From Ireland to Long Island.
Born in Ireland. Raised with curiosity.
I was raised in Ireland but have now spent longer abroad than at home. I attended college in Ireland and the UK.
While at college I worked for 5 years in the security industry rising to manage 250 staff.
After working nights for 5 years I decided a move was in order. I.T. had been a hobby and through FAS I was to retrain quickly in a 3 month bootcamp.
By the end of the camp I was teaching a web development class for the school :)
I moved into full time web development with Belgrave Ireland. I learned a lot from watching how Peter Scott and Eddie Troy went about things. You never forget people who give you a break, are kind and share their knowledge with you. For the next 18 months I worked absorbing everything I could.
Change of direction
In 2001 I moved to Long Island to be with my fiancée. 25 years, 2 kids and a dog later it looks like a good call :) I still have the Irish accent.
After relocating, I became I.T. Manager at LongIslandTradeXchange, managing an online barter platform, an IVR phone system, and a database with 100 million records. Here I was fortunate to know John McCaffrey, another mentor.
After 3 years I left to start OConnell I.T. in May 2024.
Founded in 2004. Built on trust.
Founded in 2004. I wanted to understand how small businesses actually work — not from a textbook, but from inside their operations. Curiosity drove me, not dissatisfaction.
From day one, it was referral-based: home visits led to family referrals, led to business clients, led to vendor referrals. No contracts. No lock-in. If I don't earn the relationship every year, I don't deserve it.
Clients deal directly with me. I text them, I call them. Remote in - problem solved. Based in Bohemia and serving all along Vets Highway I love small business I.T.
Curious about everything.
Total nerd. I love movies, travel, politics, and history. I find the current AI revolution genuinely exciting — it's the most transformative technology shift I've seen in my career.
