Shane Sweetnam
Equestrian
BIOGRAPHY
Shane Sweetnam represented Ireland in show jumping at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
At Tokyo 2020 he was originally a travelling reserve before replacing Cian O’Connor in the team event, where he suffered a fall from his horse Alejandro early in the competition. Ireland subsequently withdrew their remaining riders and did not complete the team final. At Paris 2024 Sweetnam competed alongside Daniel Coyle and Cian O’Connor, finishing 22nd individually and 7th in the team competition at the Château de Versailles. Ireland had been in medal contention going into the final round before finishing on a combined team score of 14 faults.
Sweetnam grew up in Castlemagner in North Cork, the youngest of five siblings, all of whom rode horses. He began competing at the age of seven. After graduating with a qualification in IT from the University of Limerick in 2004, he moved to the United States to train under American show jumper Margie Engle.
He was part of the Irish team that won gold at the 2017 European Championships and silver at the 2023 European Championships. His cousin is Leinster and Ireland rugby player James Ryan.
OTHER EQUESTRIAN ATHLETES
EQUESTRIAN NEWS
In The News – 13th July 2026
Three former Team Ireland European Youth Olympic Festival athletes spearheaded a week of outstanding performances for Irish sport, with Emer Heverin and Seth Dunwoody crowned European champions while Rían McCrystal claimed victory at the Quanta Capital Junior Tour of Ireland. There was also international success for Shane Sweetnam in Sweden, where he secured a prestigious [...]
In The News – July 6th 2026
Irish athletes continued to make their mark on the international stage this week, with a junior world title in canoe sprint, a first international medal for diver Jake Passmore, and major victories in cycling and show jumping highlighting another impressive period of success across multiple sports. Sean Butterly Crowned Junior World Champion in Halifax Ireland [...]
Performance Round Up – June 2026
Athletics Mark English finished second in a high-quality men’s 800m field at the Rome Diamond League. The Donegal athlete clocked a season’s best time of 1:43.80, his second fastest ever over the distance, as he closed strongly in the final metres to challenge for victory. Sarah Healy delivered a personal best time of 14:48.88 in [...]
In The News – June 15 2026
Boxing Two-time Olympic champion Kellie Harrington secured her first international gold medal since her Paris 2024 success, leading a strong Team Ireland performance at the opening phase of the Four Nations tournament in Glasgow. Harrington delivered an assured performance in the women’s 60kg elite final, defeating England’s Ella Lonsdale, as Ireland amassed an impressive 33 [...]
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 [...]
PERFORMANCE ROUND UP – May 2026
A Month of Milestones, Momentum and Major Performances Team Ireland athletes delivered a powerful run of results across May and early June, producing historic wins, breakthrough performances and consistent podium finishes on the world stage. From Diamond League history in Shanghai to Nations Cup victory in Italy, and from European medals on the water to [...]