Shane O'Donnell
{{short description|Irish hurler}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=August 2020}}
{{infobox Gaelic games player
| image = Shane O'Donnell.jpg
| name = Shane O'Donnell
| irish = Seán Ó Dónaill
| nickname = SOD
| occupation =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1994|6|15|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Ennis, County Clare, Ireland
| height =
| sport = Hurling
| code = Hurling
| county = Clare
| province = Munster
| club = Éire Óg, Ennis
| clyears = 2011-present
| clposition = Midfield
| clapps(points) =
| clcounty = 0
| clprovince =
| clallireland =
| colleges = University College Cork
| colyears = 2012-2018
| fitz = 0
| counties = Clare
| icyears = 2013-present
| icposition = Full-forward
| icapps(points) = 49 (15-60)
| icprovince = 0
| icallireland = 2
| nhl = 2
| allstars = 3
| clupdate =
| icupdate = 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, 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.{{cite news |date=23 March 2018 |url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2018/0322/949391-shane-odonnell-harvard/ |title=O'Donnell set to miss 2019 season due to Harvard studies |work=RTÉ |access-date=10 April 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/its-nice-to-know-i-still-have-a-personality-that-i-wasnt-just-a-hurler-shane-odonnell-on-his-harvard-stint-38056358.html
|title ='It's nice to know I still have a personality, that I wasn't just a hurler' - Shane O'Donnell on his Harvard stint|date=28 April 2019|work=Irish Independent|access-date=30 April 2019}}
Playing career
=Inter-county=
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2013/0211/ireland/clare-click-into-gear-as-tipperary-flounder-222313.html|title=Clare click into gear as Tipperary flounder|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=11 February 2013|access-date=1 October 2013|first=Shane|last=Brophy}} Later that year he made his championship debut at left corner-forward in a Munster quarter-final defeat of Waterford.{{cite web|url=http://www.hoganstand.com/Clare/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=193385|title=Three new faces for Clare|publisher=Hogan Stand website|date=31 May 2013|access-date=1 October 2013}} 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.{{cite web|url= https://www.rte.ie/sport/hurling/2024/0715/1460004-odonnell-surprised-it-took-11-years-to-get-back/|title=Shane O'Donnell: I never thought it would take 11 years to get back to an All-Ireland final|date=17 July 2024|work=RTE Sport|accessdate=17 July 2024}}
Further goals from Conor McGrath and Darach Honan secured a 5-16 to 3-16 victory following a classic championship decider.{{cite web|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2013/0930/ireland/a-day-borrowed-from-the-hurling-gods-244741.html|title=A day borrowed from the hurling gods|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=30 September 2013|access-date=1 October 2013|first=Diarmuid|last=O'Flynn}} The win gave O'Donnell an All-Ireland medal, while he was also named man of the match.{{cite web|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2013/0930/ireland/oaposdonnell-living-the-aposridiculousapos-dream-244744.html|title=O'Donnell living the 'ridiculous' dream|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=30 September 2013|access-date=1 October 2013|first=John|last=Fogarty}}{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/the-hurler-with-the-boyband-looks-shane-o-donnell-was-clare-s-hero-against-cork-1.1544064|title=The hurler with the boyband looks, Shane O'Donnell was Clare's hero against Cork|publisher=Irish Times|date=30 September 2013|access-date=1 October 2013|first=Malachy|last=Clerkin}}
In October 2013, O'Donnell won the Opel Player of the Month Award for September.{{cite web|url = http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/hurling-hero-shane-odonnell-my-mother-is-my-agent-29659656.html|title= Hurling hero Shane O'Donnell: 'My mother is my agent'|date=14 November 2013|work=Irish Independent|access-date=15 October 2013}}{{cite web|url= http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/shane-odonnell-how-a-helmet-saved-my-life-31237412.html|title= Shane O'Donnell: How a helmet saved my life|date=21 May 2015|work=Irish Independent|access-date=21 May 2015}}
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.
