Willie O'Connor

Infobox GAA player
code= Hurling
sport = Hurling


name = Willie O'Connor
irish = Liam Ó Conchubhair
fullname =William O'Connor
placeofbirth = Glenmore
countryofbirth = County Kilkenny
dob =
height = 5'7"
nickname =
county = Kilkenny
province = Leinster
club = Glenmore
clposition = Corner-back
clubs =
clyears =
clapps(points) =
clcounty =
clprovince=
clallireland =
counties = Kilkenny
icposition = Left corner-back
icyears = 1989-2000
icapps(points) =
icprovince = 6
icallireland = 3
allstars = 4
nhl = 2
clupdate=
icupdate=

Willie O’Connor (born 1967 in Glenmore, County Kilkenny) is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Glenmore and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1988 until 2001. O'Connor captained Kilkenny to All-Ireland victory in 2000.

Playing career

Club

In the late 1980s O'Connor joined his brother, Eddie O'Connor, on the Glenmore hurling team. The club had just been promoted to senior grade when the O’Connor’s came to prominence. They both had much success with their club, winning five Kilkenny SHC titles in 1987, 1990, 1992, 1995 and 1999. O’Connor’s second county title was subsequently converted into a Leinster and an All-Ireland club title.

Inter-county

O’Connor had no success at minor or under-21 level, however, he became a star at wing-back line on the Kilkenny senior team in the mid 1990s. He won his first Leinster title in 1991 and reached the All-Ireland final, however, his side were beaten by Tipperray on that day. O’Connor won his second Leinster medal in 1992, before subsequently capturing his first All-Ireland medal following a victory over Cork. In 1993 O’Connor’s brother, Eddie, was captain of the Kilkenny senior hurling team. That year he captured his third Leinster medal in-a-row before later winning his second All-Ireland title following a win over Galway.

The next few years proved to be frustrating ones for O’Connor and for Kilkenny. It would be 1998 before he won his fourth Leinster title, however, his side were later beaten by the defeated Leinster finalsists, Offaly, in the All-Ireland final. The following year O’Connor won his fifth Leinster title, however, Kilkenny lost a second consecutive All-Ireland final, this time to Cork. By 2000 O’Connor was captain of the Kilkenny senior hurling team. He won his sixth provincial medal that year, however, Kilkenny faced the unpalatable situation of possibly losing a hat trick of All-Ireland finals. The final itself turned out to be a one-sided affair with Kilkenny trouncing Offaly by 5-15 to 1-14. That day Willie and Eddie O'Connor went into the history books as only the second set of brothers to captain a team to All-Ireland victory. They followed in the footsteps of former Kilkenny greats Ger and Liam Fennelly.

Teams

References

* Brendan Fullam, "Captains of the Ash", (2004)