WITH glorious May weather and a feast of flowing hurling, the memory of the late, great Paul O'Connor was honoured again this year at Gaelcholáiste Mhuire AG.

The Na Piarsaigh, UCC and Cork legend was a brilliant player and a hugely influential coach until his shock passing in 2012. Paulo as he was known was synonymous with northside hurling, so AG principal Donal Ó Búachalla and the O'Connor family established a fourth- and fifth-class blitz competition in his memory. 

It has flourished since, a highlight of the sporting year for the primary schools that take part. While trophies are on offer for the victorious schools, the emphasis is on participation with small-sided short games. This year there were 300 pupils representing 18 schools across 24 teams.

There's a hurling buzz in the AG anyway in recent weeks as past pupil Micheál Mullins is the Cork U20 captain and fifth-year student Ross O'Sullivan is a key forward for the Rebel side that will contest the All-Ireland final against Offaly in Thurles on June 4 in Thurles. O'Sullivan was actually the Player of the Tournament back in the fifth Paul O'Connor Memorial Blitz in 2017, showing all his promise when shooting the lights out for Scoil Íosagáin.

The AG organised a bus for the Munster decider against Clare recently and will no doubt be out in force again at Semple Stadium on the June Bank Holiday weekend to get behind Mullins and O'Sullivan. 

The connection to Paulo is strong with the Cork U20 duo as Micheál's father Mickey and Ross' dad Mark were county-winning Na Piarsaigh hurlers. 

He won a Harty Cup and All-Ireland Croke Cup in 1980 as part of a highly-talented team that included Tony O’Sullivan, Ross' uncle, and Tomás Mulcahy; that group was coached by Dónal O’Grady. Na Piarsaigh were on the rise at the time as well, and O'Connor's Harty Cup victory was followed by a county minor double in ’81 with his club, then back-to-back U21 triumphs.

After leaving the Mon, O'Connor went to UCC and his record in the Fitzgibbon Cup as both a dynamic midfielder and astute coach is unrivalled. He hurled for the College in five Fitzgibbon finals in a row, as captain in ’86.

While an injury hampered his progress with Cork at senior level when he was poised to make his mark in 1990, he contributed richly to his club, who were county champions in '90 and 1995, with Paulo the Man of the Match in ‘95. 

NATURAL

Coaching was the natural next step for O’Connor, who – incredibly – was involved in another five victories for UCC from the sideline. He also assisted Na Piarsaigh to the SHC crown in 2004 when John Gardiner and the Ó hAilpín brothers led them past Cloyne in front of a huge crowd in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.