At club level he played with Moycarkey–Borris, University College Cork and Blackrock and was also a member of the Tipperary senior hurling team.
After leaving university he played with the Blackrock club in Cork, lining out in the 1954 final defeat by Glen Rovers, before ending his career with Moycarkey–Borris in 1962.
[3] O'Grady's progress to the senior team was delayed due to the dominance of Tony Reddin in the position, however he lined out in a tournament game with Cork in 1953.
[4] After Reddin's retirement in 1957, O'Grady impressed in a series of club games and inter-county trials and was called up to the team in 1958.
Following his graduation from University College Cork, O'Grady worked as a secondary school teacher at Sullivan's Quay CBS.