66 Facts About Paul O'Connell

Paul Jeremiah O'Connell was born on 20 October 1979 and is an Irish former rugby union player and coach.

Paul O'Connell is the forwards coach for the Ireland national men's team.

Paul O'Connell was born in Limerick, Ireland to Mick and Sheila Paul O'Connell.

Paul O'Connell played five consecutive games with the Ireland U21s with Donncha O'Callaghan as his second row partner.

Paul O'Connell completed 3 out of 4 years of a Computer Engineering degree at the University of Limerick, before deferring the remainder of the degree to concentrate on rugby.

Paul O'Connell made his debut for Munster on 17 August 2001, in a Celtic League fixture against Edinburgh.

Paul O'Connell started for Munster in their 2002 Heineken Cup Final defeat to Leicester Tigers on 25 May 2002.

Paul O'Connell made his debut for Ireland against Wales in the 2002 Six Nations Championship, starting alongside Mick Galwey and scoring a try.

In Ireland's opening game of the 2004 Six Nations Championship, Paul O'Connell captained the side in the absence of Brian O'Driscoll.

Paul O'Connell played in the game against Scotland on 27 March 2004, in which Ireland won their first Triple Crown for 19 years.

Paul O'Connell won his first Test cap for the Lions on 25 June 2005, starting in the first test defeat to New Zealand.

Paul O'Connell was shortlisted for the International Rugby Board player of the year in 2006, and was the only Northern Hemisphere nominee.

Paul O'Connell again took over from an injured O'Driscoll as Ireland captain in their historic match against France in the 2007 Six Nations Championship, the first rugby match ever played at Croke Park.

Paul O'Connell was named in Ireland's squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup on 12 August 2007.

Paul O'Connell became Munster captain in July 2007, succeeding Anthony Foley.

Paul O'Connell played in all of Ireland's 2009 November Test matches, with Ireland claiming a draw against Australia, and two wins over Fiji and South Africa.

Paul O'Connell led the Lions in the second test with a new second-row partner in the form Simon Shaw as the Lions lost the match and with it, the series.

Paul O'Connell started in the last test of the series where the Lions managed a consolation victory to avoid the first whitewash by South Africa in 118 years.

Paul O'Connell missed Ireland's first two matches of the 2010 Six Nations Championship due to a hip injury, but returned to play England, Wales and Scotland.

Paul O'Connell missed Ireland's 2010 Summer Tests due to a groin injury that became infected, and missed the 2010 Autumn Tests.

Paul O'Connell made his Heineken Cup comeback against Ospreys a week later, only to be sent off and banned for four weeks.

Paul O'Connell was selected in Ireland's 2011 Six Nations Championship squad, playing against Italy, France, Scotland, Wales and England.

Paul O'Connell was selected in Ireland's 2011 Rugby World Cup training squad for the warm-up tests in August 2011.

Paul O'Connell played in both tests against France, captained Ireland in their final warm-up Test against England and was selected in Ireland's 30-man squad to go to New Zealand.

Ireland won their opening pool game against the USA, with Paul O'Connell being awarded Man of the Match.

Paul O'Connell injured ligaments in his ankle during a Celtic League match against Leinster on 2 April 2011, and was out for four weeks.

Paul O'Connell captained Munster to victory over Leinster in the 2011 Magners League Grand Final.

Paul O'Connell made his comeback from the knee injury suffered in the 2012 Six Nations against Ulster in the Heineken Cup quarter-final on 8 April 2012.

Paul O'Connell stood down as Munster squad captain, making way for teammate Doug Howlett on 24 August 2012, having been captain for just over five years.

Paul O'Connell suffered a recurrence of his back injury in October 2012 and had to undergo surgery on New Year's Eve, which ruled him out of rugby until early April 2013.

However, Paul O'Connell returned early from the injury, having made a quicker-than-expected recovery, and played 40 minutes for Munster A on 12 March 2013.

Paul O'Connell was ruled out of the remainder of the 2013 tour after suffering a fractured arm in the first Test against Australia.

