Amateur sportsmen, making the country proud.
Sean O’Brien is already on recorded as not having the biggest grá for soccer players but he still follows the sport from time to time. He also has a keen interest in GAA, golf and watched Conor McGregor’s UFC 189 win with his Irish rugby teammates.
Ask him to name his favourite Irish sportsperson, though, and he can’t decide. There are so many to choose from – most of them hurlers.
‘I don’t think there is any one sports star but the hurling last weekend [between Galway and Tipperary] was massive, and a great one to watch. It’s got incredibly exciting this year so it should be a good All-Ireland final,’ O’Brien said, at the launch of Leinster’s new 2015/16 jerseys.
Having went to the same college as Irish golfer Shane Lowry, the Carlow native took great pleasure from seeing his recent $1.6m WGC Bridgestone Invitational triumph.
O’Brien commented, ‘He showed a lot of bottle and a lot of nerve in that last round. I was delighted for him.’
O’Brien had the honour of captaining his country for the first time, last Saturday, as he led Ireland to a 28-22 victory over Scotland.
Taking on the duties as Ireland captain, O’Brien also delivered the welcoming address at the post-match function and brought up the new caps for their initiation songs.
Jack Conan and Nathan White made their Test bows and, following a long-standing tradition within the squad, had to perform a song in front of their new teammates.
Discerning captains often allow the debutants to belt out their number in front of the squad, on the team bus. The more sadistic haul them up in front of a packed function room.
‘I got them up for their song,’ beamed O’Brien. ‘After I said a few words to the Scottish guys I asked them up. They sang a verse each.
‘I forget what songs they were but both of them were brutal anyway.’
As for his own initiation song, back in the mists of November 2009, Brian O’Driscoll got the then 22-year-old up in front of a post-match function soon after Ireland had defeated Fiji.
‘My song was The River, by Garth Brooks. You know, country!’
https://youtu.be/FuO3FhA3PWc
Devin Toner later revealed White had sung Saturday Night at the Movies. Conan’s song did not make an impression with the lock either.
Must have been a cracker.
