'We have to treat it like an off season really' - Cork City's Daire O'Connor on Covid-19 shutdown

The connection that Cork City FC attacker Daire O’Connor has with the Rebel County is very strong indeed.

O’Connor’s mother hails from Ballyvourney, where Daire spent a few of the very early years of his life, and his father is from Boherbue.

Recalling his memories of growing up in Ballyvourney O’Connor says: “The majority of my extended family are all there from my mother’s side.

“It is a small enough village, like everyone kind of knows everyone, so I would have family and friends scattered throughout the village.

“My biggest memory of when I was young was going to local tarmac five a side pitch. I would have spent a lot of time there with my cousins just knocking a ball around, playing mini World Cup games.

“That was the main thing to do back there. Gaelic Football was the big sport in Ballyvourney, but there is a gra for soccer there as well.

“My dad was from Boherbue, just outside Mallow and would have been a big GAA fan as well.

“We would have travelled the length of the country following Cork GAA for the most part.

“A lot of people from Ballyvourney come up to watch the Cork City games and also from my Dad’s side as well.

“So, I would catch up with them usually after the games just outside the back of Turner’s Cross.

“It is usually a case of them coming to me, because of the hectic schedule we have, we don’t have too much time off to be doing family visits and that.

“They get to watch me play and I get to catch up with them after. So, it is a good system we have going.”

With League of Ireland football not resuming until at least June because of the coronavirus crisis, O’Connor and the Cork City players will have to keep themselves ticking over during the long break.

The man who has played a big role in the provisional fitness plan to for the  City players to work with in the long break is Neale Fenn’s assistant and another former club playing legend in Joe Gamble, who also has a strong background Strength and Fitness coaching.

“We have to treat it like an off season really. You have to keep ticking over away on your own. We have all been given programmes to work on.

“Normally in the off season you would have access to the gym. It is a very makeshift scenario now.”

These are tough times across the board, and it is an uncertain time for people employment wise.

City have not been immune to this crisis, with the club stopping the payment of wages to players and staff until this time of emergency is concluded.

“I think once the first game was cancelled, I’d say most of us kind of knew.

“The main income for League of Ireland clubs is the home games and the gates that they receive.

“If that money doesn’t come in, they can’t just pull money out of a tree. So, it does make sense.

“It is frustrating, but a lot of us are young to be fair, it is just one or two that have kids and mortgages that it effects the most.

“Luckily, I can go back living at home with my family. A lot of the lads can, most of us are all in our early 20’s.

“Once things go back to normal, we have been reassured the money should be there. We are all on the same page, which is good.”

When the action does resume, O’Connor is hopeful the project and style of play Fenn is trying to implement can come to fruition.

He is determined to help his part in the revival of City back up the Premier Division table.

Overall though, O’Connor is a young man that is fully determined to help play his part in getting City back to the heights the club was at in recent years in Irish football. 

“We spent a good pre-season nailing down a certain style. Has it come to full fruition for us on the pitch as of yet, I don’t think it has for various reasons.

“That was the main factor in me coming to Cork City. The sheer magnitude and size of the club is there for everyone to see when things are going well.

“Even when things weren’t going well last year, we were still getting over 2,000-2500 people at our home games, when you could argue there was nothing on the line at the end of last season.

“There is a massive core group of fans there that will back you to the hilt.

“The vibe we were getting is that the fans were going to back us more than ever this year because they knew we were young, a new group with a point to prove and they did.”