Born in Shannon, County Clare, O'Connell first played hurling at juvenile and underage levels with the Wolfe Tones club.
He eventually progressed to adult level and won a Clare SHC medal after a defeat of Newmarket-on-Fergus in 2006.
O'Connell was drafted onto the senior team in 2003 and served as captain for three consecutive seasons, including during Clare's 2008 Munster final defeat by Tipperary.
[9] O'Connell began his coaching career at club level as a selector with the Wolfe Tones senior team.
He was appointed manager of the Clare minor team in December 2021, having spent two years working with the group of players at academy level.