O'Connor, together with his teammate John Cashman, became the first players to win three All-Ireland winners' medals on the field of play.
Over the course of twelve championship seasons Blackrock qualified for nine county finals, with victory coming on eight occasions.
O'Connor was a key member of the team for all of these successes, beginning in 1887 when he captured his first county senior championship title.
[citation needed] O'Connor first came to prominence on the inter-county scene with Cork as part of the Blackrock selection in 1892.
The game was a controversial one as referee Dan Fraher changed his mind after initially awarding a goal to Cork.
An easy 3-4 to 1-2 defeat of Tipperary in the provincial decider gave him a third consecutive Munster winners' title.