The Olympic gold medalist with Durrus in his DNA

THE Winter Olympics draws to a close this weekend with the gold medal game of the men’s ice hockey. West Cork may not have a history of ice hockey but it does have a connection to a player who won an ice hockey gold medal.

BY SAMUEL KINGSTON

Canada is the birthplace of the sport and they always have high expectations of winning gold. In 2002, in Salt Lake City, the men’s team did just that and among their players was Brendan Shanahan – his father Donal was from Dromreagh, Durrus.

Donal attended Carrigboy National School and later emigrated to Canada where he met his wife Rosaleen, who was from Belfast. Together they had four boys – Danny, Brian, Shaun and the youngest Brendan. The family was raised in Etobicoke just outside Toronto.

Donal was a firefighter and rose to become Chief of Fire Prevention in Toronto. The boys grew up with a love of sport, in particular lacrosse and ice hockey. Brian would go on to have a prominent career in lacrosse while Brendan became one of the top ice hockey players of his generation.

From a young age Brendan excelled at hockey. He played for the Canada junior team and it was no surprise to see him drafted to the National Hockey League in 1987. He was picked second in the draft by the New Jersey Devils, progressing to become one of their top players.

He moved to St Louis Blues and later Hartford Whalers but his playing career is associated mainly with his time at the Detroit Red Wings where he won three Stanley Cups, the top trophy in the sport. The first in 1997 saw Shanahan make important contributions as the team won the trophy for the first time since 1955.

The 2002 season, when they won their third cup, was a standout season for Shanahan – he played a pivotal role in the team’s success. In that season he scored his 500th goal and reached 1000 points in the league. At the same time Shanahan was also a member of the Canadian team that defeated the United States to win the gold medal at the Winter Olympics. That victory made up for the disappointment of 1998 when Brendan and his team mates finished fourth.

Durrus native Donal Shanahan with his son Brendan.

Brendan would continue playing until 2009, having spells with the Devils again and the New York Rangers. He stayed in hockey but on the office side. He had shown his ability during the 2004-05 NHL lockout, helping to organise a meeting that outlined improvements to the game.

He worked in the NHL head office for a while before the call of his home town Toronto Maple Leafs lured him back to Canada. He became President of the Maple Leafs in 2014, overseeing operations for one of the biggest teams in ice hockey. Under Shanahan the Leafs began recognising more prominently their Irish heritage. The Maple Leafs were originally called the Toronto St Patricks. Each year around St Patrick’s Day they wore a heritage jersey to honour their past. Unfortunately for Shanahan, the Leafs were unable to win a cup under his tenure and his contract was not renewed in June 2025.

In 2013 Shanahan entered the Hockey Hall of Fame. He spoke kindly of the important role his father had played in encouraging him to play hockey. Unfortunately Donal wasn’t there to hear the speech or sadly witness much of Brendan’s career – he passed away in 1990 after suffering from Alzheimer's. But Brendan never forgot the support from his Dad.

Brendan’s achievements in ice hockey are incredible but it’s interesting to think about the paths that life provides. Imagine if Donal had never left Durrus, maybe Brendan could have been a star for Muintir Bháire footballers instead of winning Olympic gold.