Strong-willed Cillian O’Connor a man Dublin fans love to hate
Mayo’s Cillian O'Connor celebrates scoring his a goal against Tipp in the All-Ireland semi-final. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie
From the age of 20, Cillian O’Connor was thinking ahead.
Prior to the 2012 All-Ireland semi-final win over Dublin, he was taking himself to Ray Prendergast Memorial Park in Ballintubber and kicking frees while wearing headphones. What was filling his ears? Hill 16 chanting “Come on you boys in blue”.
Seven points, four frees and three 45s, came from O’Connor’s boot that afternoon in what remains his and Mayo’s only Championship win over Dublin in 14 years. And yet he is the subject of much dislike in the capital.
Lee Keegan may have thrown a GPS unit to put off Dean Rock and Aidan O’Shea claimed Philly McMahon headbutted him but most of the blue brigade’s ire is retained for O’Connor.
Much of that goes back to the drawn 2016 All-Ireland final when they felt he may a meal of James McCarthy’s momentum and hoodwinked the match officials into black carding the Dublin defender. Let those who cast the first stone be without sin but the spikiness and cuteness out of a forward they find unbecoming.
“You see this Gearóid Hegarty tweet, replying to Paddy Stapleton that he doesn’t think any of his fouls are fouls? Cillian is the same way,” says one former team-mate of O’Connor’s. “He’d be saying, ‘That couldn’t be a foul, ref’ where he might have taken the head off a fella.
Not that he needed much aid but it did help O’Connor that James Horan hailed from the same club as him. Just as he was aware all about the burgeoning Westport crew from managing them from a year in 2018, Horan knew all about the local colt before he handed him his SFC debut just before his 19th birthday in 2011 and the captaincy two years later.
Twenty minutes in an A versus B game last summer was all that O’Connor needed to convince Horan that he was ready to start against Galway in the fourth round qualifier. O’Connor had been a ghost at training last year.
His knee problems meant his only 2019 SFC appearance previous to that came as a substitute against Armagh but the electricity he showed in that in-house game was enough.
Known to be extremely strong-willed, O’Connor’s decision to study a masters degree in sports exercise and psychology in Belfast five years ago was done for no reason other than his football. Previously a primary school teacher in Drimnagh Castle in Dublin, he is now the director of a recruitment company.
On the other side of Aidan O’Shea tomorrow, 20-year-old Tommy Conroy appears to be shaping up to be a marquee forward like O’Connor. He possesses the same instincts to find the net but is blessed with more speed.
Although his under-age coaches were convinced he would become a regular first-team senior player for Mayo, some of them didn’t believe it would work out this quick for him.
More work on strengthening his left foot had been required but proof of his maturity came when he landed a point with his weaker side against Galway in the Connacht final.
A substitute in Mayo’s first five games in Division 1 this year which were pre-Covid, his form for The Neale was what helped to convince Horan to start him. In a challenge game against Castlebar Mitchels earlier this year, he scored 2-12.
In his first start against Galway in October, he scored three points before shooting 1-3 against Tyrone.
“He just wants to burn the defender and he’s a sponge for information,” says a mentor of his. “He’s one of the nicest guys you’ll meet. He’d be the type of guy you would want your daughter to bring home.”
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