Shane O’Donoghue
Hockey
BIOGRAPHY
Shane O’Donoghue represented Ireland in the men’s hockey tournament at two Olympic Games, finishing 10th at Rio 2016 and competing at Paris 2024 where Ireland did not advance from the pool stage.
Ireland’s all-time record goalscorer, he made his senior debut in 2011 and went on to accumulate 242 caps and 142 goals – including three at Rio 2016. The Knocklyon, Dublin native spent the majority of his club career with Glenanne HC, the club where he grew up, while also completing two stints with KHC Dragons in Belgium between 2014 and 2020, winning two Belgian championships and coaching the Belgian U19 team to championship wins. He was nominated for the FIH Young Player of the Year award in 2015.
One of only two players – alongside goalkeeper David Harte – who competed at both Rio 2016 and Paris 2024, he scored the crucial fourth goal that sealed Ireland’s Olympic qualification win over South Korea in Valencia in January 2024. He holds a sports science degree and a Masters in performance psychology and worked in employee engagement. He retired from international hockey after Paris 2024.
OTHER HOCKEY ATHLETES
HOCKEY NEWS
Events Coming up in June 2026
Hockey IRL Men - FIH Hockey Nations Cup - South Africa - June 11 to 20 IRL Women - FIH Hockey Pro League Netherlands Stage - Rotterdam - June 13 to 18 IRL Women - FIH Hockey Pro League Germany Stage - Berlin - June 23 to 27 Swimming Sette Colli International, Rome, Italy, 26-28 [...]
LA28 Qualification Dates in 2026
ROAD TO LA ALREADY UNDERWAY! 2026 marks the beginning of the qualification journey for many sports as they look ahead to the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. Qualifying for the Games, which take place from 14–30 July 2028, is challenging across all disciplines. Most sports require either direct qualification through specific events, qualification via [...]
Turning Pain into Progress: Ireland Hockey Captain Sarah Hawkshaw Reflects on Olympic Setback and World Cup Qualification Success
It is easy, sometimes, to presume that every high performance athlete who is heartbroken not to make a global tournament will be super motivated once their next goal is writ large on a white board. Yet even someone as experienced and driven as Tokyo Olympian Sarah Hawkshaw struggled when the Irish women’s hockey team didn't [...]
In the News – 9 March 2026
Hockey The Irish Men’s and women’s hockey teams qualify for the FIH World Cup, after competing in the Qualifiers tournament in Santiago, Chile. The Ireland Men’s Hockey Team closed out their FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers with a win over France to take top spot in the tournament. Having trailed by a goal, Ireland fought [...]
Sport Events Coming up in July
We are at the start of a jam packed July, check here for information on the upcoming events? DATES EVENT (SPORT) 27 June – 6 July EQUESTRIAN Team Ireland – World Equestrian Festival CHIO Aachen – Aachen, Germany LINK 28-29 June ATHLETICS Team Ireland – European Athletics Team Championships Division 2 – Maribor, Slovenia LINK [...]
In The News – June 16th
Men’s Hockey | Ireland Edge Belgium in FIH Pro League Thriller Ireland secured a stunning 3–2 victory over world-ranked #2 Belgium in Antwerp - their first win of the 2024/25 FIH Pro League season. Louis Rowe opened the scoring; Lee Cole struck twice with penalty corners. Jaime Carr delivered a Player of the Match performance, [...]