Amy O'Connor
{{Short description|Irish camogie player}}
{{Infobox Gaelic games player
| name = Amy O'Connor
| sport = Camogie
| icposition = Right Corner Forward
| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|22|2019|1|9}}
| occupation = Project manager
| clubs = {{ubl|St. Vincent's (camogie club)|Seandún (divisional side)}}
| county = Cork
| clcounty = 2
| colleges = University College Cork
| colyears = 2014-2018
| counties = Cork
| icallireland = 6
| allstars = 3
| icyears = 2014-present
| code = Camogie
}}
Amy O'Connor (born {{birth based on age as of date|22|2019|1|9|noage=1}}) is an Irish camogie player who plays for her club, St Vincent's GAA, in Cork and at inter-county level with the Cork Senior camogie team. Since her senior inter-county debut in 2014, she has won six Senior All-Ireland Camogie Championships with Cork (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2023 and 2024), captaining the winning team in 2023.{{Cite web |date=6 August 2023 |title=Cork's Amy O'Connor On Why She Picked Camogie Over Soccer |url=https://evoke.ie/2023/08/06/news/sport/amy-oconnor-camogie-joy | website = evoke.ie | first = Philip | last = Lanigan |access-date=6 July 2024 |language=en-IE}} As of 2022, she had won six Munster Senior Camogie Championship medals.{{Cite web |last=Duffy |first=Emma |date=15 December 2022 |title=Four-time All-Ireland winner to captain Cork for 2023 |url=https://www.the42.ie/amy-oconnor-cork-camogie-captain-5947901-Dec2022/ |access-date=6 July 2024 |website=The 42 |language=en}} She was the recipient of Camogie All-Star awards in 2019 and again in 2023.{{cite web|url = https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2019/1019/1084477-galway-lead-all-stars-as-kilkenny-wins-players-award/ | website = rte.ie | title = Galway lead All-Stars as Kilkenny wins players' award | date = 19 October 2019 | accessdate = 8 July 2024 }}{{cite web|url = https://munster.gaa.ie/2023/11/pwc-camogie-all-star-awards-2023-winners/ | website = munster.gaa.ie | title = PwC Camogie All Star Awards 2023 Winners | date = 5 November 2023 | accessdate = 8 July 2024 }} and 2024.{{fact|date=March 2025}}
Sporting career
O'Connor played soccer at an international level, and was a member of the Republic of Ireland women's national under-19 football team that reached the semi-final of the 2014 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship.{{cite web|url = https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-30898576.html | work = Irish Examiner | title = Cork's Amy O'Connor still shattering glass ceilings | first = Cliona | last = Foley | date = 9 January 2019 | accessdate = 8 July 2024 | quote = Still only 22 [..] She was on the Ireland U19 soccer team whose progress to the semi-finals of the 2014 European Championships was a massive breakthrough }}
She participated in the Cork County Camogie Championship in 2021, as a member of the divisional team Seandún which beat Inniscarra on a score of 2–11 to 0–13 - to which she contributed 2-1.{{Cite web |last=McCarthy |first=Ger |date=24 October 2021 |title=Amy O'Connor the hero as sensational Seandún claim Cork camogie crown |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-40728735.html |access-date=6 July 2024 |website=Irish Examiner |language=en}} Seandún won the 2022 final against Sarsfields on a score of 2–16 to 1–17, with O'Connor contributing 2-8 and being awarded "player of the match" on the day.{{Cite web |last=O’Callaghan |first=Therese |date=23 October 2022 |title=O'Connor inspires as Seandún edge thrilling Cork camogie decider |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-40990190.html |access-date=6 July 2024 |website=Irish Examiner |language=en}}
In the 2023 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship final, O'Connor scored 3 goals in under two minutes with a final tally of 3-7 earning her the "player of the match" on the day and subsequently the PwC GPA "women's player of the month" award in August 2023.{{Cite web | website = rte.ie |last=McMahon |first=James |date=24 August 2023 |title=O'Connor savours 'unbelievable' journey to final glory |url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/camogie/2023/0824/1401425-oconnor-savours-unbelievable-journey-to-final-glory/ |language=en}} In October 2023, she picked up the 96FM/C103 Rochestown Park Hotel Monthly GAA award.{{Cite web |date=4 October 2023 |title=Amy O'Connor's camogie year continues on a high |url=https://www.echolive.ie/corksport/arid-41237062.html |access-date=6 July 2024 |website=echolive | first = John | last = Cashman |language=en}} She was then named overall winner (for the year) at the 96FM/C103 Cork GAA Sports Star of the Year awards in January 2024.{{Cite web |date=31 January 2024 |title=Amy O'Connor wins overall GAA award |url=https://www.corkindependent.com/2024/01/31/amy-oconnor-wins-overall-gaa-award/ |access-date=6 July 2024 |website=Cork Independent | first = Finbarr | last = McCarthy |language=en-IE}}
Personal life and education
O'Connor, who is from Knocknaheeny,{{cite web|url = https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-30944427.html | work = irish Examiner | title = Amy O'Connor: 'I am very, very proud to be from Knocknaheeny' | first = Daragh | last = Ó Conchúir | date = 17 August 2019 | accessdate = 8 July 2024 }} attended St Vincent's Secondary School in Cork city.{{cite web|url = https://www.balls.ie/gaa/amy-oconnor-cork-camogue-all-star-2019-419436 | work = balls.ie | title = Proud Cork Woman Amy O'Connor Blazes Trail For Club And Family | first = PJ | last = Browne | date = 29 October 2019 | accessdate = 8 July 2024 }} She is a qualified pharmacist, with a bachelors degree in Pharmacy from University College Cork (UCC), which she attended on a Quercus Sports' Scholarship.{{Cite web |title=Graduation Day for Amy O'Connor |url=https://www.ucc.ie/en/quercus/news/graduation-day-for-amy-oconnor.html |access-date=6 July 2024 | date = 24 October 2018 | website=University College Cork |language=en}} She is also a graduate of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, with a Masters in Pharmacy.{{cite web|url = https://www.echolive.ie/corksport/arid-40901213.html | work = The Echo | title = Echo Women in Sport award: Amy O'Connor delivers time and again | date = 22 June 2022 | accessdate = 8 July 2024 | first = Rory | last = Noonan }} As of 2023, she was working as a project manager at a software company.{{cite web|url = https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/camogie/amy-oconnor-hope-cork-can-use-past-failure-as-stepping-stone-to-oduffy-success/a1007802467.html | website = Irish Independent | title = Amy O'Connor hope Cork can use past failure as stepping stone to O'Duffy success | date = 4 August 2023 | accessdate = 8 July 2024 | first = Niall | last = Scully }}
References
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