‘I’m 25 per cent Hong Kong,’ says Ireland’s Greg O’Shea as Sevens glory beckons
- Greg O’Shea’s grandfather left Hong Kong after the second world war and headed to Limerick to open a restaurant in Ireland
- Winger, who could face Hong Kong in the finals, said his grandfather is still alive and kicking in his 90s
While he hails from the city of Limerick, Ireland sevens player Greg O’Shea has Hong Kong blood coursing through his veins.
O’Shea’s grandfather, Peter Ho, is from Hong Kong and moved to Limerick after the second world war looking for opportunities to better his life.
O’Shea, 24, said Ho made the incredible leap some 70 years ago to start up a restaurant.
“He opened the first Chinese restaurant in Limerick, so he ended up doing quite well. There were basically no Chinese businesses there at all when he got there. So quite the move,” said O’Shea.
O’Shea, who has lived his whole life in Limerick, said his mother, aunt and uncle all worked at the restaurant when they were children, and his grandfather is still alive and kicking in his 90s.
Winger O’Shea said one of his favourite memories of spending time with his grandfather when he was a child was heading over to his house for the Lunar New Year.
“He used to give us lai see, the little red envelopes with your name on it and money in it. And little Chinese New Year calendars, so we would look forward to that every year,” he said.
O’Shea said he considers himself “25 per cent Hong Kong. I’m not sure how to put a figure on it, but that’s what I tell people”.
Some of the Irish support staff with the squad said they didn’t even know O’Shea had Hong Kong roots until he brought it up during a media session on Friday.
O’Shea and his team beat Jamaica in their first game 26-0, then drew 26-26 with Uruguay before beating Russia 33-7 in their final group game, with O’Shea scoring in the ninth minute.
O’Shea, who is visiting Hong Kong for the first time, said it’s been cool to experience the city and soak up the atmosphere and energy of the Hong Kong Sevens, which he said “is like nothing I’ve ever experienced”.
Of course, his focus is on the tournament, sans a quick trip to the Ladies Market in Mong Kok on Friday for a bit of shopping. O’Shea said he’s hoping things go well for Ireland and he can explore the city afterwards.
“There hasn’t been much touring around, this tournament is really important for us, so we’ll save that for afterwards,” he said.
O’Shea graduated from law school at the University of Limerick in 2017 and plans to pass the Irish bar and become a lawyer.
That is a way down the line as O’Shea said he is loving sevens rugby right now as Ireland’s sevens programme, which has only been around for a few years, looks to get its footing within the sport.
“Ah, yeah, that’s for when I retire, life after rugby you could say,” he added.
