John O'Shea (humanitarian) facts for kids

John O'Shea (born in 1944) is the person who started and used to lead GOAL. GOAL is an Irish group that helps people in need around the world. It's a special kind of group called a non-governmental organization (NGO), meaning it's not run by a government.

Before GOAL, he worked as a sports journalist. Because of this, GOAL still has strong connections with sports stars and teams, especially in Ireland. In 2010, John O'Shea was chosen as one of the top 40 greatest people in Ireland in a special poll by RTÉ, a big Irish TV and radio company.

John O'Shea's Early Life and Career

John O'Shea was born in County Wexford, Ireland, in 1944. He lived in different places like Westport and Cork when he was young. When he was 11, his family moved to Dublin because his father, who was a banker, got a new job there.

He went to school at CBC Monkstown. While at school, he played rugby. He also enjoyed golf and tennis in Monkstown. Even today, John O'Shea loves rugby, tennis, and golf. He plays tennis every Saturday and often shares his thoughts on Irish sports with radio stations and newspapers.

After school, John O'Shea studied economics, English, and philosophy at University College Dublin. He met Tim Pat Coogan while studying, which led him to a career as a sports journalist. He worked for many years at the Evening Press newspaper.

Starting GOAL

In 1977, John O'Shea decided to start a charity. He began with a donation of 10,000 punts (an old Irish currency) to help fund a feeding project in Calcutta, India. After this, he officially founded GOAL.

GOAL has always had strong links to the world of sports. Many famous athletes have volunteered with GOAL. Some of these "Goalies," as the volunteers are called, include tennis stars John McEnroe and Pat Cash, and rugby player Gordon D'Arcy.

Over the years, GOAL has given out a lot of help, worth about €790 million. More than 1,400 people have volunteered with the charity. GOAL has worked in over 50 countries around the world, helping people in need. John O'Shea says that watching the volunteers work hard in different countries was the best part of his time with the charity.

He believes that governments of rich countries should do much more to help distribute aid. In 2007, during a TV show called The Late Late Show, where his work with GOAL was celebrated, John O'Shea shared his thoughts:

They were writing cheques and saying "it was nothing to do with us"...To help the poor, you've got to love the poor and this is why governments have failed. They talk about the poor, they issue statements about the poor but you don't get the feeling that Mandela had for his people, because he loved his people. We don't have people of that stature, we don't have people of that moral fibre at the top

He also once said, speaking about the Live 8 concerts and how they didn't fix corruption in Africa:

'There is a fire raging - we need someone to put out the fire not hand out chocolate

In 2012, John O'Shea's doctor told him to slow down. Later that year, in November 2012, Barry Andrews, who used to be a politician, became the new chief executive of GOAL.

Awards and Other Work

In 2008, John O'Shea received a special award from the University of Notre Dame in the United States. They gave him an honorary doctorate of laws to recognize all the amazing work he had done.

Besides his work with GOAL, John O'Shea also gives talks at NUI Galway. He teaches a class on interpersonal skills at University College Dublin (UCD). He has been involved with the university for several years, sharing his experiences and stories with students. He strongly supports people who start social businesses (non-profit groups). He tries to encourage students to follow a similar path and create organizations that help others.