Jack O'Connor (GAA)
Encyclopedia
Jack O'Connor is an Irish
Gaelic football
manager
and former player. He played football with his local club Dromid Pearses
from the 1970s until the early 2000s and is currently in his second term as manager of the Kerry senior inter-county team. O'Connor has guided Kerry to All-Ireland
titles in 2004, 2006 and 2009.
in 1960. The youngest of nine children born to Michael and Síle O'Connor, he was educated locally at Caslagh national school before later attending Scoil Uí Chonaill in Cahersiveen. It was here that O'Connor's football skills were developed and he was picked for the Kerry vocational schools team in 1977 and 1978. Defeats of Kildare and Mayo respectively gave O'Connor back-to-back All-Ireland
winners' medals in this competition.
After completing his secondary education O'Connor moved on to Maynooth College where he obtained a B.A, H.dip Ed in Spanish and Irish. His first teaching job was at Waterville Tech. He progressed from there to his alma mater, Scoil Ui Chonaill, where he remained on the teaching staff until 1999. Here O'Connor became involved in training the school's football team and he enjoyed much success as a coach. In 1997 he guided Scoil Uí Chonaill to the Kerry county title in the vocational schools championship. A Munster title quickly followed before an All-Ireland final showdown with St. Malachy's from Castlewellan
. O'Connor's side were victorious on that occasion.
He managed Kerry County Vocational Schools Teams to All-Ireland wins in 1992 and 93.
The amalgamation of the three schools in Cahersiveen in 1999 led to the creation of Coláiste na Sceilge. O'Connor remained on the teaching staff while also holding on to his position as coach of the school's football team. In 1999 he guided the school to another set of county and provincial vocational titles while another All-Ireland final appearance beckoned. Holy Trinity College provided the opposition on that occasion, however, victory went to the Kerry team. In 2000 Coláiste na Sceilge made history when they retained their county, Munster and All-Ireland vocational titles.
Further success followed for O'Connor's youngsters in the early 2000s. Coláiste na Sceilge won three consecutive Corn Uí Mhuirí
titles in 2001, 2002 and 2003, however, the team fell in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final on all three occasions. After a prolonged absence O'Connor guided his school team to a fourth Corn Uí Mhuirí title in 2009. At the fourth attempt Coláiste na Sceilge reached the All-Ireland final. St Mary's of Edenderry
provided the opposition, however, the Kerry youngsters were too strong and won the game by 1-9 to 0-10. It was a first Hogan Cup
title for Coláiste na Sceilge.
O'Connor is married to Bridie (née Moriarty) and has two sons - Cian (born 1989) and Éanna (born 1992). The latter was a member of the Kerry minor football team in 2009. In March 2007, he published his autobiography, Keys to the Kingdom.
and has enjoyed some success. As a player and a coach with the club for over twenty years he helped them progress through the ranks in Kerry football from Division 5 to Division 1.
In 1981 he was a member of the South Kerry
team that reached the final of the county senior championship. On that occasion the divisional side accounted for the famed Austin Stacks
club. O'Connor collected a coveted county winners' medal as a non-playing substitute.
In 1982 O'Connor was still confined to the substitutes' bench as South Kerry contested a second consecutive county final. Feale Rangers
, a division from the northern part of the county, provided the opposition. O'Connor's side were far too strong and recorded back-to-back county titles.
Three-in-a-row proved beyond O'Connor's divisional side, however, South Kerry were back in the county championship decider again in 1984 with O'Connor making it onto the starting fifteen. A Páidí Ó Sé
-trained West Kerry
team defeated the men from the south on that occasion.
