAilpín was educated locally at the famous North Monastery school where he was first introduced to Gaelic games. Here his hurling skills came to the fore for the first time when he played a key role in the schools victory in the Dr. Harty Cup final in 1994. Ó hAilpín subsequently collected an All-Ireland Colleges’ title after the North Mon defeated St. Mary’s of Galway in the final. [cite book| first=Des| last=Donegan| title=The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games| publisher=DBA Publications| year=2005| id= | pages=225]

Ó hAilpín later studied at Dublin City University where he was conferred with a BSc. in Finance Computing and Entrepreneurship "(Airgeadas, Ríomhairíocht agus Fiontraíocht)" in 1999. He currently works as an official with the Ulster Bank group in Cork.

In January 2007 Ó hAilpín and his two younger brothers, Setanta and Aisake, were the subject of a documentary on Radio Telefís Éireann called "Tall, Dark and Ó hAilpín." Both Setanta and Aisake play for the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League. Ó hAilpín also has a third younger brother named Teu.

Playing Career

Club

It was in Ireland that Ó hAilpín discovered the Irish games of hurling and Gaelic football and he quickly became a member of the Na Piarsaigh GAA club on the north side of the city. He enjoyed some success at juvenile levels before coming to prominence on the club’s minor team. He won a county title in this grade in 1995 before later joining the club’s under-21 team. In 1996 Na Piarsaigh reached the county under-21 final, however, the team was beaten by Ballincollig. Two years later in 1998 Ó hAilpín lined out in a second county under-21 final. Newtownshandrum provided the opposition on that occasion; however, he ended up on the losing side once again.

Ó hAilpín was just out of the minor grade when he joined the club’s senior team in 1995. That year he lined out in his first senior county final. North Cork side Ballyhea provided the opposition on that occasion; however, victory went to Na Piarsaigh. It was Ó hAilpín’s first senior County title. It took Na Piarsaigh almost a decade to qualify for their next county final at senior level. In 2004 Na Piarsaigh took on east Cork stalwarts Cloyne in an intriguing contest. At the full-time whistle victory went to Na Piarsaigh and Ó hAilpín collected his second county winners’’ medal.

Minor & Under-21

Ó hAilpín first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Cork minor hurling team in 1994. In his first season on the team he won a Munster title in the under-18 grade following a 2-15 to 0-9 trouncing of Waterford. Ó hAilpín later lined out in the All-Ireland final with Galway providing the opposition. Unfortunately for Ó hAilpín victory went to the team from the west by 2-10 to 1-11. ["The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games" p. 29] In 1995 Ó hAilpín was a key member of the Cork minor team again. That year he collected a second consecutive Munster title in that grade following a second consecutive trouncing of Waterford. Cork subsequently qualified for the All-Ireland final again, this time with arch-rivals Kilkenny providing the opposition. At the second time of asking Cork triumphed and Ó hAilpín collected a coveted All-Ireland minor medal. ["The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games" p. 29]

In 1996 Ó hAilpín joined the Cork under-21 hurling team and was one of the team’s key players over the next few years. In his first season on the panel he won a Munster title following a trouncing of Clare in the provincial decider. Cork were later defeated by Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final. In 1997 Ó hAilpín lined out in a second consecutive Munster decider. Arch provincial rivals Tipperary were the opponents on that occasion. After a close game Cork emerged victorious by a single point and Ó hAilpín collected a second Munster under-21 medal. Cork later qualified for the All-Ireland final with Galway providing the opposition. After a defeat at the hands of the men from the west Cork gained revenge in 1997 with a 3-11 to 0-13 win. ["The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games" p. 42] It was Ó hAilpín’s first All-Ireland medal. In 1998 Ó hAilpín was in his final year on the under-21 team. Once again Cork qualified for the provincial decider and, once again, Tipperary provided the opposition. On this occasion Cork’s victory over their old enemy was much more comprehensive and Ó hAilpín added a third consecutive Munster under-21 medal to his collection. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Cork take on Galway for the second year in-a-row. An interesting game developed; however, victory went to Cork by 2-15 to 2-10. It was Ó hAilpín’s second and final All-Ireland medal in the under-21 grade. ["The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games" p. 42] His team-mates on those teams - Donal Óg Cusack, Wayne Sherlock and Diarmuid O'Sullivan - would all go on to form the backbone of the senior team over the next decade.

