Shannon: Player Profiles

…Shannon and Munster’s Mossie Lawlor in full flight…

IrishRugby.ie profiles the members of the victorious Shannon squad who helped the Limerick club to its eighth AIB League Division One title at Lansdowne Road last Saturday.

MOSSIE LAWLOR
Position: Full Back
Age: 26
…Won his fourth AIL medal this season…Has played in the Heineken Cup for Munster in 2005/06…Former Ireland Under-21 captain…Started 10 League games for Shannon this season…Scored 3 tries and 1 drop goal…Has been with Shannon since he was Under-12…

DAVID O’DONOVAN
Position: Winger
Age: 25
…Won his second AIL medal this season…Has played for the Irish Colleges team…Started 10 League games in 2005/06, coming off the bench for the other 7…Second top try scorer for Shannon in the League with 6…Can play on the wing or at full back…

PAT O’CONNOR
Position: Winger
Age: 24
…Is a student at Limerick IT…Joined Shannon from Cashel at the start of the season…Started 8 League games in 2005/06 on the way to winning his first AIL medal…Also was a Munster Senior Cup winner in his debut season…

…One of the AIB League’s all-time greats – Andrew Thompson…

ANDREW THOMPSON
Position: Centre/Winger
Age: 32
…Won a record eighth AIL medal this year…Has represented the Munster Under-20s, Irish Under-21s and the Irish Students and Colleges teams in his career…Played for English side Bedford in 1999/00 before returning to captain Shannon for the 2000/01 season…Has 7 Munster Senior Cup medals to his name…Is Division One’s all-time top points scorer with 999 points…Made his League debut back in 1993…Is a Quantity Surveyor by profession…Hails from Portlaoise and is a brother-in-law of Clontarf scrum half Fiach O’Loughlin…Scored 77 points during the 2005/06 League campaign – 3 tries, 13 conversions, 11 penalties and 1 drop goal…

EOIN CAHILL
Position: Centre
Age: 25
…Was Shannon’s vice-captain for the season…Scored three tries – two in the semi-final – in the last two games…Was winning his third AIL medal…Works as a plumber and has played for the Munster Junior team previously…Joined Shannon from Bruff…Made 15 League starts in 2005/06…

BRIAN TUOHY
Position: Centre/Winger
Age: 23
…Contracted to Munster but is leaving to play for English club Rotherham next season…Won his third AIL medal this year, scoring 7 tries for the second season in a row – finishing as Shannon’s top try scorer…Was with Shannon for three years – started all 17 League games in 2005/06…Played with the Ireland Sevens team last year…

JOHN CLOGAN
Position: Centre
Age: 20
…Started one game during the League campaign against Belfast Harlequins…A member of the Shannon side that won the All-Ireland Under-20 title this season…Has come through the Shannon underage structure…

MARK TUOHY
Position: Winger
Age: 27
…Is a brother of Brian…Started one League games and came off the bench in five others, including the Division One final…Has two AIL and three Munster Senior Cup medals to his name…

DAVID DELANEY
Position: Out-half
Age: 25
…Finished as Shannon’s top points scorer in the League this season with 118 (2 tries, 18 conversions, 24 penalties)…Joined Shannon in 1999, but played for one season with Galwegians, two years ago…Started 12 League games this year – winning his third AIL and third Munster Senior Cup medals…Came on as a replacement for Ireland in March’s AIB Club International, slotting over a late conversion…

TADHG BENNETT
Position: Out-half
Age: 20
…Another player who has come through to the senior ranks from the team that won the All-Ireland Under-20 title this season…Kicked a conversion in his only senior appearance this year against Belfast Harlequins…Dropped the match-winning goal in the U-20 final v Dublin University…

…Frankie McNamara tries to get the Shannon backline moving…

FRANKIE MCNAMARA
Position: Scrum half
Age: 29
…Now has four AIL titles to his name – including two from Shannon’s famous four in a row of the 1990s…Started all 17 of the League games this season, scoring 2 tries…Has been with Shannon since he was an Under-12…

LES HOGAN
Position: Prop
Age: 25
…Started 16 games in the League this season, coming on as a replacement in the other…Has two AIL and three Munster Senior Cup medals to his name…Scored one try in this season’s AIL…

