Who is Dan Sheehan: Ten things you should know about the Ireland hooker

Dan Sheehan has cemented himself in a strong Ireland side.

Surprisingly tall for a hooker, he possesses the skills and dynamism emblematic of the modern-day front-rower.

Ten things you should know about Dan Sheehan

1. Dan Sheehan was born on 17 September 1998 in Dublin.

At 6ft 3in (1.91m), Sheehan is tall for a hooker but his mobility, strength and handling attributes allow him to flourish across the field.

2. Due to his father’s job at Heineken, Sheehan moved to Bucharest aged 11 and spent three years living in the Romanian capital.

3. He then returned to Ireland and attended Clongowes Wood College – the same school that educated Gordon D’Arcy, Rob Kearney and Tadhg Beirne.

4. Sheehan came through the Leinster Academy to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, Denis Shaw, who played for the province in the 1950s.

5. He made his Leinster debut against Zebre in the then Pro14 (now United Rugby Championship) in October 2020 and scored two tries.

6. He marked his first season with Leinster’s senior side by winning the Pro14 – the club’s fourth consecutive title.

7. Sheehan debuted for Ireland in November 2021 against Japan. He scored his first Test try two weeks later against Argentina.

8. He impressed after replacing the injured Ronan Kelleher as Ireland’s starting hooker midway through the 2022 Six Nations. The men in green won all three games Sheehan started as they secured the Triple Crown.

9. Sheehan’s talents stretch beyond rugby. In golf, he has a single-figure handicap and he entered the final year of a degree in Social Policy and Sociology at UCD in 2022.

10. He ended a fine 2021-22 season by being named Leinster’s Men’s Young Player of the Year.

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