enior

By this stage Ó hAilpín was also a member of the senior inter-county team. He made his debut in a Munster championship game against Limerick in 1996. He came on as a substitute for Mark Mullins and assumed the captaincy of the team as the only Na Piarsaigh player on the field of play. Cork were trounced on that occasion by 3-18 to 1-8. Since that first game Ó hAilpín has been an almost constant fixture eon Cork’s starting fifteen.

Two years later in 1998 Ó hAilpín first tasted success at senior level. Cork defeated Waterford by 2-14 to 0-13 to take the National Hurling League title. ["The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games" p. 70] It was a victory which kick-started Cork’s return to the big time.

In 1999 Ó hAilpín became a dual star with Cork, a player of both hurling and Gaelic football at senior level. He began the year by winning a National Football League medal following a victory over Dublin. Later that year the Cork senior hurlers were back in the Munster final for the first time in seven years. Clare, the provincial stars of the last few years, provided the opposition on that occasion and were the firm favourites. At the full-time whistle Cork were the victors by 1-15 to 0-14. It was Ó hAilpín’s first Munster title at senior level. Shortly after this victory Ó hAilpín lined out with the Cork senior footballers in the provincial decider against Kerry. In atrocious conditions Cork emerged victorious by 2-10 to 2-4. It was Ó hAilpín’s first Munster football title. Back with the hurlers Cork subsequently qualified for the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny. Once again the wet conditions severely hampered what many people expected to be a classic game. Both teams shot seventeen wides over the seventy minutes, however, the Jimmy Barry-Murphy-managed Cork team, with an average age of twenty-two, sealed a 0-13 to 0-12 victory. It was Ó hAilpín’s first All-Ireland medal. [cite book| first=Eoghan| last=Corry| title=The GAA Book of Lists| publisher=Hodder Headline| year=2005| id= | pages=366] Two weeks after this victory he lined out for the Cork footballers in the All-Ireland final against Meath. In an exciting game that saw the lead switch hands on several occasions Cork's hopes of doing the double were dashed as Meath won by 1-11 to 1-8. ["The GAA Book of Lists" p. 410]

In 2000 Cork were the favourites to retain their All-Ireland title. The team got off to a good start by retaining their Munster title, however, Tipperary put up a good fight but were ultimately defeated by 0-23 to 3-12. Cork’s next game was an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Offaly. While Cork were expected to win the game without breaking a sweat Offaly caught Ó hAilpín's side on the hop and recorded a 0-19 to 0-15 win.

A car crash in 2001 almost ended Ó hAilpín's career as his kneecap was severed, however, he overcame this difficulty and fought his way back to fitness in a short period of time. While the Cork hurling team should have gone from strength to strength as a result of a solid foundation at minor and under-21 levels the opposite happened. Embarrassing defeats in 2001 and 2002 saw the Cork hurling team reach rock bottom and call a players strike just before Christmas in 2002. Ó hAilpín played a huge role as one of the main spokesmen in representing the welfare of his fellow players. Had the strike failed it could have meant the end of his and his fellow teammates careers, however, in the end the county board relented and met the demands. Although still amateur sportsmen the Cork senior hurling team were treated as professional athletes.

