Double blow for Shannon as star backs depart
Gareth Quinn McDonagh has left Shannon for English league side Doncaster Knights
SHANNON’S hopes of rising up the Ulster Bank All-Ireland League Division 1A table have been dealt a double blow with the departure of two talented members of their backline, David O’Donovan and Gareth Quinn-McDonogh.
The vastly-experienced O’Donovan, who played at full-back and on the wing, has emigrated to Australia, while Quinn-McDonogh has joined English Championship side, the Doncaster Knights.
David O’Donovan made 130 appearances for Shannon in the AIL over 10 seasons. During his time with the parish club he won four All-Ireland league medals, five Munster Senior Cup medals and an All Ireland cup medal.
Twenty year-old Gareth Quinn-McDonogh made his debut for the Doncaster Knights in their 41-24 victory over Esher at the weekend having been introduced as a second half replacement.
The former Irish U-20 star has been a regular in Shannon’s AIL side in recent seasons. He has been a second year member of the Munster Academy becomes the youngest player at the Doncaster Knights, who currently lie in seventh place in the English Championship, a division below the Aviva Premiership.
Doncaster Knight believe Quinn-McDonogh’s arrival and that of Irish U-20s scrum-half Michael Heaney will strengthen their back division
Doncaster Knights, now in a Championship promotion play-off place, face London Welsh in another key fixture this Saturday, when former Shannon star Quinn-McDonogh is likely to get further game time.
Gareth Quinn-McDonogh joined Shannon from Old Crescent in 2009 and played at U-20 level before progressing to their senior side.
The talented out-half and former student at Crescent College Comprehensive played at Munster Schools and U-20s level as well as representing Ireland at U-18, U-19 and U-20 level.
A Shannon club spokesman said they were always happy to see a talent young player looking to progress in their rugby career.
“Gareth has done extremely well in his time with us and he will be a loss to Shannon in the months ahead,” a Shannon spokesman said.
David O’Donovan arrived at Shannon straight from St Munchin’s College in 1998. His progress to the club’s senior side came the circuitous route of their U-20s, thirds and seconds. But once he succeeded in breaking into the senior squad in 2002, he has remained there ever since and developed into a key member of their side.
Best known as a full back, O’Donovan is equally adept on either wing and indeed has played in every position in the backline at one stage or another.
O’Donovan marked his starting debut in the AIL on a January day in Thomond Park in 2003 with two tries in Shannon’s rout of UCD, and played a further eight times for the club that season.
Remarkably, in the subsequent eight seasons, he either started, or came on in every one of their AIL games.
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