Michael O'Connor

Michael O’Connor studied at Blackrock College and Trinity College, Dublin and was captain of the Blackrock College junior rugby team in 1915, playing for the senior team in 1916-17, winning the Leinster Schools Senior Cup both years. At Trinity he won the swimming championship of the university in 1920 and 1921, and was captain of the university swimming team both years. He qualified as an engineer in 1921, despite serving time during World War I with the Royal Flying Corps.

After college, Michael O’Connor worked as an engineer with the old Dublin and South Eastern Railway, until he joined the National Army in December 1922, and he was Director of the Army Corps of Engineers from 1925 until his retirement in 1937. After his Army retirement O’Connor joined the staff of Thomas Thompson & Sons, civil engineering contractors in Carlow, and was appointed a director in 1940. He was also a director and general manager of the Irish Boring Company from 1939-45, and also of Shamrock Petrol Company, and after 1946 had a similar appointment with Lobitos Oil Company. He was awarded a Fellowship of the Institute of Petroleum in 1954.

Michael O’Connor played water polo at the 1924 and 1928 Olympics, with his brother, Joseph O’Connor, on both teams as well. Michael O’Connor was a regular on the Leinster and Irish water polo teams from 1920-33, was winner of the Irish 440 yard freestyle in 1922, showed he still had pace when winning the Irish 100 yard freestyle in 1929, and in 1926 was honored with the Presidency of the IASA (Irish Amateur Swimming Association).