In 2003 Cork’s players were vindicated in taking a stand as the team reached the Munster final for the first time in three years. Waterford provided the opposition on that occasion as one of hurling’s modern rivalries began in earnest. An exciting game resulted between the two teams; however, victory went to Cork by 3-16 to 3-12. It was Ó hAilpín's third Munster medal and it gave a signal that Cork were back. Ó hAilpín's side were hot favourites going into the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final against Wexford, however, it was far from a walkover. In one of the most exciting games of the championship both sides finished level: Cork 2-20, Wexford 3-17. Both sides met again six days later with Cork making no mistake and taking the spoils on a score line of 3-17 to 2-7. This win set up an All-Ireland final meeting with Kilkenny. In another thrilling game of hurling both teams were level for much of the game, exchanging tit-for-tat scores. An Andy Comerford goal five minutes from the end settled the game as Kilkenny went on to win by 1-14 to 1-11. ["The GAA Book of Lists" p. 367] In spite of losing that day Seán Óg and his brother Setanta were honoured with All-Star Awards.

2004 saw Cork reach the Munster final once again and, for the second consecutive year, Waterford provided the opposition. In what many consider to be one of the greatest games of hurling ever played both sides fought tooth-and-nail for the full seventy minutes. Unfortunately for Ó hAilpín Cork lost the game by just a single point on a score line of Waterford 3-16, Cork 1-21. Although Cork surrendered their provincial crown they were still in with a chance of landing the All-Ireland title. After maneuvering through the qualifiers Cork reached a second consecutive All-Ireland final and, once again, Kilkenny provided the opposition. This game took on a life of its own for a number of reasons. Chief among these was the fact that Kilkenny were attempting to capture a third All-Ireland in-a-row and go one ahead of Cork in the All-Ireland roll of honour. The game was expected to be another classic; however, a damp day put an end to this. The first-half was a low-scoring affair and provided little excitement for fans. The second-half saw Cork completely take over. For the last twenty-three minutes Cork scored nine unanswered points and went on to win the game by 0-17 to 0-9. ["The GAA Book of Lists" p. 367] It was Ó hAilpín's second All-Ireland medal and a second consecutive All-Star soon followed.

In 2005 Cork were on form again while Ó hAilpín was honoured by being appointed captain of the team. That year Cork won back the provincial crown with a 1-16 to 1-12 victory over fierce provincial rivals Tipperary. It was Ó hAilpín’s fourth Munster winners’ medal as Cork went on the march for glory once again. In the All-Ireland semi-final against Clare their championship campaign was nearly derailed when they fell behind by seven points at the start of the second-half. A huge performance by Cork turned this deficit around and Ó hAilpín’s side eventually went on to win the game by 0-16 to 0-15. While it was expected that Cork and Kilkenny would do battle again in a third consecutive All-Ireland final Galway were the surprise winners of the second semi-final. It was the first meeting of Cork and Galway in an All-Ireland final since 1990 and even more daunting was the fact that men from the west had never beaten Cork in a championship decider. Once again neither side broke away into a considerable lead, however, Galway failed to score for the last ten minutes and at the final whistle Cork were ahead by 1-21 to 1-16. ["The GAA Book of Lists" p. 368] For the second year in-a-row Cork were the All-Ireland champions and Ó hAilpín had the great honour of collecting the Liam McCarthy Cup. Despite being born in Fiji, Ó hAilpín is a fluent speaker of the Irish Language and was lauded for [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qqe72bcouPY his acceptance speech] following the final as it was delivered exclusively in Irish. Following the conclusion of the championship Seán Óg joined his brother, Setanta, a former hurler and currently a player in the Australian Football League with Carlton, for some off-season training. It was thought that he may join his brother at the Australian club, however, unlike his younger brother; his age was a factor against this.

