Mark O’Connor has come home to represent Dingle before, but it never felt as raw as this. The sense around the team was different this season; they could see the path to the summit. The Geelong AFL star previously played for his home club in 2018, without permission from his employer. That relationship blossomed to the extent that Geelong granted him permission to play through the Kerry county championship, Munster championship and All-Ireland series.

Source: Irish Examiner January 29, 2026 13:44 UTC