In January 2014, Paul O'Connell signed a new two-year contract to remain at Munster until June 2016.

On 27 January 2014, Paul O'Connell was named in Ireland's 34-man squad for the opening two fixtures of the 2014 Six Nations Championship.

Paul O'Connell returned to captain Ireland against Wales on 8 February 2014.

Paul O'Connell was named as captain of the Ireland squad for the 2014 Tour to Argentina on 19 May 2014.

Paul O'Connell started the first test against Argentina on 7 June 2014.

Paul O'Connell started the second test against Argentina on 14 June 2014.

Paul O'Connell was named in the Ireland squad for the 2014 Guinness Series on 21 October 2014, continuing as captain.

Paul O'Connell was named as captain in the Ireland squad for the 2015 Six Nations Championship on 1 February 2015.

Paul O'Connell won the Player of the Championship award for the 2015 Six Nations.

Paul O'Connell won the IRUPA Players' Player of the Year 2015 Award in May 2015.

On 2 June 2015, it was announced that Paul O'Connell had been granted an early release from his contract with Munster and the IRFU.

The contract, which had been due to end in June 2016, would instead end upon the conclusion of Ireland's 2015 Rugby World Cup campaign, after which Paul O'Connell will retire from international rugby.

On 16 June 2015, it was confirmed that Paul O'Connell had joined Toulon on a two-year contract.

Paul O'Connell was named in the 45-man training squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup on 24 June 2015.

Paul O'Connell won the 2015 Guinness Rugby Writers Player of the Year award in August 2015.

Paul O'Connell came off the bench for Ireland in their second Rugby World Cup warm-up against Scotland on 15 August 2015.

Paul O'Connell started the third warm-up game against Wales on 29 August 2015, his final home game for Ireland.

Paul O'Connell was named as captain of the final 31-man squad for the World Cup when it was announced on 1 September 2015.

Paul O'Connell started in the final warm-up game against England on 5 September 2015.

Paul O'Connell started the opening pool game against Canada on 19 September 2015.

Paul O'Connell came off the bench in the second pool game against Romania on 27 September 2015.

Paul O'Connell started the third pool game against Italy on 4 October 2015.

On 9 February 2016, Paul O'Connell announced that he'd had to retire from all professional rugby based on medical advice, following the injury he suffered during the 2015 Rugby World Cup with Ireland.

In July 2016, it was confirmed that Paul O'Connell had re-joined Munster in an advisory role with the club's academy.

Paul O'Connell left his role as an advisor with the Munster Academy to become an assistant coach with the Ireland Under-20s team in December 2017.

Paul O'Connell joined French Top 14 club Stade Francais, where O'Connell's former Young Munster and Munster teammate Mike Prendergast was a coach, as their new forwards coach in August 2018, but left after just one season.

Paul O'Connell joined the Ireland national men's team coaching setup as the new forwards coach in January 2021, replacing his former international teammate Simon Easterby, who changed roles within the setup to become the defence coach.

Paul O'Connell joined BBC Sport as a pundit and commentator ahead of their coverage of the 2017 Six Nations Championship and has worked for BBC Sport since then during their coverage of Wales' and Scotland's Autumn Internationals in November 2017 and throughout the 2018 Six Nations Championship.

Paul O'Connell announced on The Late Late Show on 29 January 2010 that his girlfriend Emily O'Leary was six months pregnant with their first child.

Paul O'Connell was awarded the Freedom of Limerick City in a ceremony in April 2012.

In November 2015, Paul O'Connell was conferred with an honorary doctorate from the University of Limerick.

Paul O'Connell supports English Premier League football team Everton FC O'Connell is a single figure handicap golfer and is a member of Limerick Golf Club.

In September 2016, Paul O'Connell gave a speech to the European players preparing to compete against America in the 2016 Ryder Cup, having been invited to do so by Darren Clarke, Europe's captain.

Paul O'Connell released his autobiography in October 2016 called The Battle.