Stop. You’ve heard this one before. There is nothing new here in fact this hot take is stone cold. There are no surprises in anything that is to follow. It has been said before, it will be echoed many times over the years that are to come.
Excellent, magnificent, wonderful, glorious, marvellous, and brilliant are all words that have been used to describe Con O’Callaghan. The Cuala man is the personification of sporting ability.
Equally effortless with a hurl in his hand or a ball at his toe, he has had an incredible year. The weekend was a microcosm of a year that has seen him record immense success.
On Friday he walked away from the convention centre in Dublin literally laden down with a PwC All-Star award and the GAA/GPA Young Footballer of the Year.
🎙Con O'Callaghan talks 2017 with @RadioCleary after winning the @PwCIreland Young Player of the Year award at the #PwCAllStars pic.twitter.com/koyt1ZDdDb
— 98FM Sport (@98FMsport) November 6, 2017
Celebrations lasted long into the night, but the Dubliner ducked out early without a drop passing his lips. He had a game to play.
Success with the big ball has not satisfied the insatiable appetite he has shown over the last 12 months.
The 21-year-old then dismantled the dreams of Dicksboro as he inspired Cuala to a 2-20 to 1-16 at Parnell Park in the Leinster senior hurling championship quarter-final.
O'Callaghan contributed 1-3 and had some part to play in a further 1-5 of Cuala’s 2-20 haul as he either supplied the last pass before the score or a foul on him led to a score.
Speaking to O’Callaghan on Friday night, moments after he got his hands on the greatest individual prize awarded to up-and-coming footballers I asked him how many medals he has won in 2017.
He paused for a moment to make sure he got it right, if his hands weren’t full with the PwC All-Star and the trophy for Young Player of the Year I don’t doubt that O’Callaghan would need his fingers to count them - 12 major medals in his short career.
"Eh I think it's 3 All Irelands, one with the seniors, one with the 21s and one with the club, it's a nice haul."
A Dublin senior hurling crown came last week, his second in a row. He’s won a Leinster club championship in hurling, the All Ireland club championship, the Leinster U21 football championship, the All Ireland U21 football championship.
We haven’t gone on to the senior accolades yet, this year with the Dubs he won the Leinster SFC before playing a key part in the one point win over Mayo to get his hands on Sam Maguire, add All-Ireland SFC winner to that list.
Three All Irelands in 2017... and counting.
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