In 1999 O'Connor captured a county novice championship title with Dromid Pearses.
man, has won the All-Ireland
with Kerry on three occasions, in 2004
and 2006
and 2009. Both of his first two win in the All-Ireland wins were against Mayo
. Kerry also won the National Football League
in all three of those years. O'Connor considered resigning after Kerry's 2006 victory, although county board chairman Seán Walsh wanted him to stay on. O'Connor finally stepped down, along with his backroom staff (selectors Ger O'Keeffe and Johnny Culloty and trainer Pat Flanagan) on 16 October 2006. His final decision to step down as the manager was said to be for personal reasons. Kerry's county chairman Seán Walsh was disappointed by the final decision but made a point of acknowledging O'Connor's successes as manager. Few managers have achieved his successes in such a short period of time; two all-Irelands, two Munster Championships
and two National League Division One titles. O'Connor was the first Kerry manager to take Kerry to three All-Ireland finals since Mick O'Dwyer
.
in 2008 whom he led to the Munster Club Championship Final but lost out to Nemo Rangers of Cork. He also led them to the Kerry County Final against Mid Kerry, losing in the replay.
's resignation as Kerry Manager he was confirmed as manager for the 2009 campaign. On the 26 April 2009 he managed Kerry
to win the Allianz NFL
Division 1 title, beating Derry
1-15 to 0-15 in the final at Croke Park
.
On 20 September 2009, he managed Kerry to win their 36th All-Ireland Senior Football title
with a four point win over Cork in Croke Park.
Despite being written off by many of the games experts O'Connor's men proved their worth first with a stunning quarter-final victory over Dublin
and from that point on never looked back and went on to beat Meath
in the semi final before claiming the title against Cork. O'Connor said 'There is a lot of satisfaction in this, we were being written off by many experts".
On 30 August 2010, O'Connor reappointment as manager was ratified by the Kerry county committee in Tralee, which agreed to a new three-year term for the management team.
Schools
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...
Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
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...
and former player. He played football with his local club Dromid Pearses
Dromid Pearses
Dromid Pearses is a Gaelic Athletic Association club from Dromid Parish, South Kerry in County Kerry.South Kerry are a Gaelic football Divisional Team in County Kerry....
from the 1970s until the early 2000s and is currently in his second term as manager of the Kerry senior inter-county team. O'Connor has guided Kerry to All-Ireland
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...
titles in 2004, 2006 and 2009.
Biography
Jack O'Connor was born in Toorsaleen,Mastergeehy County KerryCounty Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
in 1960. The youngest of nine children born to Michael and Síle O'Connor, he was educated locally at Caslagh national school before later attending Scoil Uí Chonaill in Cahersiveen. It was here that O'Connor's football skills were developed and he was picked for the Kerry vocational schools team in 1977 and 1978. Defeats of Kildare and Mayo respectively gave O'Connor back-to-back All-Ireland
All-Ireland Vocational Schools Championship
The All-Ireland Vocational Schools Championship is a Gaelic Athletic Association football and hurling competition. There are two levels of competition. Individual schools compete for county, provincial and All-Ireland competitions...
winners' medals in this competition.
After completing his secondary education O'Connor moved on to Maynooth College where he obtained a B.A, H.dip Ed in Spanish and Irish. His first teaching job was at Waterville Tech. He progressed from there to his alma mater, Scoil Ui Chonaill, where he remained on the teaching staff until 1999. Here O'Connor became involved in training the school's football team and he enjoyed much success as a coach. In 1997 he guided Scoil Uí Chonaill to the Kerry county title in the vocational schools championship. A Munster title quickly followed before an All-Ireland final showdown with St. Malachy's from Castlewellan
Castlewellan
Castlewellan is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is beside Castlewellan Lake and Slievenaslat mountain, southwest of Downpatrick. It lies between the Mourne Mountains and Slieve Croob. It had a population of 2,392 people in the 2001 Census....
. O'Connor's side were victorious on that occasion.
He managed Kerry County Vocational Schools Teams to All-Ireland wins in 1992 and 93.
The amalgamation of the three schools in Cahersiveen in 1999 led to the creation of Coláiste na Sceilge. O'Connor remained on the teaching staff while also holding on to his position as coach of the school's football team. In 1999 he guided the school to another set of county and provincial vocational titles while another All-Ireland final appearance beckoned. Holy Trinity College provided the opposition on that occasion, however, victory went to the Kerry team. In 2000 Coláiste na Sceilge made history when they retained their county, Munster and All-Ireland vocational titles.
