Ben O'Connor (hurler)

Ben O'Connor is an Irish hurling coach and former player, born in January 1979, who is the current Cork senior hurling manager. As a player he played for Newtownshandrum in the Cork Senior Championship and was a member of the Cork senior hurling team for fourteen seasons, usually lining out as a right wing-forward. He is noted for his commanding presence and scoring ability on the wing and is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. He began his club career with Newtownshandrum, breaking onto the senior team at seventeen in 1996, the year the club won the Cork Intermediate Championship and promotion to the top flight of Cork hurling. He made 79 championship appearances at senior level and was at centre-forward on Newtownshandrum's All-Ireland Club Championship-winning team. He is identified here as the hurler to tell him apart from other people of the same name.