| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Damian Ó Néill | ||
| Sport | Gaelic football | ||
| Position | Midfield | ||
| Born | 1973 Bantry, County Cork, Ireland | ||
| Occupation | Company director | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
| Bantry Blues | |||
| Club titles | |||
| Cork titles | 2 | ||
| Colleges(s) | |||
| Years | College | ||
| Cork RTC | |||
| College titles | |||
| Sigerson titles | 0 | ||
| Inter-county(ies) | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
1996-1999 | Cork | 3 (1-05) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Munster titles | 1 | ||
| All-Irelands | 0 | ||
| NFL | 1 | ||
| All Stars | 0 | ||
Damian O'Neill (born 1973) is an Irish former Gaelic footballer. At club level, he played with Bantry Blues and at inter-county level with the Cork senior football team.
O'Neill began his club career at juvenile and underage levels with Bantry Blues. He won back-to-back Cork U21AFC medals while simultaneously progressing to adult level. He claimed his first adult silverware in 1993 when he won a Cork IFC medal after a 0-12 to 0-10 win over Ballincollig in the final. [1] O'Neill captained Bantry Blues to the Cork SFC title in 1995 after a 0-10 to 0-08 win over Muskerry in the final. [2] He won a second Cork SFC medal in 1998 when he once again captained Bantry to a 0-17 to 2-06 defeat of Duhallow in the final. [3] [4]
At inter-county level, O'Neill first appeared for Cork as a member of the minor team that won the All-Ireland MFC title in 1991, after a 1-09 to 1-07 win over Mayo in the final. [5] He later progressed to the under-21 team and added an All-Ireland U21FC medal to his collection when he captained the team to a 1-12 to 1-05 defeat of Mayo in the 1994 All-Ireland under-21 final. [6]
O'Neill was drafted onto the senior team during the 1996–97 National Football League. His senior tenure was blighted by a series of injuries, including a cruciate ligament injury in May 1997. [7] O'Neill was part of the Cork team that won the National League title after a defeat of Dublin in the final. [8] He was appointed captain the senior team for the championship, however, injury ruled him out of the team. [9] O'Neill was a member of the extended panel for Cork's defeat by Meath in the 1999 All-Ireland final. [10] [11] [12]
O'Neill's uncle, Declan Barron, won an All-Ireland SFC medal with Cork in 1973. [13]