Brian O'Driscoll Family History

Brian Gerard O’Driscoll, or BOD as he was often known in Ireland, was born on January 21st, 1979 to Frank and Geraldine O’Driscoll at Clontarf in Dublin’s northside.

His parents were both general practitioner doctors (GPs); while his two elder sisters, Julie and Susan, would also work in the Irish health sector.  Brian came from good Irish Catholic stock, was brought up to go to mass, and stopped going only in his late teens.

His Rugby Fame.  Brian came from a family that had been steeped in the game of rugby.  He became the most famous of the lot.  But it was only when he went to Blackrock College in Dublin, a fanatical rugby school and the alma mater of many a celebrated Ireland international, that he caught the rugby bug.

Brian made his first international rugby appearance for Ireland against Australia in 1999, aged just twenty. He quickly established a reputation as one of rugby’s best outside-centres and was awarded the Irish captaincy in 2003.

Brian’s career lasted until 2014.  He scored 46 tries for Ireland, making him the highest try scorer in Irish rugby.  As the poster boy of Irish sports, he was during his playing days loved by his supporters.  “In BOD we trust” was their anthem.

After his playing days ended, he has remained in the public eye as a rugby pundit.

Cork Roots

Brian was born in Dublin.  But his roots have been in Cork in SW Ireland.  His ancestry there is thought to have gone back to Patrick O’Driscoll who was born near Union Hall around the year 1817.  Union Hall was and is a small fishing village located some seven miles south of Skibbereen in west Cork.

The Skibbereen area was badly hit during the Famine years of the 1840’s and 1850’s.  Many died and many emigrated at that time. But this O’Driscoll line continued there.

In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s Brian’s great grandparents were living at Maulatrahane near Skibbereen.  William farmed while his wife Hannah was a school teacher.  They had firm beliefs that their sons should achieve something in their lives and enrolled them in boarding school at Cistercian College in Roscrea.

Their three sons all became doctors:

• Florence O’Driscoll, better known as Florry
• Patrick (Paddy) O’Driscoll
• and Liam (Billy) O’Driscoll, Brian’s grandfather.

Florry, who studied in tropical medicine in Singapore for a while, gained an OBE in recognition for his work.  He had two sons, Barry and John, who became doctors.

Brother Billy started his GP practice at Clontarf on Dublin’s northside in 1944.  His son Frank and Frank’s wife Geraldine followed him as GP’s there.

Steeped in Rugby

Florry’s two sons, Barry and John, both played international rugby for Ireland.

Barry, the elder son, was the Irish full-back in the 1971 season. He later was an Irish rugby administrator with a mission to protect his players from concussion injuries.  And Barry’s son Garry was on the medical staff of the Irish rugby team that toured New Zealand in 2005.

The younger son John was twice a member of the Lions teams in 1980 and 1983.  He was,  with Fergus Slattery and Willie Duggan, part of the record-breaking Irish backrow.

Liam’s son Frank, Brian’s father, was a member of the Irish rugby team that toured Argentina in 1970, playing in six of the seven matches including the two tests.  He belatedly received his Irish cap in 2023.  His cousin Barry recalled: “Frank was a gifted footballer.  He had wonderful feet and was a dynamic little tackler.  He played wing and fly-half .”

That was just the O’Driscoll side of the family.

Brian’s mother, born Geraldine Barrett, was the daughter of Niall Barrett from Ballintemple in Cork.  Niall was a former Irish interprovincial rugby player and Irish trialist.  He subsequently served as a referee administrator for Cork GAA.  Meanwhile Niall’s daughter Gillian had a daughter named Jennifer.  She married Donncha O’Callaghan who was capped in rugby for Ireland in 2009.

Brian O’Driscoll’s Family Tree

• Cork

• William O’Driscoll, farmer (b. 1874) m. Hannah Herlihy, teacher (1874-1967) in Skibbereen, Cork in 1902
• – Eileen O’Driscoll (1903-1917)
• – Florence (Florry) O’Driscoll (1904-1983) m. Maureen, with sons Barry and John
• – Patrick (Paddy) O’Driscoll (b. 1905) m. Margaret
• – Liam (Billy) O’Driscoll, with son Frank

• Liam (Billy) O’Driscoll m. unreported
• – Frank O’Driscoll

• Frank O’Driscoll from Clontarf, Dublin m. Geraldine Barrett from Cork in 1973
• – Julie O’Driscoll (b. 1975) m. Tomas O’Leary
• – Susan O’Driscoll (b. 1977) m. Malachi Bradley
• – Brian O’Driscoll (b. 1979)