After 8 years on national radio, Shane O’Donoghue eventually made the move into television in 2004. He now juggles many “balls” on tv, quite literally; with his role as a presenter/reporter and commentator with RTE TV Sport; his presenting duties on the National Lottery’s Lotto draws and his interviewing and reporting role within the prestigious BBC Golf commentary team on television.

Please take the time to view Shane’s TV showreel, in addition to sampling his work on the National Lottery and other TV appearances.

Video samples of Shane’s golf work can be seen in the golf section.

Shane is a presenter, commentator and reporter with RTE TV Sport. He has been the presenter of the fortnightly sports magazine programme OB Sport (Outside Broadcast Sport) since it’s inception in 2005. The programme covers a diverse range of sports, from Basketball to Hockey, Rallying to Sailing and plenty more besides. He has anchored programmes from the Winter Olympics in Italy to the European and World Cup Showjumping Championships in Germany and Sweden. In addition, he has covered the various Irish athlete’s in their respective bids to qualify for the Beijing Olympics at the World Rowing Championships in Munich, the European Hockey Championships in Rome and the World Sailing Championships in Lisbon. OB Sport is funded by the Irish Sports Council.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, he was a reporter/interviewer in addition to commentating on the Cycling Road Race (Mens & Womens), Triathlon (Mens & Womens) and the Mountain Biking Races (Mens & Womens).

Shane spent eight weeks in total in the Chinese capital. The final two weeks there saw him host six programmes from the Beijing Paralympics in a first for RTE. The accomplishments of Team Ireland were truly wonderful as Jason Smyth won double gold, in world-record time, in the Mens 100 and 200 metres. Michael McKillop ran away with the 800 metres, 14 year-old Darragh McDonald won a silver in the pool, while the ever-smiling Gabriel Shelley took home a bronze in Bocchia.(see TV showreel).

Shane is also a presenter of the National Lottery’s “Lotto” shows, broadcast live, twice a week on Wednesday and Saturday nights. The National Lottery is the single biggest fund raiser in Ireland, raising a record 247 million euro for worthy causes in 2007. It is also a key benefactor to the Irish sporting community.

Shane first began commentating on golf for BBC Television in 2004 when he joined the BBC Interactive team for their coverage of the Open Championship at Royal Troon. Later that year he made his debut on the BBC Network as an on-course commentator for BBC One and Two at the World Matchplay Championship at Wentworth.

In 2005 he worked as on-course commentator for the Network at both the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond and the Open Championship at St Andrews.

2006 saw an especially busy week within the team, as he worked for BBC’s World Feed and Interactive service at the Open Championship at Hoylake in addition to working as an on-course commentator for BBC Network.

In 2007 he anchored the BBC World Feed from Carnoustie as Padraig Harrington claimed Ireland’s first Major victory in 60 years and Rory McIlroy claimed the Silver Medal. Two months later, Shane worked as an on-course commentator at the Walker Cup matches at Royal County Down, covering McIlroy’s last appearance as an amateur.

In 2008, Shane added the role of interviewer and on-course reporter to his duties within the BBC Commentary team as he conducted pre and post-round interviews, as well as reporting duties at the BMW Championship at Wentworth, Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, the Ryder Cup Matches at Valhalla, Kentucky and the Quinn Direct British Masters at The Belfry.

In 2009, Shane began his golf season working as BBC television’s interview/reporter at the Masters Tournament in Augusta Georgia, when Argentina’s Angel Cabrera won the Green Jacket in a play-off. Regrettably, Padraig Harrington’s bid for a third Major in-a-row failed to materialise, but Graeme McDowell finished leading European (T-17th), whilst Ireland's latest golfing sensation, 19-year-old Rory McIlroy made an impressive debut.

For samples of Shane's work for BBC Television, please go to the Golf section