Seán Óg Ó hAilpín facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Dual player | ||
| Football Position: | Full back | ||
| Hurling Position: | Left half back | ||
| Born | 22 May 1977 Rotuma, Fiji |
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| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Nickname | Ógie | ||
| Occupation | Ulster Bank official | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
|
1994–2014
|
Na Piarsaigh | ||
| Club titles | |||
| Cork titles | 2 | ||
| Inter-county(ies)* | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
|
1996–2012
1999–2001 |
Cork (H) Cork (F) |
55 (0–16) 11 (0–1) |
|
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Football | Hurling | ||
| Munster Titles | 1 | 5 | |
| All-Ireland Titles | 0 | 3 | |
| League titles | 1 | 1 | |
| All-Stars | 0 | 3 | |
| *Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 21:02, 4 November 2012. | |||
Seán Óg Ó hAilpín (born 22 May 1977) is a famous Fijian-Irish hurler and Gaelic footballer. He is known for his amazing career in Gaelic games.
Seán Óg played for the Cork senior hurling and football teams for many years. He won many important awards with both teams. He also had great success with his club, Na Piarsaigh, and played for Munster in special championships.
He started playing hurling at a young age. He joined the Cork senior hurling team in 1996. By 2012, he had won three All-Ireland medals. He also won five Munster medals and one National Hurling League medal. With the Cork senior football team, he won a Munster medal and a National Football League medal.
At his club, Na Piarsaigh, Seán Óg won the county hurling championship twice. He also received many personal awards, like three All Star awards in a row. In 2004, he won all the top individual awards for hurling.
Seán Óg's brothers, Setanta, Teu, and Aisake, are also well-known sports players. In 2013, he released his book called Seán Óg Ó hAilpÍn ... The Autobiography.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Seán Óg Ó hAilpín was born on Rotuma island in Fiji in 1977. His father was from Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, and his mother was from Rotuma. Seán Óg was the oldest of six children. He was the only one born on his mother's home island.
When he was three, his family moved to Sydney, Australia. There, he became interested in many sports, especially rugby league. His younger brothers and sister were born in Australia. Two of his brothers, Setanta and Aisake, later played Australian Football League in Australia.
In 1988, the Ó hAilpín family moved to Cork, Ireland. They settled in Blarney, near the city. Seán Óg quickly got used to life in Ireland and learned about Irish culture. He went to the North Monastery secondary school. All his classes were taught in Irish, which was new to him, but he quickly became fluent. At this school, he first learned about Gaelic games and became a key player on the school's hurling team.
Later, Seán Óg went to Dublin City University. In 1999, he earned a degree in Finance Computing and Entrepreneurship.
Playing Career Highlights
School and Club Success
Seán Óg first found success playing hurling for his school, North Monastery. In 1994, he won a provincial Dr. Harty Cup medal. His team then won the All-Ireland colleges' final, and Seán Óg earned an All-Ireland medal.
He also joined the Na Piarsaigh club in Cork city. He played both hurling and Gaelic football there. In 1995, he won a championship medal with the minor (under-18) hurling team. He then joined the senior team in 1995. That year, Na Piarsaigh won the senior county championship. This was Seán Óg's first senior county medal.
Almost ten years later, in 2004, Na Piarsaigh reached another county final. They won the game, giving Seán Óg his second club championship medal.
Playing for Cork County
Seán Óg started playing for the Cork minor hurling team in 1994. He won a Munster title that year. In 1995, he won another Munster title and then an All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship medal. He was also captain of the minor football team that year.
By 1996, he was playing for the Cork under-21 team. He won a Munster title in his first year. In 1997, he won a second Munster under-21 medal and his first All-Ireland medal. This was a special win because it was Cork's 100th All-Ireland title across all sports. In 1998, he won his third Munster under-21 medal and a second All-Ireland medal in that age group.
Senior Team Debut
Seán Óg joined the Cork senior hurling team in 1996. He played his first game against Limerick. In 1998, Cork won the National Hurling League title, which helped them become a top team again.
In 1999, Seán Óg became a dual star, meaning he played both hurling and Gaelic football for Cork at senior level. He started the year by winning a National Football League medal with the football team.
