Former Cork football boss Conor Counihan has hailed the late Kieran O'Connor as someone "you couldn’t say enough about" and an "ultra competitive" player.
2010 All-Ireland winner O'Connor has passed away at the age of 41 following a battle against a rare bone tumour.
“He was ultra-competitive and crossed the line a bit but that’s what made him, as the fella said," Counihan said in The Irish Examiner of a player he coached for four years with the Rebels.
“He just had speed, that competitive edge that’s essential for a good corner-back. He’d be cocky enough when it came to it. He could burst up the field and get the odd score but it was the speed and aggression that stood to him. He had those qualities in abundance and that’s what made him."
He added that his Aghada club-mate showed his his strength in his "darkest hour" in fighting his illness over the past two years. The Friends of Kieran group raised over 300,000 Euro to help cover medical costs.
GAA President John Horan has also paid tribute to O'Connor, hailing his "courageous" spirit:
"The determination and tenacity that were the hallmarks of his performances on the field of play were put to good use in Kieran's courageous battle with illness."
"The reaction to this sad news of not only his former teammates, but also opposition players from his distinguished career says so much about the respect in which he was held.
"I've no doubt his impact will ensure that his memory lives on at club and county level and our deepest sympathies go to Kieran's wife Sinéad, their three children, Isabelle, Ava and James, his parents Pat and Mary, sister Aisling and brothers Patrick and John Paul and to his colleagues with Aghada and Cork for their loss."
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