Three hip operations later, Anthony O'Connor has come back stronger to drive Knocknagree to glory

Anthony O'Connor was only a spectator when Knocknagree suffered a heavy loss to Cill na Martra in September 2020.

The Duhallow club have had a lot of highlights over the past eight years or so, but the 7-11 to 0-13 group stage loss was a sobering experience. It proved to be a turning point as they went on to win the PIFC title in that campaign.

O’Connor was sidelined due to injury, a hip issue that threatened his playing career. The forward also missed the 2021 and ’22 seasons.

It has been an incredible comeback. He led his beloved Knocknagree to McCarthy Insurance Group SAFC glory last month after beating Cill na Martra and he also finished as the top scorer. He was also top scorer in 2024.

“We were delighted to win the county, it was nearly a relief more than anything, it was our fifth season competing at the Senior A grade,” O’Connor says.

“We lost the 2022 and ’24 finals, so to finally get over the line this year was great for the club. The success is probably made that extra special when you are the captain. We also won the Division 2 league title back in the summer.

“It’s an honour to be captain of Knocknagree. It probably has made it that extra special, but I wouldn’t say it has added pressure, we have great leaders in the group and that’s important. There have been great captains before me and I am sure there will be great captains after me.” 

This year has been the first time in six years or so that O’Connor has gone through the campaign injury-free. He goes through at length the challenges he has faced over the past number of years.

“It all started when we came back after the first round of covid,” the 31-year-old said.

“I picked up what I thought at the time was a small hip injury. I thought it would only keep me out for a few weeks. As things turned out, it was a lot worse than that. I ended up having three hip operations and missed pretty much three seasons. That was difficult and challenging of course.

“That’s part of sport too. I did everything I could to get back as soon as possible. I got great support from Knocknagree. Basically, I had a bone growing on both sides of my hips and it did a lot of damage to the cartilage. That’s probably the simplest way of describing the injury.

“I returned halfway through the league campaign in 2023. I got through that year relatively okay. 2024 then was a funny one. I missed the first few months with an Achilles injury and then when I returned, I dislocated my shoulder.

“I got back then for the championship, but unfortunately I broke my ankle in the final against Carrigaline. This year then, everything has just come together. It has been my best year in many years.” 

There were a lot of dark days during the three seasons for O’Connor and there was a real possibility that he would never kick a football ever again. 

The former Cork underage footballer and ex-Cork Junior player always kept the faith though and it has made the county triumph this year more impressive.

“When you are used to playing all of the time, next thing you can’t, you feel it,” he states.

“We won the county in the 2020 season and lost one in 2022, watching the lads play was not easy. At the same time, there’s no point feeling sorry for yourself. You just have to get on with it and do what you have to do to get back out there.

“In saying that, there were stages where I thought my playing career was finished. But I never gave up, I kept working hard to get back out on the field.

“To eventually get back playing and then to be asked to captain Knocknagree and then to win the Senior A for the first time and to take the club to the top grade, you couldn’t write it. I don’t overthink these things either. We are focused on the job in hand and we don’t look too far ahead.” 

O’Connor’s breakthrough year with Knocknagree was in 2013, that was the year John Fintan Daly took over as manager. He has been at the helm ever since taking the Duhallow outfit from Junior A in 2017 to playing Premier Senior in 2026.

“For a good number of years before John Fintan Daly took us over, we were competing in Duhallow, it just wasn’t the best time.

“Having John and his management team in place, it was a complete culture change. You could see in the first few years that we were going from strength to strength. We have been very successful and a lot of that is down to John and his management team.

“We can’t wait to play in the top grade next year. We had a few weeks off after winning the county, but lads are getting back into the gym at the moment.

“It’s going to be great to be coming up against the top teams. It will be a step up for us. But you take Newcestown and Carrigaline, the last two Senior A winners before us, they had good seasons this year.

“You would take confidence from that. We are excited about what we can do.”