The Ireland Under-20s got their first win of their 2026 Six Nations campaign last Friday, overcoming Italy in a Cork cracker. The Irish path to victory was directed by a ferocious back row performance. Joe Finn, Josh Neill and Diarmaid O’Connell led the way, with the latter impressing and representing his hometown with pride.
There’s not a lot of rugby players who’ve represented Ireland who’ve come from the ‘Wild Rose County’ of Leitrim, so this is a road less travelled for O’Connell. Having come through at Carrick-on-Shannon RFC and then Sligo Grammar, before making the leap to Galway Corinthians, O’Connell is now well established in the underage scene.
Recently, we caught up with the people at Carrick-on-Shannon RFC to see what makes their homegrown star a special standout in the green of Ireland and Connacht.
7 February 2026; Diarmaid O’Connell of Ireland with his family Daniel, Gerard and Edel O’Sullivan after the U20 Six Nations Rugby Championship match between France and Ireland at Stade Amie Giral in Perpignan, France. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Pat Scott is Chairperson of Carrick-on-Shannon RFC, and couldn’t be happier or prouder of the success of O’Connell and others in recent years.
“He’s a bit of a hero”, Scott said about the Ireland number 8.
“He came down to our mini events that we were on at the summer camp.
“He spent time with all of the kids, took pictures with them. He’s a very nice guy, none of this has gone to his head and he’s very grounded in the club and what the club means to him.”
Picture: Carrick-on-Shannon RFC
It’s poignant too that the Leitrim club are currently celebrating 50 years in existence, albeit in a tough time for rural, junior clubs. The rise of an Ireland Under-20 star and Connacht academy player is the icing on the cake of this illustrious period.
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Diarmaid O’Connell played for the club across his underage years before making the switch to Sligo Grammar, and winning three Connacht Senior Schools Cup finals in a row in his time there.
O’Connell’s natural ability lends itself well to the role Andrew Browne has entrusted him with for Ireland. A natural ball-playing number eight with decent height and a stellar work rate. The latter is what impresses those watching on, and reflects the personality of the Leitrim talent.
7 February 2026; Diarmaid OConnell of Ireland during the U20 Six Nations Rugby Championship match between France and Ireland at Stade Amie Giral in Perpignan, France. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
“He really performed really well, never gave up. And that’s what all the club are so proud of”, said Scott.“When they’re focused on their own player and see the skill level that he has, see the level of commitment that he has during the game, and to see how he performed and never gave up even though he got an injury.
“When he came and talked to the kids himself, he would have said when he started playing he wasn’t a superstar. He was nothing like that.
“He was the same as everybody else, so obviously he has an innate skill. But what he has done is he’s worked exceptionally hard to get him at the level that he’s at.”
7 February 2026; Blake McClean, left, and Diarmaid OConnell of Ireland during the U20 Six Nations Rugby Championship match between France and Ireland at Stade Amie Giral in Perpignan, France. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Stories like these; players going from a junior club to representative honours is one thing; but to see how highly O’Connell is spoken of is heart-warming. Yet the biggest victory, according to the club chairperson, is at underage.
From youth team success including their U18 girls reaching a first Connacht final, to a plethora of minis players; that is what local sport is all about.
“Where we’re really winning though, is the amount of kids that are playing in the minis and the youth section. And as far as 18 and a half, we’ve got massive progress with the numbers playing there.”
As Irish rugby looks to grow beyond its traditional homesteads, O’Connell’s success is proof of the talent that exists across the country.
O’Connell and Ireland are in Bath for Round Three of the 2026 U20 Six Nations taking on a tough England side.
SEE ALSO: ‘He Was Destined’: Josh Neill’s Journey From Rondebosch To The Ireland U20s