Tadhg O'Riordan, a native of New York, will represent Ireland at the 2023 World Lacrosse Championships in San Diego, California this week.
O'Riordan, who qualifies for the Irish team through his Irish-born mother, was raised in Rockland County in New York where he played several sports growing up, including football, soccer, and also Gaelic football.
The talented Irish American athlete was connected to the Irish lacrosse team through his high school coach, who met the Irish national team boss at a lacrosse coaches convention.
O'Riordan is a recent graduate of Manhattan College in New York where he played five years for the Jaspers as a midfielder. In 2023, he was named Second Team All-MAAC as a short-stick defensive midfielder. The graduate student finished the year with seven goals, one assist, 25 groundballs, and 11 caused turnovers. The midfielder scored twice, including the game-winner at Navy. O'Riordan has been named to the MAAC All-Championship team in 2022 and 2023.
Tadhg O'Riordan named 2nd Team All-MAAC at SSDM!
This season: 6 goals, 1 assist, 10 caused turnovers#JasperNation | #MAACLAX pic.twitter.com/QgJueIS1ub
— Manhattan Lacrosse (@ManhattanMLAX) April 28, 2023
The 2023 World Lacrosse Championship will begin in San Diego, California this Wednesday, June 21. The Irish national team, which is currently ranked 12th in the world, is in Pool F with Peru, Latvia, Netherlands, and Korea. Play in Pool F starts June 22, with Ireland facing off against the Netherlands that day at 4 pm.
O'Riordan was among the 23 players named to this year's Irish Mens National team which includes a returning group of ten internationals from previous world championships.
2018 Starting goalie Conor Kelly makes his return to field lacrosse after two successful box tournaments for the national box team. Offensive standouts Corey McMahon (’18) and Tom Burke (’14) will also return in 2023, along with veterans Andy Meyers and Sean Gibson. 2018 fogo Luke Palmadesso also returns to build on his 60% FOW% in international play.
On the defensive side, the team welcomes back the athletic duo of Pat Smyth and Gearoid Dunbar.
This year sees three athletes step in from the highly successful 2022 U23 national team - Conor Foley, Jack Galvin, and Thomas Walsh all impressed the senior coaching staff to warrant selection.
Three further athletes graduate from Ireland’s underage program Patrick McShane, Luke Moloney, and Dunbar (Ruairi) all make the step up from the 2019 u20 European Championship.
Rounding out the team are eight newcomers to the national team setup. Brendan Boles, Tiernan Donovan, James Fennessy, Conor Shears, Patrick Corbett (who missed the 2022 EBLC through injury), Sean Largay, Darragh O’Keefe, Tadhg O’Riordan and faceoff specialist Brian Smyth.
The Irish Men’s National Team staff sees the return of head coach, Matt Curran and Assistant Don Preston and welcomes newcomers John Wiseman and national team Alum Aaron Cahill (2014-2018) as assistant coaches.
Last year, the Irish lacrosse team gained international plaudits for pulling out of the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama to allow the Iroquois Nationals to compete in the tournament.
Ranked number three in the world at the time, the Iroquois Nations, which represents Haudenosaunee Confederacy, was banned from competing in the tournament in Birmingham, Alabama, after organizers said it was not a sovereign nation.
The Irish team subsequently pulled out of the eight-team tournament to allow the Iroquois Nationals to compete.
Irish player Sonny Campbell explained at the time: "None of us would be going to Birmingham, Ala., in the first place if it wasn't for the Iroquois and giving us the gift of their medicine game.
"We support them, and if it means we'll give up our spot, then so be it. But the Iroquois, they need to be there."
ESPN will carry every game of the 2023 World Lacrosse Championships. ESPN2 will air the opening match, semifinals, and Gold Medal Game. ESPNU will carry the Bronze Medal Game and the quarterfinal match involving the USA if they advance. All other games can be found on ESPN+.
The Ireland 2023 Senior Mens National Lacrosse Team has a GoFundMe where you can support their World Championship bid.
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