Cathal O'Sullivan
Cathal O'Sullivan is an Irish footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder. Born on 5 March 2007 in Cork, Ireland, he stands about 1.74 m tall. He began his youth football with Leeside United before joining Cork City’s academy in 2020, moving up through the under-14 to under-19 teams.
O'Sullivan signed his first professional contract with Cork City on 25 July 2023 and made his senior debut on 14 August 2023 in the Munster Senior Cup Final against Cobh Ramblers. He scored his first senior goal on 15 March 2024 in a 2-0 win over Bray Wanderers, then added more goals in 2024, including a 4-1 win at Wexford and the only goal in a victory over Finn Harps in September. His performances earned praise from manager Tim Clancy, who said he was technically ahead of most peers in the country and that Cork would struggle to hold onto him. O'Sullivan helped Cork City win the 2024 League of Ireland First Division, earning promotion to the Premier Division. In the 2024 season he scored 7 league goals in 28 appearances and was named in the PFAI First Division Team of the Year.
In May 2025, he visited Crystal Palace to tour their facilities amid interest from several clubs, including Palace, Brentford, Celtic and Preston North End. On 25 July 2025, he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in a 3-2 defeat to Sligo Rovers, ending his season and potentially sidelining him for up to nine months. His Cork City contract expired on 30 November 2025.
Internationally, O'Sullivan has represented the Republic of Ireland at multiple youth levels. He captained the U15s in a 2-0 win over Montenegro in September 2021, scoring the opening goal and assisting the second. He debuted for the U17s on 9 September 2023 in a 0-0 draw with Belgium. He played for the U19s for the first time on 5 September 2024 in a 2-1 defeat to France. He received his first call-up to the U21s in May 2025 and made his debut for the side on 6 June 2025 in a 1-0 loss to Croatia.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 16:21 (CET).