 O'Connell joined the Midleton club at a young age and played in all grades at juvenile and underage levels.He joined the club's senior team as an 18-year-old during the 1995 Cork Senior Championship and made his first appearance on 25 June in a 1–13 to 0–11 defeat of Bishopstown.O'Connell first played for Cork when he was selected for the minor team during the 1995 Munster Championship.