Shane O'Donnell
 | |||
| 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. | |||
Shane O'Donnell (born 15 June 1994) is an Irish hurler who plays as a forward for the Clare senior team.
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 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
[edit]Inter-county
[edit]O'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
[edit]O’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.