2006 saw Cork turn their attentions to a first three-in-a-row of All-Ireland titles since 1978. The team’s championship campaign got off to a good start with a 0-20 to 0-14 defeat of Clare in the opening round of the Munster championship. The subsequent provincial decider saw Cork take on Tipp for the second consecutive year. Once again Cork’s stalwarts stood up and contributed greatly to Cork’s 2-11 to 1-11 victory over their old rivals. Subsequent one-point victories over Limerick and Waterford saw Cork qualify for their fourth consecutive All-Ireland final and for the third time Kilkenny were the opponents. Like previous encounters neither side took a considerable lead, however, Kilkenny had a vital goal from Aidan Fogarty. Cork were in arrears coming into the final few minutes, however, Ben O'Connor goaled for Cork. It was too little too late as ‘the Cats’ denied ‘the Rebels’ the three-in-a-row on a score line of 1-16 to 1-13.

In 2007 Ó hAilpín’s side were set out to atone for their All-Ireland defeat the previous year, however, Cork’s championship ambitions were hampered from the beginning. Although defeating Clare in the opening round the he so-called Semplegate affair resulted in Ó hAilpín, goalkeeper Donal Óg Cusack and full-back Diarmuid O'Sullivan being suspended for a crucial Munster semi-final clash with Waterford. In spite of being without three of their best players Cork put up a good fight but only lost by a goal. After maneuvering through the qualifiers Cork reached the All-Ireland quarter-final. Once again Waterford provided the opposition as a last-minute Waterford free in meant the game controversially ended in a draw – 3-16 apiece. The replay was less exciting; however, it was still a good game as Waterford triumphed by 2-17 to 0-20.

In 2008 Cork were drawn to play Tipperary in the Munster semi-final. In the lead up to the game there was speculation as to the formation of the Cork team, however, Ó hAilpín still started in his usual position. Cork played well in the first-half, however, after the interval Tipp took over. Cork eventually lost by six points and had to take their chances in the win of bust qualifiers. An unconvincing defeat of Dublin was followed by a great fourteen-man display against Galway resulting in a 0-23 to 2-15 win and a place in the All-Ireland quarter-final. Clare were the opposition on that occasion and, once again, Cork gave a poor first-half display. The second-half was a different story with Cork taking charge once again and securing a 2-19 to 2-17 victory. This win allowed Cork to advance to the All-Ireland semi-final where Kilkenny provided the opposition. It was the first time that these two teams met in the championship outside of an All-Ireland final. That game was an intriguing encounter; however, ‘the Cats’ won the day by 1-23 to 0-17. Following this defeat there was speculation that Ó hAilpín and some of the older stalwarts of the Cork team would announce their retirements from the game. While a number of players have yet to make their feelings known Ó hAilpín stated that he would continue for at least another two years.

Provincial

Ó hAilpín has also played with Munster in both the inter-provincial hurling and football teams. He first lined out for his province in 1999. While the Munster hurlers were defeated Ó hAilpín won a Railway Cup football medal as Munster defeated Connacht. The footballers lost their Railway Cup crown in 2000 while the Munster hurlers also faced defeat in 2002 and 2003 when Ó hAilpín was a member of the team. It was 2007 before he finally collected a Railway Cup hurling medal after Munster defeated Connacht in controversial circumstances. [cite web|url=http://www.munster-express.ie/sports/interprovincial-hurling-glory-for-munster/|title=Interprovincial hurling glory for Munster|publisher=The Munster Express Online|date=2007-11-02|accessdate=2008-09-23]

International Rules

In 2004 Ó hAilpín was to earn his first call up to the Irish International Rules squad. Ó hAilpín started both tests getting on the score sheet with a behind in the first test as Ireland ran out series winners. 2005 was to see Ó hAilpín again selected as part of the squad to travel to Australia. He was selected to play in both tests as Ireland were defeated.

External links

* [http://www.gaa.ie/ Official GAA Website]
* [http://www.hoganstand.com/Cork/ Cork GAA]
* [http://www.rteguide.ie/star_of_the_day.html Star of the Day]

References

-
-succession box
before=Ben O'Connor
title=Cork Senior Hurling Captain
years=2005
after=Pat Mulcahysuccession box
before=Ben O'Connor
(Cork)
title=All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final
winning captain
years=2005
after=Jackie Tyrrell
(Kilkenny)

Teams and awards