Early and Private Life
O'Connor grew up in the Bishopstown area of Cork in County Cork. He is a past pupil of Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh, Bishopstown, Cork. During his time there as a student, he was runner-up in the All-Ireland Schools' Debating Competition. He is also a graduate of University College Cork (UCC) — where he was Recording Secretary of the UCC Philosophical Society.
He married Sarah Caden in 1999. She is also a journalist with the Sunday Independent and she is the daughter of John Caden, an independent television producer. The couple have two children, a daughter, born in early 2008, Anna and a daughter born in August 2010, Mary. Mary, O'Connor wrote about her diagnosis with Down syndrome in his Sunday Independent column in September 2010, drawing a warm response from readers.
His favoured books include De Niro's Game, which he described as "a real page turner" that "fairly rocks along for a book that won a prize".
Read more about this topic: Brendan O'Connor (journalist)
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