- Date of Birth20 / 10 / 1979
- Lions Tours2005, 2009, 2013
- International CapsIRELAND / LIONS
- ClubMunster
- Lions Origins SchoolsArd Scoil Ris Limerick
- Lions Origins ClubsMunster, Young Munster
Captain fantastic Paul O’Connell has been an integral part of three Lions Tours (2005, 2009 & 2013) and was skipper in in the 2009 Tour of South Africa.
A double Heineken Cup winner, O’Connell made his Lions Test debut in the 2005 Tour of New Zealand where he started all three Tests against the All Blacks.
Four years later and head coach Sir Ian McGeechan rewarded the Irish international with the armband for the Test squad - becoming the first Irish forward to lead the Lions against the Springboks since the great Willie John McBride in 1974.
Many applauded his leadership qualities as the reason for the Lions’ win in the third and final Test in Johannesburg against the Boks but they lost the series 2-1.
His 2013 Test series was curtailed by a broken arm sustained in the first Test win over the Wallabies.
But the Irishman remained with the squad and was a key figure in leading the squad to an historic series win over the Wallabies.
In total O’Connell made an impressive 15 appearances in a Lions jersey across three Tours, including seven Tests in a row, firmly establishing himself as one of the key figures in our proud history.