John O'Shea (humanitarian)
Encyclopedia
John O'Shea is founder and CEO
of GOAL, an Irish
non-governmental organization
devoted to assisting the poorest of the poor. His first career was as a sports
journalist
and GOAL retains significant links to the sporting community, especially in Ireland.
O'Shea was shortlisted in the top 40 of 2010 RTÉ
poll to find Ireland's Greatest
person.
and in Cork
. His father, a banker, moved the family to Dublin when he was aged 11. He was schooled in CBC Monkstown and was a sports fanatic playing rugby at school and a keen golfer and tennis player in Monkstown. O'Shea remains a keen fan of rugby
, tennis
and golf
, playing tennis every Saturday and also giving opinions on Irish sports to radio and newspapers. O'Shea would study Economics
, English
and Philosophy
in University College Dublin
and had a career as a sports journalist in the Evening Press
for many years after meeting Tim Pat Coogan
whilst studying.
which originally was an acronym for "Go on give a lot", however, whilst the name GOAL remained the acronym was discontinued. The charity has a major sporting backbone. John McEnroe
, Pat Cash
and Gordon D'Arcy
are amongst the sportstars to have become "Goalies"(volunteers).
In its 32 years of operation, GOAL has distributed €536 million and has had over 1,400 volunteers. It has operated in over 50 countries worldwide. O'Shea sites watching the "Goalies" working around the world has the best part of his years involved in the charity. O'Shea believes that first world countries Governments should be far more involved in the distribution of aid and not just giving money. Speaking on a tribute to his work in GOAL in 2007 on Ireland foremost chat show-The Late Late Show
, O'Shea said;
related issues.
He has been criticised by some in the INGO
community for advocating military invasion and intervention
in Sudan by the US, UK and NATO, under the guise of humanitarian intervention
He has also been critical of perceived inaction by the UN in humanitarian crisis' in conflict zones and of governmental aid agencies in giving aid directly to allegedly corrupt African governments. John O'Shea has advocated using private companies to provide aid and military forces to directly force aid on countries. Most other Irish Aid agencies disagree stating that every type of aid channels must be used and have described his policies as re-colonisation.
His stance has, however, drawn praise with the Vice Chancellor of the Open University
which awarded him an honorary doctorate, John Naughton
stating; "“He [John O’Shea] says openly that Western aid ought not to be channelled to governments that are proven to
be either corrupt or brutal – and he is happy to name those regimes. Plain speaking of this order is not usually a
way to win friends and influence people. But it has influenced us, which is why we honour him today."
1987 and 1992, The Ballygowan Outstanding Achievement Award 1988, MIR Award 1992, The Late Late Show
Tribute 1995 and 2007, Texaco Outstanding Achievement Award 1995 and the Tipperary International Peace Award 2004, Ernst & Young
Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2005.
In 2008, he was conferred with an honourary docturate of laws from the University of Notre Dame
in recognition of his work.
newspaper reported in 2010 that he drew a then annual salary of €98,320 as acting CEO
of GOAL.
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of GOAL, an Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
devoted to assisting the poorest of the poor. His first career was as a sports
Sports journalism
Sports journalism is a form of journalism that reports on sports topics and events.While the sports department within some newspapers has been mockingly called the toy department, because sports journalists do not concern themselves with the 'serious' topics covered by the news desk, sports...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and GOAL retains significant links to the sporting community, especially in Ireland.
O'Shea was shortlisted in the top 40 of 2010 RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
poll to find Ireland's Greatest
Ireland's Greatest
Ireland's Greatest was a 2010 public poll by Raidió Teilifís Éireann and associated television documentary series broadcast on RTÉ One, where viewers voted to choose the greatest person in the history of Ireland. The concept was based on the BBC series 100 Greatest Britons...
person.
Early life and career
O'Shea was born in County Limerick in 1944 and lived in WestportWestport, County Mayo
Westport is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is situated on the west coast at the south-east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean....
and in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
. His father, a banker, moved the family to Dublin when he was aged 11. He was schooled in CBC Monkstown and was a sports fanatic playing rugby at school and a keen golfer and tennis player in Monkstown. O'Shea remains a keen fan of rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, playing tennis every Saturday and also giving opinions on Irish sports to radio and newspapers. O'Shea would study Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
in University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
and had a career as a sports journalist in the Evening Press
Evening Press
The Evening Press was an Irish newspaper which was printed from 1954 until 1995. It was set up by Éamon de Valera's Irish Press group, and was originally edited by Douglas Gageby...
for many years after meeting Tim Pat Coogan
Tim Pat Coogan
Timothy Patrick Coogan is an Irish historical writer, broadcaster and newspaper columnist. He served as editor of the Irish Press newspaper from 1968 to 1987...
whilst studying.
