Con O'Callaghan (Gaelic footballer)

Con O'Callaghan (born April 1996) is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football for the Dublin county football team.

Con O'Callaghan
Personal information
Irish name Conal Ó Ceallacháin
Sport Gaelic football
Position Forward
Born April 1996
Dublin, Ireland
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Nickname King Con[1]
Club(s)
Years Club
 Cuala
Club titles
  Football Hurling
Dublin titles 0 4
Leinster titles 0 2
All-Ireland titles 0 2
Colleges(s)
Years College
 University College Dublin
College titles
Sigerson titles 1
Inter-county(ies)*
Years County Apps (scores)
2016–present
 Dublin 44 (14-99)
Inter-county titles
Leinster titles 8
All-Irelands 6
NFL 3
All Stars 3
*Inter County team apps and scores correct as of match played 30 July 2023.

He is a dual player for the Cuala club, in football senior "A" and hurling senior "A". He was also a dual player at inter-county minor level.

O'Callaghan is a capable free-taker; however, with Dublin he is not required to take them, with Dean Rock and Cormac Costello on the field.[1]

Playing career

Club

O'Callaghan plays hurling for the Cuala club.[1]

As of match played 10 February 2018.
Team Year Leinster All-Ireland Total
AppsScoreAppsScoreAppsScore
Cuala 2015-16 20–200–020–2
2016-17 36–1021–557–15
2017-18 33–810–443–12
Total 89–2031-091110-29

College

O'Callaghan played for UCD and won the 2018 Sigerson Cup.[1]

Inter-county

O'Callaghan made his football championship debut for Dublin against Laois in the quarter-final of the 2016 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. He scored a single point against Laois as Dublin progressed to the Leinster semi-final.[2] He made his second appearance against in Dublin's semi final victory over Meath and continued this trend in the final against Westmeath.[3][4] He failed to make an appearance outside the Leinster Championship but won a medal as a squad member of the 2016 All-Ireland Champions Dublin.

2017 started with O'Callaghans first start as a senior inter-county footballer with Dublin. He started the game against Carlow in the quarter final of the Leinster Championship. He scored two points from frees and failed to score from play in the victory over a very defensive Carlow side.[5] In the Leinster semi final against Westmeath, he scored his first points of the 2017 campaign from play. He scored a total of three points from play in Dublin's victory over Westmeath in the semi-final.[6] In July 2017, he won his second Leinster senior football championship with Dublin what proved to be his most prolific game from a scoring point of view. He scored a total of 0–12 points against Kildare at Croke Park and helped guide Dublin to their seventh consecutive Leinster Championship title.[7] He took six frees during the game and scored six points.[1]

O'Callaghan won the All-Ireland Under 21 Football Championship with Dublin in 2017, scoring a total of 1–3 against Galway at O'Connor Park.[8] O'Callaghan scored his first senior goal for Dublin in their 2017 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final win over Tyrone.[9] In the 2017 All-Ireland Final, O'Callaghan scored a goal for Dublin after 90 seconds of play as they went on to win their third All-Ireland title in a row.[10]

In November 2017, O'Callaghan won his first football All-Star award and was also named as the GAA/GPA Young Footballer of the Year.[11][12]

He provided the assist for Niall Scully's goal in the 2018 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final.[1]

By 2019, his physical development had reached remarkable proportions. Never physically light to begin with, he sported a shaven head to add to his tougher image.[1] According to Alan Brogan, O'Callaghan had built a gym at the back of his house.[1] In the 11th minute of a game against Roscommon, O'Callaghan collected a pass by Brian Fenton from above his head past the "D" and fell onto his twisted right leg.[1] His former Dublin under-21 manager Dessie Farrell later remarked on the fall: "It was a model for a cruciate [injury], wasn't it?... I thought he was hurt the way he landed there for sure, but it's just a mark of his athleticism".[1] O'Callaghan rose from the awkward fall without effort, immediately hopped the ball and sent it over the bar for a point.[1] In the All-Ireland semi-final, he scored two goals past Lee Keegan and took a fierce hit from Mayo goalkeeper Rob Hennelly but was unaffected.[1]

Career statistics
As of match played 30 July 2023
Team Year National League Leinster All-Ireland Total
DivisionAppsScoreAppsScoreAppsScoreAppsScore
Dublin 2016 Division 1 10-0030-0100-0040-01
2017 00-0030-1732-0362-20
2018 10-0031-0741-0382-10
2019 62-0732-0352-10146-20
2020 21-0630-0421-0572-15
2021 43-0721-0410-0174-12
2022 0 0-00 3 2-13 0 0-00 3 2-13
2023 Division 2 8 0-17 3 1-13 6 1-15 17 2-45
Career total 226-37237-62217-376620-136

Honours
UCD
Cuala
Dublin
Awards

References
  1. Roche, Frank (31 August 2019). "There is so much more to the O'Callaghan package than brute, ball-winning force': Dedication in the gym and ruthless edge in front of goal are propelling 23-year-old Dublin forward to frightening new levels". Sunday Independent. Retrieved 31 August 2019. One of the curiosities about Con is that he stands 5ft 11in — relatively short by inter-county standards — and yet is such an accomplished fielder. The headline in the printed edition read: "The crowning of King Con".
  2. "No away day blues for Dublin as they storm past Laois in Nowlan Park". 4 June 2016.
  3. "10-point win for Dublin as they seek sixth successive Leinster football title". 26 June 2016.
  4. "Dublin blitz Westmeath and make history by claiming Leinster 6-in-a-row". 17 July 2016.
  5. "Carlow do themselves proud but patient Dublin run out comfortable 12-point winners". 3 June 2017.
  6. "Slick Dubs beat Westmeath to a pulp with 31-point hammering to book Leinster final". 25 June 2017.
  7. "0-12 for O'Callaghan and early goals key as Dublin clinch Leinster title against Kildare". 16 July 2017.
  8. "Dublin win the last ever All-Ireland Under-21 title". RTÉ.ie. 29 April 2017.
  9. Brolly, Joe (22 September 2019). "Kerry asked different questions but this group of greats has all the answers". Sunday Independent. Retrieved 22 September 2019. Mind you, Con O'Callaghan's first goal wasn't bad either, a similarly audacious solo effort in the 2017 semi-final against Tyrone.
  10. "All-Ireland player ratings - Mayo had more top performers but Dublin have the trophy - Independent.ie". 17 September 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  11. "Andy Moran and Joe Canning are football and hurler of the year". Irish Examiner. 3 November 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  12. "What makes Con O'Callaghan so special?". Irish Examiner. 2 December 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  13. "Saturday Game Reveal Football Team Of The Year For 2019". Balls.ie. 14 September 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  14. "Man of the Match Con O'Callaghan revels in Dublin's 'special' feat after the All-Ireland SFC final". RTÉ Sport. 19 December 2020.
  15. "'Blessed' O'Callaghan finds his flow state". RTÉ Sport. 21 December 2020.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by GAA/GPA Young Footballer of the Year
2017		 Succeeded by
Preceded by
Dublin player
(Dublin)
 All-Ireland Senior Football Final
Man of the Match
2020		 Succeeded by
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