Laochra Gael
Eddie & Willie O'Connor
Sunday 6th April on TG4 at 6.15pm

Eddie O'Connor and Willie O'Connor: two brothers, two tenacious backs and two hurling heroes for Kilkenny in the nineties. What's more both brothers captained Kilkenny to All Ireland glory, a feat only one other family has ever achieved.

It was with their beloved Glenmore club that the two brothers first came to national prominence when they won the All Ireland club final in 1991. Eddie was the first to make the senior team with Kilkenny in 1991 but it was the following year with both brothers steadfast in the defence; Willie on the wing and Eddie in the corner, that Kilkenny won the All Ireland final against Cork.

The following year Eddie had the highest honour of captaining his county to victory in the All Ireland final against Galway. However Eddie's controversial suggestion in his acceptance speech that the GAA provide both teams with a holiday grabbed the medias attention. As straightforward today as he was in 1993 Eddie explains his reasons for making the speech and the implications that followed for him.

Fortunes dipped for Kilkenny in the mid 90s and with a new manager in charge in 1998, Eddie was delivered a blow when he was dropped from the panel. Willie played on and collected his third All Star but after losing the All Ireland final to Offaly in 1998 Brian Cody was installed as manager.

However it would take till 2000 and with the threat of losing a third All Ireland in a row hanging over them before Kilkenny finally got back the Liam McCarthy cup. Leading the way as captain was Willie O'Connor and in a true example of the O'Connors' incredible dedication to Kilkenny and the game he played the second half with a broken rib. That victory bought Willie's career to an end and bought the brothers haul to 5 All Ireland medals and 5 All Stars.

Eddie and Willie are as straight talking and honest as ever as they take a look back at the highs and lows of their years spent playing the game they loved in the Kilkenny and Glenmore jerseys. The programme also feature interviews with Henry Shefflin, Michael Duignan, Michael Walsh and Pat Fleury.

Laochra Gael is produced by Nemeton TV, An Rinn, Co Phort Láirge
For further information, please contact:
Mac Dara Mac Donncha
Phone: 058 46499/ [email protected]

(Laochra Gael programme - Eddie & Willie O'Connor will be repeated on Friday 11th April after 'The Western') Tweet

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