Winning All-Ireland Titles
Later in 1999, the Cork hurlers reached the Munster final. They won, and Seán Óg earned his first Munster medal at senior level. Soon after, he played in the Munster football final and won his first Munster football title.
Back with the hurlers, Cork played in the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny. Cork won a close game, and Seán Óg got his first All-Ireland medal. Two weeks later, he played in the All-Ireland football final, but Cork lost.
In 2000, Cork's hurlers won the Munster title again. However, they lost in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Overcoming Challenges
In 2001, Seán Óg had a serious injury that almost stopped him from playing. But he worked hard and recovered quickly.
In 2002, the Cork hurling players went on strike to ask for better conditions. Seán Óg was a main spokesperson for the players. The county board eventually agreed to their requests, which was a big win for the players.
In 2003, Cork reached the Munster final again and won. This was Seán Óg's third Munster medal. They then played Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final but lost. Even so, Seán Óg and his brother Setanta both won All-Star awards.
Captaining Cork to Victory
In 2004, Cork reached the Munster final again but lost a very close game to Waterford. However, Cork still made it to the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny. Cork played brilliantly in the second half and won the game. This was Seán Óg's second All-Ireland medal. He also received another All-Star award.
In 2005, Seán Óg was chosen as captain of the Cork team. They won the provincial crown again, beating Tipperary. This was Seán Óg's fourth Munster medal. Cork then played Galway in the All-Ireland final. Cork won, becoming All-Ireland champions for the second year in a row. Seán Óg had the great honor of lifting the Liam MacCarthy Cup. He gave his acceptance speech entirely in Irish, which was widely praised. He also received his third All-Star award.
In 2006, Cork tried to win three All-Ireland titles in a row. They won the Munster final again, beating Tipperary. They reached their fourth All-Ireland final in a row, playing Kilkenny again. Kilkenny won this time, stopping Cork from getting the three-in-a-row.
In 2007, Seán Óg and two other Cork players were suspended for a key game. Cork later exited the championship.
In 2010, Seán Óg was told he was not in the Cork hurling manager's plans. But a year later, he was back in the training squad for 2012. Cork's season ended in the All-Ireland semi-final.
On 2 November 2012, Seán Óg Ó hAilpín announced he was retiring from playing for Cork.
Playing for His Province and Country
Seán Óg also played for the Munster teams in inter-provincial championships. In 1999, he won a Railway Cup medal with the Munster footballers. In 2007, he finally won a Railway Cup hurling medal with Munster.
In 2004, Seán Óg was chosen for the Irish International Rules squad. He helped Ireland win the series. He played again in 2005. In 2008, he was selected for Ireland in the Hurling/Shinty Compromise International Rules. He is the first person to play for both Irish international teams.
Life After Playing
In 2017, there were reports that Seán Óg, who worked at Ulster Bank, was being considered for a role in politics.
Amazing Achievements
Team Awards
- North Monastery
- Dr Croke Cup (All-Ireland Schools Hurling): 1994
- Dr Harty Cup (Munster Schools Hurling): 1994
- Na Piarsaigh Club
- Cork Senior Club Hurling Championship: 1995, 2004
- Cork Minor Club Hurling Championship: 1995
- Cork Minor Club Football Championship: 1995
- Cork County
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: 1999, 2004, 2005 (as captain)
- Munster Senior Hurling Championship: 1999, 2000, 2003, 2005 (as captain), 2006
- Munster Senior Football Championship: 1999
- National Hurling League: 1998
- National Football League: 1999
- All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship: 1997, 1998
- Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship: 1996, 1997, 1998
- All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship: 1995
- Munster Minor Hurling Championship: 1994, 1995
- Munster Province
- Railway Cup (football): 1999
- Railway Cup (hurling): 2007
- Ireland
- International Rules (Football): 2004
Individual Awards
- Munster Hurling Team of the Last 25 Years (1984–2009)
- GPA Hurler of the Year: 2004
- All Stars Hurler of the Year: 2004
- Texaco Hurler of the Year: 2004
- RTÉ Sports Person of the Year: 2004
- All Stars (Hurling): 2003, 2004, 2005
