- Mick O'Connell
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Mick O’Connell Personal information Irish name Mícheál Ó Conaill Sport Gaelic football Position Midfield Born January 4, 1937
Valentia Island, County KerryClub(s) Years Club 1950s-1970s Young Islanders Club Titles Kerry titles 3 Inter-county(ies) Years County Apps (scores) 1956-1974 Kerry 56 (1-121) Inter-county titles Munster titles 12 All Irelands 4 NFL 4 All Stars 1 Mick O’Connell (born 4 January 1937 on Valentia Island, County Kerry) is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played Gaelic football with his local clubs Young Islanders and Waterville and was a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team from 1956 until 1973. O'Connell is regarded as one of the greatest players of all-time.[1][2]
Contents
Early life
Mick O’Connell was born on Valentia Island, County Kerry in 1937. His father was a fisherman who also worked on the family’s small farm on the island. From an early age O’Connell showed his footballing talent and "inimitable signs of excellence".[1]
Playing career
Club
O’Connell played his club football with the local Young Islanders club. He won three Kerry County Championship medals with the South Kerry divisional side. O’Connell also played club football with Waterville.
Inter-county
O’Connell’s career with Kerry began in 1955 when he lined out in the Munster Minor Championship. Kerry lost the replayed Munster final to Tipperary, however, he quickly joined the Kerry senior football team, making his debut in 1956. Two years later in 1958 O’Connell won the first of eight Munster titles in-a-row, however, Kerry suffered a shock defeat by Derry in the All-Ireland semi-final. In 1959 O’Connell was captain when Kerry won the National Football League. He later guided his native-county to another Munster title, however, he had to retire injured in Kerry’s All-Ireland victory over Galway.
Following a second National League victory in 1961 O’Connell captured his second All-Ireland medal in 1962 when Kerry defeated Roscommon in the final. A third National League victory quickly followed at the start of 1963. After two All-Ireland defeats by Galway in 1964 and 1965 Kerry surrendered their provincial crown to Cork in 1966 and 1967. O’Connell won a ninth Munster title in 1968, however, Kerry lost out to Down in the All-Ireland final. This defeat was followed by a great year of success in 1969 as O’Connell added a fourth National League medal to his collection before winning a tenth Munster title. He later won a third All-Ireland medal following a victory over Offaly.
In 1970 O’Connell entered the third decade of his inter-county football career, winning an eleventh Munster title in the process. A fourth All-Ireland medal quickly followed after a victory over Meath in the first 80-minute All-Ireland final. O’Connell claimed two more National league medals in 1971 and 1972, before winning his twelfth and final provincial medal in 1972. That year Offaly later defeated Kerry in O’Connell’s last All-Ireland final appearance. In spite of this loss he was still presented with an All-Star award. O’Connell retired from inter-county football in 1973.
Retirement
In retirement from playing O’Connell published his autobiography, ‘A Kerry Footballer’, in 1974. Ten years later in 1984 his reputation as one of the all-time greats was recognised when he was named in the midfield position on the ‘Gaelic Athletic Association’s Football Team of the Century.’ In 2000 O’Connell was also named on the associations ‘Football Team of the Millennium.’
See also
References
Sporting positions Preceded by
Mick MurphyKerry Senior Football Captain
1959Succeeded by
Paudie SheehyAchievements Preceded by
Kevin Heffernan
(Dublin)All-Ireland Senior Football
winning captain
1959Succeeded by
Kevin Mussen
(Down)Teams
Mick O'Connell's teams Kerry - National Football League Champions 1959 (5th title) 1 J. Culloty | 2 J. O'Shea | 3 Jack Dowling | 4 T. Lyons | 5 Seán Murphy | 6 K. Coffey | 7 M. O'Dwyer | 8 Mick O'Connell (C) | 9 Séamus Murphy | 10 D. McAuliffe | 11 T. Long | 12 P. Sheehy | 13 D. Geaney | 14 John Dowling | 15 T. Lyne |
Kerry - All-Ireland Senior Football Champions 1959 (19th title) 1 J. Culloty | 2 J. O'Shea | 3 N. Sheehy | 4 T. Lyons | 5 Seán Murphy | 6 K. Coffey | 7 M. O'Dwyer | 8 Mick O'Connell (C) | 9 Séamus Murphy | 10 D. McAuliffe | 11 T. Long | 12 P. Sheehy | 13 D. Geaney | 14 John Dowling | 15 T. Lyne |
