Shane O'Donnell (born 15 June 1994) is an Irish hurler who plays as a forward for the Clare senior team.
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Seán Ó Dónaill | ||
| Sport | Hurling | ||
| Position | Full-forward | ||
| Born |
15 June 1994 Ennis, County Clare, Ireland | ||
| Nickname | SOD | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
2011-present | Éire Óg, Ennis | ||
| Club titles | |||
| Clare titles | 0 | ||
| Colleges(s) | |||
| Years | College | ||
2012-2018 | University College Cork | ||
| College titles | |||
| Fitzgibbon titles | 0 | ||
| Inter-county(ies)* | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
2013-present | Clare | 49 (15-60) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Munster titles | 0 | ||
| All-Irelands | 2 | ||
| NHL | 2 | ||
| All Stars | 3 | ||
| *Inter County team apps and scores correct as of match played 28 April 2024. | |||
Born and bred in Ennis, Co Clare O'Donnell first arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of sixteen when he first linked up with the Clare minor team, before later lining out with the under-21 side. He made his senior debut in the 2013 Waterford Crystal Cup. O'Donnell has since gone on to play a key part for Clare, and has won two All-Ireland medals, two National Hurling League medals and one Waterford Crystal Cup medal.
At club level O'Donnell plays with Éire Óg, Ennis. He missed the 2019 National Hurling League as he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Harvard University in the US.[1][2]
Playing career
editInter-county
editO'Donnell made his senior debut during the pre-season Waterford Crystal Cup in 2013. It was a successful campaign for Clare, as a 1-21 to 1-13 defeat of Tipperary gave O'Donnell a winners' medal in that competition.[3] Later that year he made his championship debut at left corner-forward in a Munster quarter-final defeat of Waterford.[4] The rest of the championship campaign saw O'Donnell dropped from the starting fifteen for several games, however, he was a late addition at full-forward for Clare's All-Ireland final replay against Cork. His selection seemed surprising but was justified, as O'Donnell scored a hat-trick of goals in the first nineteen minutes of the game.[5] Further goals from Conor McGrath and Darach Honan secured a 5-16 to 3-16 victory following a classic championship decider.[6] The win gave O'Donnell an All-Ireland medal, while he was also named man of the match.[7][8]
In October 2013, O'Donnell won the Opel Player of the Month Award for September.[9][10]
In June 2021, he received a heavy blow when training with the Clare team that left him with a serious concussion. It ruled him out of the 2021 Championship. He returned to the Clare panel in March 2022. [11][12]
On 21 July 2024, he started in the full-forward line as Clare won the All-Ireland for the first time in 11 years after an extra-time win against Cork by 3-29 to 1-34, claiming their fifth All-Ireland title.[13][14][15][16] O'Donnell won his third All Star and was selected as GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year at the end of the 2024 season.[17]
Personal life
editO’Donnell completed his degree in UCC where he was a Quercus Scholar. He completed a PhD in Microbiology in 2021. Between 2018 and 2019, he spent six months in Harvard University as the recipient of a Fulbright scholarship.[18][19]
Career statistics
edit- As of match played 28 April 2024.
| Team | Year | National League | Munster | All-Ireland | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | ||
| Clare | 2013 | Division 1A | 6 | 1-03 | 2 | 1-01 | 5 | 5-04 | 13 | 7-08 |
| 2014 | 5 | 4-02 | 0 | 0-00 | 0 | 0-00 | 5 | 4-02 | ||
| 2015 | 6 | 3-05 | 1 | 0-01 | 2 | 1-02 | 9 | 4-08 | ||
| 2016 | Division 1B | 7 | 0-01 | 1 | 0-00 | 3 | 1-06 | 11 | 1-07 | |
| 2017 | Division 1A | 2 | 0-00 | 2 | 2-02 | 1 | 0-02 | 5 | 2-04 | |
| 2018 | 6 | 1-03 | 5 | 0-03 | 3 | 1-08 | 14 | 2-14 | ||
| 2019 | — | 4 | 1-01 | — | 4 | 1-01 | ||||
| 2020 | Division 1B | 5 | 3-07 | 1 | 0-00 | 3 | 0-02 | 9 | 3-09 | |
| 2021 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 2022 | Division 1A | — | 5 | 0-09 | 2 | 0-06 | 7 | 0-15 | ||
| 2023 | 0 | 0-00 | 5 | 0-08 | 2 | 2-03 | 7 | 2-11 | ||
| 2024 | 0 | 0-00 | 2 | 1-02 | 2 | 1-02 | ||||
| Career total | 37 | 12-21 | 28 | 5-27 | 21 | 10-33 | 86 | 27-81 | ||
Honours
edit- Clare
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (2): 2013, 2024
- National Hurling League: 2016, 2024
- Waterford Crystal Cup (1): 2013
- All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship (2): 2013 2014
- Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship (2): 2013 2014
- Munster Minor Hurling Championship (1) : 2011
- Awards
- All-Star Award (3): 2022, 2023, 2024
- GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year (1): 2024
- The Sunday Game Team of the Year (3): 2022,[20] 2023, 2024
- The Sunday Game Hurler of the Year: 2024[21]
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final Man of the Match (1): 2013 (replay)
References
edit- ^ "O'Donnell set to miss 2019 season due to Harvard studies". RTÉ. 23 March 2018. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
- ^ "'It's nice to know I still have a personality, that I wasn't just a hurler' - Shane O'Donnell on his Harvard stint". Irish Independent. 28 April 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- ^ Brophy, Shane (11 February 2013). "Clare click into gear as Tipperary flounder". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
- ^ "Three new faces for Clare". Hogan Stand website. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
- ^ "Shane O'Donnell: I never thought it would take 11 years to get back to an All-Ireland final". RTE Sport. 17 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ O'Flynn, Diarmuid (30 September 2013). "A day borrowed from the hurling gods". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
- ^ Fogarty, John (30 September 2013). "O'Donnell living the 'ridiculous' dream". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
- ^ Clerkin, Malachy (30 September 2013). "The hurler with the boyband looks, Shane O'Donnell was Clare's hero against Cork". Irish Times. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
- ^ "Hurling hero Shane O'Donnell: 'My mother is my agent'". Irish Independent. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
- ^ "Shane O'Donnell: How a helmet saved my life". Irish Independent. 21 May 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
- ^ "Shane O'Donnell: 'I had accepted I wasn't ever going to hurl again. I was at peace with it'". The 42. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- ^ "Shane O'Donnell's concussion nightmare: 'I accepted I was never going to hurl again'". Sky Sports. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- ^ Ryan, Eoin (21 July 2024). "Clare find extra gear to edge Cork in historic hurling final epic". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ "All-Ireland SHC Final: Clare win epic encounter". GAA.ie. 21 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ "Clare 3-29 Cork 1-34". Munster GAA. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ "Shane O'Donnell shoulders burden of 'having to perform being one of senior players'". Irish Independent. 23 July 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ "Conroy and O'Donnell scoop Player of the Year awards". RTÉ News. 1 November 2024. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
- ^ "'I'd rather lose 10 Munster finals in a row than be where I was 12 months ago' – Shane O'Donnell". Irish Independent. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- ^ "Clare star Shane O'Donnell on his desire to become an astronaut – 'It's definitely something I would like to do'". Irish Independent. 17 May 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- ^ "Diarmaid Byrnes the player of the year as Limerick dominate team selection". RTE Sport. 17 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
- ^ "Shane O'Donnell shines brightest as Sunday Game Team of the Year is named". RTE Sport. 22 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.