Diarmuid O'Connor is a gifted player who has inspired Mayo

THE Connaught Telegraph’s Young Sports Stars of the Year 2015 award winners (in association with Baxter, Castlebar).

Number 9: Diarmuid O’Connor (Gaelic football).

THE ‘drive for five’ saw Mayo claim their fifth Connaught senior football title in 2015 and a major factor in that achievement was the performance of Diarmuid O’Connor.

From the famous Ballintubber stable, Diarmuid is younger brother to twice winner of the GAA Young Player of the Year Award, Cillian, and it came as no surprise when Diarmuid picked up that same award in 2015.

A gifted performer at underage level, he is one of a group of young players that burst onto the Mayo scene under James Horan and is likely to feature prominently if Mayo are to continue to build on the success of the last few years and claim the ultimate prize in 2016.