*Shane O’Donnell watches on as David Reidy lifts the Canon Hamilton. Photograph: Ruth Griffin.
INJURIES made the 2025 hurling year a “challenging” one for Shane O’Donnell but to claim a coveted Clare senior hurling championship Éire Óg is a “phenomenal” feeling.
The Clare Echo’s online coverage of the Clare SHC is with thanks to The Temple Gate Hotel.
Hurler of the Year in 2024, a two-time All-Ireland SHC winner, a three-time All Star, a two-time National League winner, man of the match in the 2013 All-Ireland final replay, three-time All-Ireland and Munster U21 winner, Shane O’Donnell can finally add a Clare SHC to his long list of achievements in the game.
For all he has achieved in the game, Sunday was remarkably only the third hurling medal he won with Éire Óg. “U15B, intermediate when I didn’t play and now senior, it is a phenomenal day, it has been incredible, the outpouring of emotion you can see it from old lads that have been thirty five years waiting for this, it is phenomenal and hard to put it into words what it means to be a part of it”.
“Maybe I’ll look back and appreciate it but when you’re in it, you’re taking it year by year, it has been a great four or five years at this stage, I’ve been really enjoying my hurling, this year has been challenging to stay on the pitch but to end it like this is phenomenal,” he told The Clare Echo.
A shoulder injury kept him out of action until May and limited his involvement with Clare to just seventy minutes. The challenges that accompany bouncing back from serious injury added a sweetness to Éire Óg’s first Clare SHC success since 1990. “If you were to judge the year on the Clare campaign, it is seventy minutes on the pitch I spent so the shoulder was a really tough injury to take, the rehab and it took a long time, so to be able to come away with silverware at the end of the year is just phenomenal, it is more than my personal situation, there was lads that were incredible all year and I’m proud to be a part of the team”.
Joining him on the panel was his older brother Marc which added to the occasion. “I feel Marc was wondering for the last couple of years whether he should keep going as well so to be able to embrace after the game and really appreciate that moment together, even before the game going out onto the pitch I had Áine his daughter and he had his son Tadhg, they are special moments and regardless of the result they are the moments you latch onto, remember and appreciate so it was incredible and it is extra special when family are involved”.
With the mix of experience and the freshness of youth, Shane said Éire Óg had to grab the opportunity to lift the Canon Hamilton before their window closed. “My career with Éire Óg, the first year I joined we were intermediate, we won that and then it has been a very slow build since then to be honest, we’ve had a very solid upward trajectory, getting to quarter-finals, getting to semi-finals and getting to the final which we lost, always feeling like we were competitive but the Clare championship is extremely competitive, you never feel like you have a God given right to be in finals or semi-finals but we knew we had a couple of years of having this blend where we have really senior players where we are able to perform and younger players who are absolutely exceptional, they are incredibly talented like Darren (Moroney), Marco (Cleary), you only get a few years to say we actually have our best chance right now and you have to put your hand up and take it”.
Clooney/Quin posed a similar challenge to Kilmaley in the semi-final, he felt. “You know what you are going to get with them, it was similar to when we were preparing for the Kilmaley game, very similar preparation, they are a dogged team who pride themselves on working extremely hard and that is what they gave out there, we probably felt like we were in control for swathes of the game but at the same time one ball to the edge of the square with the danger they have there (Peter Duggan) it can break the game open or Ryan (Taylor) breaks onto a ball at midfield and they end up with a goal chance, that is an ever-present danger with a team like Clooney/Quin. Our defenders were excellent, we were fortunate to not deal with that situation”.
For the final, he returned to his familiar berth of full forward where he scored 0-2. “I love being on the edge of the square, it was nice. I’ve been out wing-forward competing for puckouts, I do really enjoy that but the edge of the square is where I’ve played the most of my hurling, it was nice to get back in there. Personally it has been an injury-ridden year so it has been brilliant to get to the end of it, still on the pitch and with a cup in hand”.