TREVOR DOWNES
Position: Prop
Age: 26
…Appeared six times as a replacement in this season’s League…Joined Shannon from Kilrush in 2003…Has won two AIL and two Munster Senior Cup medals…

SEAN CRONIN
Position: Hooker
Age: 20
…Has been first choice for most of the season…A member of the Ireland Under-21 squad for this year, he helped the Shannon Under-20s to All-Ireland glory…Scored 4 tries in 14 League starts, including one in the Division One final…Is a Business student and a former Ireland Schools international…

GARY MCNAMARA
Position: Prop
Age: 27
…Has played for Shannon since he was a 12-year-old…Won his fourth AIL and fifth Munster Senior Cup medals this season…Started 9 games in the League and came off the bench in 6 others…Works as an electrician…

TJ HICKEY
Position: Hooker
Age: 24
…Dual status player with Cashel…Came on as a replacement in 13 League games, including the Division One final…Started one game v Belfast Harlequins…

…Trevor Hogan takes on Clontarf scrum half Fiach O’Loughlin, who was first choice at Thomond Park last season, during last weekend’s Division One final which Shannon won 30-3…

TREVOR HOGAN
Position: Lock
Age: 26
…Won his only Ireland cap to date against Japan last summer…Munster contracted, but leaves for Leinster at the end of the current season…Hogan will continue to play his club rugby for Shannon in 2006/07…Started five AIL games this season…Is a qualified journalist…He won his third AIL medal this year…

PADRAIC O’BRIEN
Position: Lock
Age: 26
…Is a son of former Ireland team manager Brian O’Brien…Works as a Sale rep…Started all of Shannon’s League games this season on the way to winning his third AIL medal…Has three Munster Senior Cup medals to his name…Was voted man of the match in the Division One semi-final v Garryowen…Played for a season with the Gordon club in Australia…

DAVID KEANE
Position: Lock
Age: 25
…Started five League games this season and came on as a replacement in …Has three AIL and three Munster Senior Cup medals…

COLM MCMAHON
Position: Back row (Club Captain)
Age: 29
..Won six AIL and nine Munster Senior Cup medals…Was sidelined for much of the League campaign – 8 games – after damaging his ankle in October…Formerly contracted by Munster…Has been with Shannon since he was Under-16…Scored 1 try this season…

JOHN O’CONNOR
Position: Back row
Age: 23
…Is contracted to Munster – has played in the Celtic League this season…Captained the Ireland Under-19s…Won four AIL and five Munster Senior Cup medals during his career to date…Holds a degree in Business and Accountancy…Scored 1 try in 11 League starts this year…

…Donnacha Ryan on the attack against Lansdowne…

DONNACHA RYAN
Position: Lock/Back row
Age: 22
…Is a member of the Munster Academy…Is a student of Commerce and Irish…Hails from Nenagh and previously played for UCC – he joined Shannon at the start of the season…Won his first AIL medal this year, scoring two tries in 14 starts…Has played in the second row and at number 6 and 8…

JOHN HADNETT
Position: Lock/Back row
Age: 28
…A dual status player from junior club Clanwilliam…Was previously an AIL winner with Shannon, but joined Clanwilliam last season…Played his first game for Shannon in the Division One semi-final defeat of Garryowen, coming on as a replacement…

ANTOIN MEANY
Position: Back row
Age: 29
…Made 9 starts and 2 as a replacement during this season’s League…Represented Munster Schools in his formative years…Has won two AIL and two Munster Senior Cup medals…Owns a successful pub in Limerick…

STEPHEN KEOGH
Position: Back row
Age: 24
…Contracted to Munster, but leaves for Leinster at the end of the current season…Will remain as a Shannon player though…Is a former Ireland Schools and Under-21 player…Played in four League games this season…Has three AIL and three Munster Senior Cup medals to his name…

Players Not Considered For Division One Final:
Frankie Roche, Tony Buckley, Fionn McLoughlin (all injured)
Eddie Halvey (retired)
Jerry Flannery, Ian Dowling (both on Munster duty)

**With thanks to Shannon PRO Andrew McNamara**