A brilliant insight into one of the country’s best!
By Ciaron Noble
Tullow’s Dannah O’Brien will wear the number ten jersey for Ireland’s 2025 World Cup opener against Japan on Sunday at Franklin’s Gardens (kick-off, 12.00).
O’Brien will be the focal point of Ireland’s attack as they make their long-awaited return to the grand showpiece of the women’s game after last participating at the competition in 2017.
O’Brien made her senior international debut against Japan on August 20, 2022, at the Ecopa Stadium in Fukuroi, a few weeks shy of her 19th birthday. Since then, she has been a regular starter under both Greg McWilliams and now Irish head coach Scott Bemand, with 26 caps to her name.
Speaking to SportsJOE ahead of their first game, Dannah’s mum, Bríd O’Brien, shared her excitement for the upcoming tournament.
“We’re excited; we’re just ready for it to get going now. It’s been a long run-up to the start of it all; we’re chomping at the bit for it all to kick off.”
Bríd is aware of the pressure and scrutiny that comes with being an out-half, but she hopes that her daughter can enjoy this experience in what is a special period for Irish women’s rugby.
“The number ten position can be a bit of a solitary position; not that everything comes down to her, but if it comes down to kicking a conversion to win or lose a game, you’re either the hero or the worst player in the world,” she said.
“There’s always a little bit of pressure there on her. I hope that it goes well for her; I hope that she does enjoy it. I know there is a lot of pressure, and it’s probably difficult to enjoy it, but I just want her to make the most of it.
“Hopefully they all enjoy it and there are no injuries. That’s the big thing going forward for the team, that they come out of each game unscathed so that they have the best strength panel going forward into the next game. They just need to take every game as it comes.”
Dannah is the only girl and second eldest of six children in the O’Brien household. Growing up with five brothers, she was always well able to look after herself.
She’s an accomplished athlete who played Gaelic Football for her club, St Anne’s (an LGFA club that caters for players from Tullow, Grange and Ardattin). She represented Carlow at inter-county level, helping them reach the junior All-Ireland semi-final in 2021. She committed herself to the oval-shaped ball the following year in 2022.
Her mother was asked when she first remembered Dannah playing a rugby match.
“I could be wrong, but I think her very first game was actually on her older brother’s team,” she recalled.
“We were in Rathdrum, and Johnny Tobin was coaching, and I think maybe he was trying to make a second team, or there was a short number for the second mini blitz.
“She would have been maybe six or seven; she was standing beside me, and he told her to get in there and play. I think that was her first game, and she probably started training after that.
“We were heading there with her brother every Sunday anyway, so it was the natural progression for her to play rugby. She always had a ball in her hand.”
She played with the boy’s team in Tullow up until U12s before moving up to the U16s team, where her mum had to give her permission for her to play up the age grades.
Dannah’s parents Bríd and Michael, will not be making it across the pond to England to watch the game this weekend, as one of their sons is playing in the U11 All-Ireland Tag Rugby Blitz, but another of her brothers, her auntie and her partner, Katie, will all be in attendance to support her. Her mum and dad will be there for the other games.
They’re in regular contact with Dannah, but the conversations are not about rugby.
“We were speaking to her on Wednesday night, and we’ll hopefully speak to her again tonight (Friday). She’s in great form which is good and I hope that means that training is going well.
“In terms of the match and her expectations and stuff, we don’t really go there because she gets enough of that; that’s not our job,” she added.
“We’re here to be a supporting act; there are people in camp who deal with all the technical stuff. We don’t ask too many questions and try to keep it fairly normal for her.”