Subs used: Jack Dowling for T. Lyons | Moss O'Connell for Mick O'Connell | G. McMahon for D. Geaney |Kerry - All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Runners-up 1960 1 J. Culloty | 2 J. O'Shea | 3 N. Sheehy | 4 T. Lyons | 5 Seán Murphy | 6 K. Coffey | 7 M. O'Dwyer | 8 M. O'Connell | 9 J.D. O'Connor | 10 Séamus Murphy | 11 T. Long | 12 P. Sheehy (C) | 13 G. McMahon | 14 John Dowling | 15 T. Lyne |
Subs used: Jack Dowling for John Dowling | J. Brosnan for G. McMahon | D. McAuliffe for T. Lyne |Kerry - National Football League Championship Winners 1961 (6th title) 1 J. Culloty | 2 Jack Dowling | 3 N. Sheehy | 4 T. Lyons | 5 K. Coffey | 6 T. Long | 7 M. O'Dwyer | 8 M. O'Connell | 9 Séamus Murphy | 10 D. McAuliffe | 11 B. Sheehy | 12 P. Sheehy | 13 D. Geaney | 14 John Dowling | 15 T. O'Dowd |
Kerry - All-Ireland Senior Football Champions 1962 (20th title) 1 J. Culloty | 2 S. Murphy | 3 N. Sheehy | 4 T. Lyons | 5 S. Óg Sheehy (C) | 6 N. Lucey | 7 M. O'Dwyer | 8 M. O'Connell | 9 J. Lucey | 10 D. McAuliffe | 11 T. O'Sullivan | 12 J. O'Riordan | 13 G. McMahon | 14 T. Long | 15 P. Sheehy |
Subs used: J.J. Barrett for T. Lyons | K. Coffey for D. McAuliffe |Kerry - All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Runners-up 1964 1 J. Culloty | 2 M. Morris | 3 N. Sheehy (c) | 4 P. O'Donoghue | 5 D. O'Sullivan | 6 S. Murphy | 7 J. D. O'Connor | 8 M. Fleming | 9 D. O'Sullivan | 10 P. Griffin | 11 M. O'Dwyer | 12 M. O'Connell | 13 F. O'Leary | 14 T. Long | 15 J. J. Barrett |
Subs used: J. McCarthy for J. D. O'Connor | B. O'Callaghan for F. O'Leary | K. Coffey for F. O'Leary |Kerry - All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Runners-up 1965 1 J. Culloty | 2 D. O'Sullivan | 3 N. Sheehy | 4 M. Morris | 5 S. Murphy | 6 P. O'Donoghue | 7 J. D. O'Connor (c) | 8 D. O'Sullivan | 9 M. O'Connell | 10 V. Lucey | 11 P. Griffin | 12 D. O'Shea | 13 B. O'Callagha | 14 M. O'Dwyer | 15 J. J. Barrett |
Subs used: D. Geaney for V. Lucey | J. O'Shea for J. J. Barrett |Kerry - All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Runners-up 1968 1 J. Culloty | 2 S. Murphy | 3 P. O'Donoghue | 4 S. Burrows | 5 Denis O'Sullivan | 6 M. Morris | 7 Donie O'Sullivan | 8 M. O'Connell | 9 M. Fleming | 10 B. Lynch | 11 P. Griffin (C) | 12 É. O'Donoghue | 13 T. Prendergast | 14 D.J. Crowley | 15 M. O'Dwyer |
Subs used: P. Moynihan for T. Prendergast | S. Mac Gearailt for S. Burrows |Kerry - All-Ireland Senior Football Champions 1969 (21st title) 1 J. Culloty (C) | 2 S. Murphy | 3 P. O'Donoghue | 4 S. Mac Gearailt | 5 T. Prendergast | 6 M. Morris | 7 M. Ó Sé | 8 M. O'Connell | 9 D.J. Crowley | 10 B. Lynch | 11 P. Griffin | 12 É. O'Donoghue | 13 M. Gleeson | 14 L. Higgins | 15 M. O'Dwyer |
Manager: T. LyneKerry - All-Ireland Senior Football Champions 1970 (22nd title) 1 J. Culloty | 2 S. Murphy | 3 P. O'Donoghue | 4 D. O'Sullivan (C) | 5 T. Prendergast | 6 J. O'Keeffe | 7 M. Ó Sé | 8 M. O'Connell | 9 D.J. Crowley | 10 B. Lynch | 11 P. Griffin | 12 É. O'Donoghue | 13 M. Gleeson | 14 L. Higgins | 15 M. O'Dwyer |
Sub used: S. Mac Gearailt |
Manager: T. LyneKerry - All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Runners-up 1972 1 É. Fitzgerald | 2 D. O'Sullivan | 3 P. O'Donoghue | 4 S. Mac Gearailt | 5 T. Prendergast (C) | 6 M. Ó Sé | 7 P. Lynch | 8 M. O'Connell | 9 J. O'Keeffe | 10 B. Lynch | 11 D. Kavanagh | 12 É. O'Donoghue | 13 M. Gleeson | 14 L. Higgins | 15 M. O'Dwyer |
Sub used in drawn game: D. Crowley for S. Mac Gearailt | P. Griffin for L. Higgins |
Sub used in replay: D. Crowley for S. Mac Gearailt | P. Griffin for M. Gleeson | J. Walsh for B. Lynch |
Manager: J. Culloty1972 All Star Gaelic Football Team 1 M. Furlong | 2 M. Ryan | 3 P. McCormack | 4 D. O'Sullivan | 5 B. McEniff | 6 T. J. Gilmore | 7 K. J. O'Sullivan | 8 W. Bryan | 9 M. O'Connell |
10 J. Cooney | 11 K. Kilmurray | 12 T. McTague | 13 M. Freyne | 14 S. O'Neill | 15 P. MoriartyFootball Team of the Millennium 1 Dan O'Keeffe | 2 Seán Flanagan | 3 Joe Keohane | 4 Enda Colleran | 5 Martin O'Connell | 6 John Joe O'Reilly | 7 Seán Murphy | 8 Mick O'Connell | 9 Tommy Murphy | 10 Pat Spillane | 11 Seán Purcell | 12 Seán O'Neill | 13 Kevin Heffernan | 14 Tommy Langan | 15 Mikey Sheehy
Categories:- Texaco Footballers of the Year
- 1937 births
- Living people
- Waterville footballers
- Valentia Young Islanders footballers
- Kerry Gaelic footballers
- Munster Gaelic footballers
- All-Ireland-winning captains (football)
- Winners of four All-Ireland medals (Gaelic football)
- People from County Kerry
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