Johnny O’Connor to join Galway hurlers backroom team as coach

Galway Bay FM Sport can reveal that former Irish Rugby International Johnny O’Connor is the new Lead Athletic Development Coach with the Galway Senior Hurlers, replacing Lukasz Kirszenstein. Galway native O’Connor spent 10 years in two different spells at Connacht Rugby along with a trophy-laden three years at Wasps in England. Having earned his first professional contract with Connacht in 2000, he played at the Sportsground for three seasons before moving to Wasps. The dynamic flanker won two Heineken Cups, two Premiership titles, and a Powergen Cup with the English club before returning to Connacht in 2007 where he made a huge impact over a seven-year period.

On the international scene, O’Connor made his Ireland debut in 2004 and went on to earn 12 caps, helping the national side to Triple Crown success in 2006. Having retired from professional rugby in 2013, O’Connor took up his first Strength and Conditioning role at Arsenal before returning home to Ireland after three years to join Galway United’s backroom in 2016 under manager Shane Keegan. A year later, Johnny was back with Connacht Rugby before his latest role with the Galway hurlers sees him take on the full-time role of Athletic Development.