GOAL
In 1977 he began his charitable organisation with a 10,000 punts donation for a feeding project in Calcutta. O'Shea founded GOALGoal
A goal is an objective, or a projected computation of affairs, that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve.Goal, GOAL or G.O.A.L may also refer to:Sport...
which originally was an acronym for "Go on give a lot", however, whilst the name GOAL remained the acronym was discontinued. The charity has a major sporting backbone. John McEnroe
John McEnroe
John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title...
, Pat Cash
Pat Cash
Patrick Hart "Pat" Cash is a retired Australian professional tennis player who won the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1987.-Early career:...
and Gordon D'Arcy
Gordon D'Arcy
Gordon William D'Arcy is an Irish rugby player, more specifically an inside centre. He is registered to Lansdowne RFC and plays for provincial and RaboDirect Pro12 side Leinster.-Career:...
are amongst the sportstars to have become "Goalies"(volunteers).
In its 32 years of operation, GOAL has distributed €536 million and has had over 1,400 volunteers. It has operated in over 50 countries worldwide. O'Shea sites watching the "Goalies" working around the world has the best part of his years involved in the charity. O'Shea believes that first world countries Governments should be far more involved in the distribution of aid and not just giving money. Speaking on a tribute to his work in GOAL in 2007 on Ireland foremost chat show-The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
, O'Shea said;
Controversial Figure
A sometimes controversial figure, O'Shea is known for his forthright public statements, particularly when he feels political correctness is getting in the way of assisting those in need, and a hands on approach to tackling povertyPoverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
related issues.
He has been criticised by some in the INGO
Ingo
Ingo is a first name in contemporary Scandinavia and Germany, and a historical name in France. It is the male version of the name Inga, used in the same region, and as a name for a tropical plant....
community for advocating military invasion and intervention
Interventionism
Interventionism may refer to:*Interventionism is a political term for significant activity undertaken by a state to influence something not directly under its control....
in Sudan by the US, UK and NATO, under the guise of humanitarian intervention
Humanitarian intervention
Humanitarian intervention "refers to a state using military force against another state when the chief publicly declared aim of that military action is ending human-rights violations being perpetrated by the state against which it is directed."...
He has also been critical of perceived inaction by the UN in humanitarian crisis' in conflict zones and of governmental aid agencies in giving aid directly to allegedly corrupt African governments. John O'Shea has advocated using private companies to provide aid and military forces to directly force aid on countries. Most other Irish Aid agencies disagree stating that every type of aid channels must be used and have described his policies as re-colonisation.
His stance has, however, drawn praise with the Vice Chancellor of the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
which awarded him an honorary doctorate, John Naughton
John Naughton
John Naughton is an Irish academic, journalist and writer based in the United Kingdom since 1968. He has worked at the Open University since 1972, and has held the title of Professor of the Public Understanding of Technology since 2006....
stating; "“He [John O’Shea] says openly that Western aid ought not to be channelled to governments that are proven to
be either corrupt or brutal – and he is happy to name those regimes. Plain speaking of this order is not usually a
way to win friends and influence people. But it has influenced us, which is why we honour him today."
Awards
O'Shea's list of achievements and awards include: the People of the Year AwardsPeople of the Year Awards
The People Of The Year Awards is an annual show in Ireland organised by the Rehab Group, televised by RTÉ television and hosted by Gráinne Seoige....
1987 and 1992, The Ballygowan Outstanding Achievement Award 1988, MIR Award 1992, The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
Tribute 1995 and 2007, Texaco Outstanding Achievement Award 1995 and the Tipperary International Peace Award 2004, Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....
Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2005.
In 2008, he was conferred with an honourary docturate of laws from the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in recognition of his work.
Remuneration
The Sunday IndependentSunday Independent
The Sunday Independent is a broadsheet Sunday newspaper published in Ireland by Independent News and Media plc. The newspaper is edited by Aengus Fanning, and is the biggest selling Irish Sunday newspaper by a large margin ; average circulation of 291,323 between June 2004 and January 2005,...
newspaper reported in 2010 that he drew a then annual salary of €98,320 as acting CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of GOAL.