O'Connor's first Gaelic football successes came as a schoolboy at Rathmore Vocational School.
[1] O'Connor also joined the Knocknagree adult club team around this time and won the first of nine Duhallow JAFC titles in 1978.
O'Connor's performances at club level saw him join the Duhallow divisional team and he won consecutive Cork SFC titles in 1990 and 1991.
[2] O'Connor first appeared on the inter-county scene with Cork as full-forward on the under-21 team that won consecutive All-Ireland U21FC titles in 1980 and 1981.
[3] These successes saw him drafted onto the senior team and he was a member of the panel when Cork were beaten by Kerry in the 1982 Munster final.