Paul O'Connell

Paul O'Connell

O'Connell playing for Ireland against Canada during 2015 World Cup
Full name	Paul Jeremiah O'Connell
Date of birth	(1979-10-20) 20 October 1979 (age 37)
Place of birth	Limerick, Ireland
Height	1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight	112 kg (17 st 8 lb, 246 lb)
School	Ardscoil Rís
University	University of Limerick
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Lock
Amateur clubs Years Club / team
Professional / senior clubs Years Club / team Caps (points) 2001–15 2015–16 Munster Toulon 174 0 (95) (0) Correct as of 31 May 2015
National team(s) Years Club / team Caps (points) 2001 2002–15 2005, 2009, 2013 Ireland A Ireland British and Irish Lions 1 108 7 (0) (40) (0) Correct as of 11 October 2015

Paul Jeremiah O'Connell (born 20 October 1979) is a retired Irish rugby union player. He is Ireland's third most-capped player (108) and the joint-twelfth most-capped international player in rugby union history. O'Connell has captained Munster, Ireland and the British and Irish Lions.

O'Connell was born in Limerick, Ireland to Mick and Sheila O'Connell. He attended the Model School and Ardscoil Rís, Limerick where he initially excelled at swimming and only started playing rugby at the age of 16, playing for the school in the Munster Schools Senior Cup and representing Irish Schools in 1997–98 along with international teammate Gordon D'Arcy. He also played five consecutive games with the Ireland U21s with Donncha O'Callaghan as his second row partner. 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.

O'Connell made his debut for Munster on 17 August 2001, in a Celtic League fixture against Edinburgh. His Heineken Cup debut for the club came in a home fixture against Castres Olympique which Munster won 28-23. He started for Munster in their 2002 Heineken Cup Final defeat to Leicester Tigers on 25 May 2002.

O'Connell made his debut for Ireland against Wales in the 2002 Six Nations Championship, starting alongside Mick Galwey and scoring a try. Despite scoring this try, O'Connell has no recollection of the first half, recalling: "I scored a try but I don't remember it. I went to tackle Craig Quinnell and he knocked me clean unconscious with his elbow. I played on for another 25 minutes, scored a try and then, eventually, with seven minutes left in the first half, I came around. I didn't really know what was going on and so I walked off the pitch."