CORK ALL-IRELAND winning midfielder Alan O’Connor has made a dramatic return to the Rebel senior football squad.
O’Connor, midfield on the team that lifted the Sam Maguire in 2010 with victory over Down, had announced his retirement in November 2013.
But the 29 year-old has now rejoined Brian Cuthbert’s senior football squad, who are currently preparing for next Sunday’s Allianz Division 1 football league final against Dublin in Croke Park.
O’Connor, from the St Colum’s club in West Cork, last lined out for Cork in the 2013 All-Ireland quarter-final when they lost out to Dublin. The news was confirmed on the Cork GAA website this evening.
An established midfielder, O’Connor made his senior football debut for Cork in 2008. He started for Cork in the 2009 All-Ireland final loss to Kerry before helping the county claim Sam Maguire a year later for the first time since 1990.
O’Connor has also won two All-Ireland junior football medals and was part of three Munster U21 winning setups. He missed out on an All-Ireland U21 medal in 2006 when Cork were defeated by Mayo.
Great news!!!!
What a bonus to get. Setanta to come home and rejoin the hurling panel and the double will be on.
What a brilliant bit of news coming into the championship. This is like a new signing for Cork football. He is what we need to get into the likes of the Kerry’s, Dublin’s, Donegal etc.. His experience will be invaluable as well to the likes of the emerging Ian Maguire. If we get Maguire, Kevin Crowley and Ruairi Deane fit, we’ll have an abundance of big men around the middle all of a sudden and the summer could be looking good. Rebels Abú