CLARE HURLER SHANE O’Donnell will not be lining out in this weekend’s Cork senior hurling championship despite being eligible to play for UCC, the third-level outfit who include members of the Rebels side that lost last week’s All-Ireland decider.
O’Donnell was the man-of-the-match and Clare hero as bagged a hat-trick of goals in last Saturday’s classic tie in Croke Park.
And the 19 year-old UCC student, who is heading into 2nd year of his studies at the college, is eligible to line out at club level in this weekend’s Cork senior hurling championship.
UCC face Sarsfields in a fourth round replay on Sunday evening in Páirc Uí Rinn but O’Donnell is not set to be involved despite being available for selection for the third-level outfit.
O’Donnell was in line for the unique scenario of playing with and against members of the Cork team that he was in opposition to last Saturday.
UCC’s team includes Cork stars William Egan, Seamus Harnedy and Robert O’Shea, while Sarsfields, chasing a fourth Cork title in six years this season, have Conor O’Sullivan, Daniel Kearney, Cian McCarthy and Michael Cussen in their side.
Pic: INPHO/Donall Farmer
After a summer where he won All-Ireland senior and U21 hurling medals, it was felt that O’Donnell – who has not featured during this year’s Cork county championship for UCC – faces a hectic enough schedule at local level in Clare in the coming weeks.
His club Éire Óg (Ennis) are in action this Saturday afternoon in a group game in the Clare senior B hurling championship against Smith O’Brien’s. The UCC GAA management opted to leave O’Donnell concentrate on his club activity in Clare.
O’Donnell will be eligible to feature for UCC in next year’s Fitzgibbon Cup competition. Earlier this year he was full-forward on the UCC side that won the All-Ireland Freshers hurling title with current Cork selector Ger Cunningham the manager of that outfit.