{{cite web|url= https://www.the42.ie/shane-odonnell-clare-concussion-5789593-Jun2022/|title= Shane O'Donnell: 'I had accepted I wasn't ever going to hurl again. I was at peace with it'|date=14 June 2022|work=The 42|accessdate=15 June 2022}}{{cite web|url= https://www.skysports.com/gaa/hurling/news/30554/12633165/shane-odonnells-concussion-nightmare-i-accepted-i-was-never-going-to-hurl-again|title= Shane O'Donnell's concussion nightmare: 'I accepted I was never going to hurl again'|date=14 June 2022|work=Sky Sports|accessdate=15 June 2022}}
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.{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/hurling/2024/0721/1461045-clare-find-extra-gear-to-edge-cork-in-epic-final/|title=Clare find extra gear to edge Cork in historic hurling final epic|publisher=RTÉ Sport|first=Eoin|last=Ryan|date=21 July 2024|accessdate=21 July 2024}}{{cite web|url= https://www.gaa.ie/article/all-ireland-shc-final-clare-win-epic-encounter|title=All-Ireland SHC Final: Clare win epic encounter|date=21 July 2024|work=GAA.ie|accessdate=22 July 2024}}{{cite web|url= https://munster.gaa.ie/event/2024-all-ireland-senior-hurling-championship-final-clare-v-cork/|title=Clare 3-29 Cork 1-34|date=19 July 2024|work=Munster GAA|accessdate=22 July 2024}}{{cite web|url= https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/shane-odonnell-shoulders-burden-of-having-to-perform-being-one-of-senior-players/a432563127.html|title=Shane O’Donnell shoulders burden of ‘having to perform being one of senior players’|date=23 July 2024|work=Irish Independent|accessdate=23 July 2024}} O'Donnell won his third All Star and was selected as GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year at the end of the 2024 season.{{cite news|title=Conroy and O'Donnell scoop Player of the Year awards|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2024/1101/1478693-conroy-and-odonnell-scoop-player-of-the-year-awards/|work=RTÉ News|date=1 November 2024|access-date=2 November 2024}}
Personal life
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.{{cite web|url= https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/id-rather-lose-10-munster-finals-in-a-row-than-be-where-i-was-12-months-ago-shane-odonnell-41749645.html|title= ‘I’d rather lose 10 Munster finals in a row than be where I was 12 months ago’ – Shane O’Donnell|date=14 June 2022|work=Irish Independent|accessdate=15 June 2022}}{{cite web|url= https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/clare-star-shane-odonnell-on-his-desire-to-become-an-astronaut-its-definitely-something-i-would-like-to-do/a870318699.html|title= Clare star Shane O’Donnell on his desire to become an astronaut – ‘It’s definitely something I would like to do’|date=17 May 2024|work=Irish Independent |accessdate=17 May 2024}}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 28 April 2024.}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Team
!rowspan="2"|Year !colspan="3"|National League !colspan="2"|Munster !colspan="2"|All-Ireland !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score | Apps | Score |
| rowspan="12" |Clare
|2013 |rowspan="3"|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
|rowspan="1"|Division 1B |7 | 0-01 | 1 | 0-00 | 3 | 1-06 | 11 | 1-07 | |
| 2017
|rowspan="3"|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
|colspan=2|— | 4 | 1-01 | colspan=2|— | 4 | 1-01 | |||
| 2020
|rowspan="2"|Division 1B |5 | 3-07 | 1 | 0-00 | 3 | 0-02 | 9 | 3-09 | |
| 2021
|colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | |||||
| 2022
| rowspan="3" |Division 1A |colspan=2|— | 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 | ||||||||
| colspan="3" |Career total
!37 | 12-21 | 28 | 5-27 | 21 | 10-33 | 86 | 27-81 |
Honours
;Clare
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (2): 2013, 2024
- National Hurling League (2): 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,{{cite web|url= https://www.rte.ie/sport/hurling/2022/0717/1310739-byrnes-the-player-of-the-year-as-limerick-dominate-team/|title=Diarmaid Byrnes the player of the year as Limerick dominate team selection|date=17 July 2022|work=RTE Sport|accessdate=19 July 2022}} 2023, 2024
- The Sunday Game Hurler of the Year: 2024{{cite web|url= https://www.rte.ie/sport/hurling/2024/0721/1461065-odonnell-the-star-man-on-sunday-game-team-of-the-year/|title=Shane O'Donnell shines brightest as Sunday Game Team of the Year is named|date=22 July 2024|work=RTE Sport|accessdate=22 July 2024}}
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final Man of the Match (1): 2013 (replay)
References
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{succession box|
before=Conor Ryan|
title=All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final
Man of the Match|
years=2013 (replay)|
after=Richie Hogan
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Clare Under-21 Hurling Team 2013}}
{{Clare Under-21 Hurling Team 2014}}
{{Clare Hurling Team 2013}}
{{Clare Hurling Team 2024}}
{{2022 Hurling All Stars}}
{{2023 Hurling All Stars}}
{{All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final Man of the Match}}
{{All Stars Hurler of the Year}}
{{Clare Hurling Team}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:ODonnell, Shane}}
Category:Éire Óg, Inis hurlers
Category:Clare inter-county hurlers