Stephen O'Neill
![]() O'Neill during the 2005 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Sport | Gaelic football | ||
Position | Full Forward | ||
Born |
Strabane, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland | 19 November 1980||
Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
Occupation | Primary school teacher | ||
Club(s) | |||
Years | Club | ||
1997– | Clann na nGael | ||
Inter-county(ies) | |||
Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
1999–2014 | Tyrone | 30 (7–114) | |
Inter-county titles | |||
Ulster titles | 5 | ||
All-Irelands | 3 | ||
NFL | 2 | ||
All Stars | 3 |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Stephen_O%27Neill_-_All-Ireland_Semi-final_2005.jpg/220px-Stephen_O%27Neill_-_All-Ireland_Semi-final_2005.jpg)
Stephen O'Neill (born 19 November 1980) is an
His style of play is quite traditional as a full forward, often getting on the end of passes, and scoring with his preferred left foot. It's his superior physical strength that sets him apart from his peers, coupled with his agility on the ball, making him very difficult to mark.
O'Neill announced his retirement from the Tyrone Gaelic football team in January 2008,[1][2] but made himself available for the All-Ireland final of the same year. Tyrone won the competition, but O'Neill refused to accept the medal, citing the fact that he felt he had not earned it, having not been part of the team on their journey to the final.[3]
Playing career
Club
O'Neill's home club is Clan na Gael in Aughabrack. With the side he has won one Tyrone Junior Football Championship and one Tyrone Intermediate Football Championship.
Inter-county
Youth player
O'Neill had success with Tyrone youth teams, winning two Ulster and All-Ireland under 21 titles in 2000 and 2001 to add to his Ulster Minor championship medals in 1997 and 1998 and his All-Ireland minor championship in 1998.
Senior
O'Neill burst on to the senior county scene and by 2001 had won an Ulster title and the first of his three All Star Awards. During his time with Tyrone he was first choice penalty taker – scoring three in the run up to Tyrone's 2005 All-Ireland victory,[4][5] and also shared free-taking duty with Owen Mulligan—usually dictated by who is kicking on their stronger side.
O'Neill won
He won an
Retirement and return
Following two years where he was blighted by recurring injuries, O'Neill agreed to undergo surgery before the end of 2007 to resolve a complex knee tendinitis condition. It was hoped that this would make him fully fit for the
However, on 4 September 2008, it was announced that O'Neill would be available for selection for the All-Ireland final, following the approval of the other panel players who had reached the final without his contributions.[7] This was despite the fact that a mere two days earlier he had gone on record denying a return, suggesting that his long absence would affect his match-sharpness.[8]
O'Neill's return to action came earlier than many expected during the
O'Neill helped Tyrone win another Ulster Championship in 2009, beating Antrim in the final, collecting an end of season All Stars Award, his third.
O'Neill dislocated his elbow in the final of the 2010 Dr McKenna Cup, which Tyrone lost to Donegal.[9][10]
Post-playing career
O'Neill was brought in as part of the backroom team of his former Tyrone teammate Enda McGinley when McGinley took over as Antrim manager.[13]
Personal life
O'Neill is from Aughabrack, a
O'Neill is a primary school principal at St Michaels's Primary School in
References
- ^ O'Neill calls time on inter-county career, BreakingNews.ie
- ^ Paul McConville (25 January 2008), O'Neill hangs up his boots, The Irish News, retrieved 25 January 2008
- ^ a b O'Neill 'will not accept' medal, BBC Sport, 27 November 2008, retrieved 27 November 2008
- ^ Jim O'Sullivan (22 September 2005). "O'Neill happy to spearhead Tyrone's assault on the Kingdom". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 6 February 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2008.
- ^ Francis Mooney (26 June 2005). "GAA: VANTASY". Sunday Mirror. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
- ^ Harte determined to take a positive view, Hogan Stand Magazine, 21 January 2008, retrieved 22 January 2008
- ^ O'Neill returns for Tyrone, Hogan Stand Magazine, 4 September 2008, retrieved 5 September 2008
- ^ O'Neill cites Kerry as ultimate test, Hogan Stand Magazine, 2 September 2008, retrieved 5 September 2008
- ^ "O'Neill out for six weeks with elbow injury". RTÉ Sport. 1 February 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
- ^ "O'Neill now faces eight-week lay-off". RTÉ Sport. 2 February 2010. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
- ^ Browne, PJ (26 May 2013). "Stephen O'Neill Just Ran into A Brick Wall". Balls.ie. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
- ^ McNulty, Chris (May 2013). "Report: Donegal deliver emphatic message". Donegal News. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
- ^ "Lynch backs reputation of new management". Gaelic Life. 12 February 2021.
- ^ Rusk, Diana (10 July 2009). "Tyrone players turn out for O'Neill match". The Irish News. p. 6. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
External links
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