Paul O’Connell

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Paul O'Connell bigraphy, stories - Irish rugby union player

Paul O’Connell : biography

20 October 1979 –

Paul Jeremiah O’Connell (born 20 October 1979 in Limerick, Ireland) is an Irish rugby union player. He plays in the Pro 12 and Heineken Cup for Munster and internationally he plays for Ireland. O’Connell also captained the British and Irish Lions on their 2009 tour to South Africa.

Honours

Munster

  • Heineken Cup:
    • Winner (2): 2005–06, 2007–08
  • Celtic League:
    • Winner (3): 2002–03, 2008–09, 2010–11
  • Celtic Cup:
    • Winner (1): 2004–05

Ireland

  • Six Nations Championship:
    • Winner (1): 2009
  • Grand Slam:
    • Winner (1): 2009
  • Triple Crown:
    • Winner (4): 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009

British and Irish Lions

  • British and Irish Lions tours:
    • Tourist (3): 2005, 2009, 2013

Personal life

O’Connell announced on the Late Late Show on 29 January 2010 that his girlfriend Emily O’Leary was six months pregnant with their first child. Paul and Emily have been together since he was 20. The couple welcomed a baby boy on 15 April 2010. The baby was born just before midnight at the Mid-Western Regional Maternity in Limerick and weighed in at a healthy 7 lbs 10 ounces. He has been named Paddy O’Connell. They became engaged in June 2012.

O’Connell was awarded the Freedom of Limerick City in a ceremony in April 2012.

Munster

O’Connell made his debut for Munster on 17 August 2001, in a Celtic League fixture against Edinburgh Rugby. He started for Munster in their 2002 Heineken Cup Final defeat to Leicester Tigers on 25 May 2002.

He was part of the Munster squad that won the 2002-03 Celtic League. O’Connell also won the 2005 Celtic Cup with Munster, defeating Llanelli Scarlets 27-16 in the final.

O’Connell was an integral member of the Munster team that won the 2005-06 Heineken Cup, playing a crucial role in defeating Biarritz Olympique 19-23 in the 2006 Heineken Cup Final.

He became Munster captain in July 2007, succeeding Anthony Foley.

O’Connell led Munster to their second Heineken Cup triumph in the 2007-08 season, defeating Toulouse 16-13 in the 2008 Heineken Cup Final. He also led the side to victory in the 2008-09 Celtic League.

After being out through injury for nine months, O’Connell made his comeback for Munster against Cardiff Blues in December 2010. He made his Heineken Cup comeback against Ospreys a week later, only to be sent off and banned for four weeks. He returned against Toulon and London Irish.

O’Connell injured ligaments in his ankle during the Munster-Leinster Magners League match on 2 April 2011, and was out for four weeks. He making his comeback against Harlequins on 30 April 2011, in the 12-20 Amlin Challenge Cup defeat.

He captained Munster to victory over Leinster in the 2011 Magners League Grand Final.

O’Connell signed a new two year contract on 3 January 2012 that will see him continuing to play his rugby for Munster and Ireland until the end of the 2013-14 season. He made his comeback from the knee injury suffered in the 2012 Six Nations against Ulster in the Heineken Cup quarter-final on 8 April 2012. O’Connell suffered another knee injury in Munster’s Pro 12 league game against Ulster, which ruled him out for 4–6 weeks and made him a doubt for Ireland’s 3-Test series against New Zealand in June 2012. Having missed the series, O’Connell declared himself fit in August 2012. He also stood down as Munster squad captain, making way for teammate Doug Howlett on 24 August 2012, having been captain for just over five years. A back injury prolonged O’Connell’s injury-enforced absence at the beginning of the 2012-13 season. He made his comeback on 13 October 2012, in Munster’s opening fixture of the 2012-13 Heineken Cup away to Racing Métro 92.

O’Connell suffered a recurrence of his back injury in October 2012 and had to undergo surgery on New Years Eve, which ruled him out of rugby until early April 2013. However, O’Connell returned early from the injury, having made a quicker-than-expected recovery, and played 40 minutes for Munster A on 12 March 2013. Having come through a full 80 minutes for Young Munster, O’Connell then lined out for the senior Munster side in their league fixture against Connacht on 23 March 2013, again playing the full 80 minutes. He captained Munster in the absence of Doug Howlett in the 12-18 Heineken Cup quarter-final victory over Harlequins on 7 April 2013, a game in which he won the Man-of-the-Match award. He also captained Munster in the 16-10 semi-final defeat to ASM Clermont Auvergne on 27 April 2013.