Consistency from underage key as Tommy O'Connell continues to thrive in Rebel red

TOMMY O’CONNELL has made significant progress over the last couple of years – and his increased playing time in a Cork jersey is a clear reflection of that.

An exceptional talent underage for Midleton, Tommy went on to claim Munster and All-Ireland titles for Cork at both U17 and U20 levels.

His improvement over the past two seasons can be put down to one thing.

DETERMINATION 

That’s exactly what Tommy has shown throughout, as highlighted by his former coach, Liam Wade.

“I started working with him when he was about six or seven years of age in 2007,” Liam begins. “We worked with him up until 2018. We always knew he was good, but the first that I remember Tommy really excelling was when we went to a tournament in Roanmore in Waterford for an U9 ground hurling tournament.

“It was a brilliant day out, meeting teams from Kilkenny, Waterford, Tipp, Wexford and the like,” he says. “It was all ground hurling and Tommy was brilliant on the day, but he showed himself up against players from those counties and was excellent.

“He really showed his determination and bravery – he was just outstanding.

“At the Roanmore tournament you had Pat O'Neill, a famous Kilkenny centre-back, and he was coaching his team and saying; ‘little touches, little touches,’ but Tommy always had that. He’d get the ball out – not by pulling wildly, but he’d always get a little touch and move the ball out.” 

The following year, Paudie O’Brien joined as manager, working with Tommy O’Connell right up until minor.

“Once Tommy picked up a hurley, he had this ability,” Paudie begins. “He was always your better player. He was always playing a few years above, every time we went out he was the man that everybody wanted to mark. If they marked Tommy, they thought they were going to beat Midleton.

He’s been our better player in almost every game, every year that we had. 

"He was always the guy that we would look to and because of that, I suppose he was put under extra pressure when he was young.

“We wanted him to perform because if Tommy didn't perform we mightn’t have won. But in fairness he reacted well to that.

“When Tommy was 14, we reached the All-Ireland Féile final,” he says. “Tommy would agree with me now, but when he was 14, he had a poor year for his standards.

“So we decided to get him into the game, we put him in wing-back, and he gave an absolute exhibition throughout the Féile.

“We were unlucky to lose by a point Kilmacud Crokes in the final, but Tommy was absolutely outstanding at wing-back.

“He always had the ability, but there's lots of lads who've had the ability and haven't made it. So were you expecting Tommy to get there? At underage level, absolutely. He was one of the best players in the county at his own age group.

“The one thing we love about Tommy is that he always gives 100%. Tommy never goes out without trying. Even when things aren’t going right for Tom, he will keep trying and he will keep getting involved.” 

RIVALS

To see Tommy thriving as a regular starter for Cork is no surprise to Liam Wade – who always felt he had the goods to deliver on the big stage.

“I’m not surprised at all. He's just very determined, he will never give up and he will keep going, and going, and going,” Liam says.

“He’s got a great engine in him as well for a number eight. He just drives any team on from that position. All the way up, I would have said that there was a great rivalry between Midleton and Na Piarsaigh, but particularly the players on show when they would meet.

“It was Dáire Connery on the Na Piarsaigh side, and Tommy on the Midleton side. Often they were nip-and-tuck games.

“When you were down a few points and looking for a score you'd be trying to get the ball to Tommy because he would do something, and on the other side, when Na Piarsaigh were down, they'd be trying to get the ball to Dáire so that he could work a little bit of magic,” he says. 

They were just exceptional players, they stood out above everybody.

“You knew that players of that ilk were going to get the opportunity to make it and I mean his performance didn't wane any bit, he got better.

“We won an U16 Premier 1 County in 2016 and went on to win a minor county when minor was U18 in 2018 as well, and he was always up with the highest level of players."

Tommy was almost always a midfielder underage, but with the Midleton and Cork seniors he’s primarily been used at centre- or wing-back, until this year.

Lining out against Wexford, Waterford and Kilkenny in midfield, Tommy’s performances were particularly impressive.

That number eight jersey may very well be his this weekend.