Shane O'Neill (Cork hurler)

{{Infobox Gaelic games player

| code= Hurling

| sport = Hurling

| image =

| name = Shane O'Neill

| irish = Seán Ó Néill

| fullname = Shane O’Neill

| feet = 5

| inches = 11

| nickname =

| occupation = Advisory associate at PwC

| county = Cork

| province = Munster

| club = Bishopstown

| clposition =

| clubs =

| clyears = 2004-present

| clapps(points) =

| clcounty = 0

| clprovince=

| clallireland =

| counties = Cork

| icposition = Right corner-back

| icyears = 2005-present

| icapps(points) = 35 (0-1)

| icprovince = 1

| icallireland = 0

| nhl = 0

| allstars = 0

| clupdate =

| icupdate = 15:43, 18 July 2014

| birth_date={{Birth date and age|1986|3|1|df=yes}}

| birth_place=Bishopstown, Cork, Ireland

}}

Shane O'Neill (born 1 March 1986) is an Irish hurler who plays as a right corner-back for the Cork senior team.{{cite web|url=http://www.gaacork.ie/playerProfile/793/shane_o%27neill|title=Player profile: Shane O'Neill|publisher=Cork GAA website|date=|accessdate=18 July 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/1906140916-shane-oneill-interview/|title=Shane O'Neill: 'We can't keep losing'|publisher=GAA website|date=19 June 2014|accessdate=18 July 2014|first=Brian|last=Murphy|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726005023/http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/1906140916-shane-oneill-interview/|archivedate=26 July 2014}}

Born in Bishopstown, Cork, O'Neill first played competitive hurling whilst at school in Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh. He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he first linked up with the Cork minor team, before later joining the under-21 side. He joined the senior team as a member of the extended panel during the 2005 championship. Since then O'Neill has become a regular member of the starting fifteen and has won one Munster medal on the field of play. He has been an All-Ireland runner-up on one occasion.

As a member of the Munster inter-provincial team, O'Neill has won one Railway Cup medal. At club level he has won several championship medals in all grades with Bishopstown.

Playing career

=Club=

O'Neill played with Bishopstown in a period when the club won back-to-back minor championship medals (in 2003 and 2004) and back-to-back under-21 championship medals (in 2006 and 2007).{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

In 2006 O'Neill was a member of the Bishopstown team that faced Carrigtwohill in the final of the premier intermediate championship. A 0-20 to 1-11 victory gave him a Cork Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship medal.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

=Inter-county=

O'Neill first lined out with Cork in the minor grade in 2003. In the following season, 2004, he won his first Munster medal as Cork ended Tipperary's hopes of four-in-a-row with a 2-13 to 3-8 victory.{{cite web|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2004/0628/ireland/murphy-ends-tipperary-dreams-of-four-in-a-row-709681273.html|title=Murphy ends Tipperary dreams of four in a row|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=28 June 2004|accessdate=18 July 2014|first=Brendan|last=Larkin}}

The following year O'Neill was a member of the Cork under-21 team. He won a Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship medal in his debut year, as Cork defeated Tipperary by 4-8 to 0-13.{{cite web|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2005/0804/sport/hartnett-goal-seals-cork-grand-slam-399208901.html|title=Hartnett goal seals Cork grand slam|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=4 August 2005|accessdate=18 July 2014|first=Brendan|last=Larkin}}

Two years later and O'Neill was appointed captain of the Cork under-21 team. He won a second Munster medal on that occasion following a 1-20 to 0-10 win over Waterford.{{cite web|url=http://www.munster-express.ie/local-news/waterfords-munster-treble-dream-dashed-by-rebels/|title=Waterford's Munster treble dream dashed by Rebels|publisher=The Munster Express|date=3 August 2007|accessdate=18 July 2014|first=Dermot|last=Keyes}}

By 2005 O'Neill's performances for the Cork minor and under-21 teams brought him to the attention of the senior selectors. He was a member of the extended panel during Cork's All-Ireland victory. He won a Munster medal in 2006 as an unused substitute.

On 17 June 2007 O'Neill made his senior championship debut in a 5-15 to 3-18 Munster semi-final defeat by Waterford. The following few seasons saw Cork go into decline.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}} In 2011, O'Neill was appointed captain of the team.{{cite web|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/oneill-the-ideal-choice-as-new-cork-hurling-captain-141126.html|title=O’Neill the ‘ideal choice’ as new Cork hurling captain |publisher=Irish Examiner|date=5 January 2011|accessdate=18 July 2014|first=Fintan & Fogarty, John|last=O'Toole}}

O'Neill lined out in his second Munster decider in 2013, however, Cork faced a 0-24 to 0-15 defeat by Limerick.{{cite web|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2013/0715/ireland/day-of-joy-sends-tremor-through-treaty-236924.html|title=Day of joy sends tremor through Treaty|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=15 July 2013|accessdate=31 July 2013|first=Diarmuid|last=O'Flynn}} On 8 September 2013 he lined out against Clare in his first All-Ireland final. Three second-half goals through Conor Lehane, Anthony Nash and Pa Cronin, and a tenth point of the game from Patrick Horgan gave Cork a one-point lead as injury time came to an end. A last-gasp point from corner-back Domhnall O'Donovan earned Clare a 0-25 to 3-16 draw.{{cite news|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2013/0909/ireland/an-emotional-riveting-roller-coaster-242435.html|title=An emotional, riveting roller-coaster|date=9 September 2013|publisher=Irish Examiner|accessdate=22 September 2013|first=Diarmuid|last=O'Flynn}} The replay on 28 September saw Clare's Shane O'Donnell score a hat-trick of goals in the first nineteen minutes of the game. Patrick Horgan was top scorer for Cork, however, further goals from Conor McGrath and Darach Honan secured a 5-16 to 3-16 victory for Clare.{{cite web|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2013/0930/ireland/a-day-borrowed-from-the-hurling-gods-244741.html|title=A day borrowed from the hurling gods|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=30 September 2013|accessdate=1 October 2013|first=Diarmuid|last=O'Flynn}}

In 2014, O'Neill won his first Munster Senior Hurling Championship medal on the field of play as goals by Séamus Harnedy and Paudie O'Sullivan gave Cork a 2-24 to 0-24 victory over Limerick.{{cite web|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/irrepressible-rebels-rule-munster-again-275363.html|title=Irrepressible Rebels rule Munster again|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=14 July 2014|accessdate=17 July 2014|first=Diarmuid|last=O'Flynn}}

=Inter-provincial=

O'Neill was picked for Munster in the inter-provincial series of games. He won an Interprovincial Championship medal in 2013 as Munster defeated Connacht by 1-22 to 0-15.{{cite web|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/munster-too-strong-for-connacht-586773.html|title=Munster too strong for Connacht|date=3 March 2013|publisher=Irish Examiner|accessdate=24 April 2013|first=|last=}}