Further success followed for O'Connor's youngsters in the early 2000s. Coláiste na Sceilge won three consecutive Corn Uí Mhuirí
Corn Uí Mhuirí
Corn Uí Mhuirí is the cup presented to the winners of the Munster colleges senior football "A" championship, the top level Gaelic football championship for secondary schools in Munster. The holders advance to the All-Ireland colleges "A" senior football championship, where they compete for the...
titles in 2001, 2002 and 2003, however, the team fell in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final on all three occasions. After a prolonged absence O'Connor guided his school team to a fourth Corn Uí Mhuirí title in 2009. At the fourth attempt Coláiste na Sceilge reached the All-Ireland final. St Mary's of Edenderry
Edenderry
Edenderry may refer to the following:*Edenderry, County Down, a small village south of Belfast, Northern Ireland*Edenderry, County Armagh, a townland in County Armagh, Northern Ireland*Edenderry, County Offaly, a town in the Republic of Ireland....
provided the opposition, however, the Kerry youngsters were too strong and won the game by 1-9 to 0-10. It was a first Hogan Cup
Hogan Cup
The Hogan Cup 1946-48 & 1957-) is the cup presented to the winners of the colleges All-Ireland "A" senior football championship, the top level Gaelic football championship for secondary schools in Ireland. The competition itself is regularly referred to by reference to the trophy's name.St...
title for Coláiste na Sceilge.
O'Connor is married to Bridie (née Moriarty) and has two sons - Cian (born 1989) and Éanna (born 1992). The latter was a member of the Kerry minor football team in 2009. In March 2007, he published his autobiography, Keys to the Kingdom.
Club
O'Connor played his club football with Dromid PearsesDromid Pearses
Dromid Pearses is a Gaelic Athletic Association club from Dromid Parish, South Kerry in County Kerry.South Kerry are a Gaelic football Divisional Team in County Kerry....
and has enjoyed some success. As a player and a coach with the club for over twenty years he helped them progress through the ranks in Kerry football from Division 5 to Division 1.
In 1981 he was a member of the South Kerry
South Kerry GAA
South Kerry are a Gaelic football and Hurling Divisional Team in County Kerry.The South Kerry Football Team draws its players from eight Club teams in the Division.These are:* St. Mary's Cahirciveen* Renard* St...
team that reached the final of the county senior championship. On that occasion the divisional side accounted for the famed 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...
club. O'Connor collected a coveted county winners' medal as a non-playing substitute.
In 1982 O'Connor was still confined to the substitutes' bench as South Kerry contested a second consecutive county final. Feale Rangers
Feale Rangers
Feale Rangers is a North Kerry Divisional Gaelic football team in Kerry. The teams involved are Clounmacon, Duagh, Finuge, Gale Rangers, Listowel Emmets, Moyvane and St...
, a division from the northern part of the county, provided the opposition. O'Connor's side were far too strong and recorded back-to-back county titles.
Three-in-a-row proved beyond O'Connor's divisional side, however, South Kerry were back in the county championship decider again in 1984 with O'Connor making it onto the starting fifteen. A Páidí Ó Sé
Páidí Ó Sé
Páidí Ó Sé is a retired Irish Gaelic football manager and former player. He played football with his local club An Ghaeltacht and was a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team from 1975 until 1987...
-trained West Kerry
West Kerry GAA
West Kerry is a Divisional Gaelic football team in Kerry. The teams involved are Lispole,Castlegregary. Annascaul,Dingle and An Ghaeltacht are also part of the area but play alone in the Kerry Senior Football ChampionshipHistory...
team defeated the men from the south on that occasion.
In 1999 O'Connor captured a county novice championship title with Dromid Pearses.
Kerry
Jack, a Dromid PearsesDromid Pearses
Dromid Pearses is a Gaelic Athletic Association club from Dromid Parish, South Kerry in County Kerry.South Kerry are a Gaelic football Divisional Team in County Kerry....
man, has won the All-Ireland
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...
with Kerry on three occasions, in 2004
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2004
-Leinster Senior Football Championship:---------------------------------------------Ulster Senior Football Championship:-------------------------------------Connacht Senior Football Championship:----------------...
and 2006
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2006
The 2006 Bank of Ireland All-Ireland Senior Football Championship began on Sunday, May 7, 2006. The 2006 championship used the same "Qualifier" system that was used in 2005....
and 2009. Both of his first two win in the All-Ireland wins were against 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:...
. Kerry also won the National Football 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...
in all three of those years. O'Connor considered resigning after Kerry's 2006 victory, although county board chairman Seán Walsh wanted him to stay on. O'Connor finally stepped down, along with his backroom staff (selectors Ger O'Keeffe and Johnny Culloty and trainer Pat Flanagan) on 16 October 2006. His final decision to step down as the manager was said to be for personal reasons. Kerry's county chairman Seán Walsh was disappointed by the final decision but made a point of acknowledging O'Connor's successes as manager. Few managers have achieved his successes in such a short period of time; two all-Irelands, two Munster Championships
Munster Senior Football Championship
The Munster Senior Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of football played in the province of Munster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Munster Council and are played during the summer months...
and two National League Division One titles. O'Connor was the first Kerry manager to take Kerry to three All-Ireland finals since Mick O'Dwyer
Mick O'Dwyer
Mick O'Dwyer , is an Irish Gaelic football manager and former player. He played Gaelic football with his local club Waterville and was a member of the Kerry senior team from 1956 until 1974...
.
Kerins O'Rahillys
After taking a break from management for a year he took over Tralee club side Kerins O'Rahilly'sKerins O'Rahilly's
Kerins O'Rahilly's are a Gaelic Athletic Association club from Tralee County Kerry, Ireland. They are based in the Strand Road area of the town. They are in Division 1 of the county league which they won in 2006, and compete in the County Championship. The club won the County Championship last in...
in 2008 whom he led to the Munster Club Championship Final but lost out to Nemo Rangers of Cork. He also led them to the Kerry County Final against Mid Kerry, losing in the replay.
Kerry (2nd Term)
After Pat O'SheaPat O'Shea (GAA)
Pat O'Shea is a Gaelic football manager from Killarney in Ireland. He was manager of the Kerry senior football team from 2007–2008 , and won the 2007 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship with Kerry...
's resignation as Kerry Manager he was confirmed as manager for the 2009 campaign. On the 26 April 2009 he managed 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...
to win the Allianz NFL
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...
Division 1 title, beating 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...
1-15 to 0-15 in the final at Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
.
On 20 September 2009, he managed Kerry to win their 36th All-Ireland Senior Football title
2009 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final
The 2009 All-Ireland Football Final was the 122nd All-Ireland Final and the last football match of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2009 played between Cork and Kerry on 20 September 2009 in Croke Park, Dublin. Kerry won by a score of 0-16 to 1-09. It was their 36th All-Ireland SFC...
with a four point win over Cork in Croke Park.
Despite being written off by many of the games experts O'Connor's men proved their worth first with a stunning quarter-final victory over 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...
and from that point on never looked back and went on to beat 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 :...
in the semi final before claiming the title against Cork. O'Connor said 'There is a lot of satisfaction in this, we were being written off by many experts".
On 30 August 2010, O'Connor reappointment as manager was ratified by the Kerry county committee in Tralee, which agreed to a new three-year term for the management team.
Honours
Inter-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...
:- Winner (3): 2004, 2006, 2009
- Runner-up (2): 2005, 2011
- All-Ireland Under 21 Football Championship:
- Winner (1): 1998
- Runner-up (1): 1999
- Munster Senior Football ChampionshipMunster Senior Football ChampionshipThe Munster Senior Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of football played in the province of Munster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Munster Council and are played during the summer months...
:- Winner (4): 2004, 2005, 2010, 2011
- Munster Under-21 Football ChampionshipMunster Under-21 Football ChampionshipThe Munster Under-21 Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of Gaelic football played in the province of Munster, in Ireland....
:- Winner (2): 1998, 1999
- 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...
:- Winner (3): 2004, 2006, 2009
Schools
- All Ireland Vocational Schools Championships 3: 1997, 1999, 2000
- All Ireland Colleges Hogan Cup 1: 2009
- Munster Vocational Schools Championship 3: 1997, 1999, 2000
- Kerry Vocational Schools Championship 3: 1997, 1999, 2000
- Munster Colleges A Championship 4: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2009