Rónan Kelleher has had a glimpse into life as a Lion but is now ready to embrace it to the full.
The 27-year-old was called up as cover for the 2021 Tour and is one of two Irish hookers taking centre stage four years on alongside Dan Sheehan.
The pair’s competitive yet friendly rivalry has pushed them both on to new heights while Kelleher has also had a sibling to learn from in the world of professional rugby.
Here is the story of his rise from promising youngster to the real deal…
BECTIVE BOY
Kelleher’s rugby journey started early and he believes he was around four years old when he toddled down to Bective Rangers, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Cian, who went on to play for Leinster, Connacht and Ealing before retiring in 2024.
The younger Kelleher started out in the backs, trying out wing and centre in his very early days, before transitioning into the pack.
Kelleher moved from back row to front row and has been wearing the No.2 jersey since the age of 16, having decided to commit to rugby in the face of serious sporting competition growing up.
“I played Gaelic football, tennis, basketball,” he told Rugby World. "The school I was in, St Michael’s College, is a big rugby school and everyone played, so from the age of six I’d be out playing rugby after school with friends.”
His father, Tim, is the principal of St Michael’s College while his mother is also a teacher, and a young Kelleher would spend Saturday mornings before rugby training watching All Blacks shine in the Rugby Championship.
His hero, however, was closer to home, with Kelleher telling The42.ie that “I think it was more Keith Wood than anyone else”.
MAKING HIS MARK
Kelleher’s taste for the big occasion was showcased early. Aged 20, he scored twice to help Leinster A defeat their Scarlets counterparts and lift the inaugural Celtic Cup as part of a side also including future Ireland teammates Ciarán Frawley and Caelan Doris.
After starring for Ireland at Under-20 level, his first senior call-up arrived in the 2020 Six Nations and a debut followed off the bench against Scotland.
He used the opportunity to soak up as much knowledge as he could from his more senior teammates, particularly those in his position.
“I’ve had little chats with Rob [Herring] and Dave [Heffernan], getting a different perspective on what they’re doing with their provinces,” Kelleher told The42.ie.“That’s been really beneficial in my game, particularly in throwing, seeing their routine during the week.
“On top of that, just talking to the likes of Pete [O'Mahony], seeing how their mind works and getting through what they do in their prep during the week. I’ve been picking up little bits here and there from them.”
Heffernan was a particularly important figure to learn the tricks of the trade from, with Kelleher expanding on his influence in a later interview.
“The way Dave put it was spot on, how we are in a boxing match and then told to step away and asked to perform something very technical,” he said. “That has always stuck with me. “As a hooker, you can’t get too bogged down, especially if a throw doesn’t go your way because there are multiple factors that might have played into it.
“So you can’t really be over-analysing it as you go. You just have to kind of park it and move on and then focus on the next throw when it comes.“
“It is about calming the mind, knowing you just have to keep going, that you can’t get rattled, that you just have to stick to it.”
WORLD CUP HEARTACHE
Kelleher was quickly at home on the international stage and tied Ireland’s all-time record for tries in a match when he dotted down four times against USA in 2021.
His Lions call-up came later that summer and though he admits he ‘never expected to play’, he found the experience an invaluable one.
“Ultimately, it told me that I’m not far off,” he said. “That was one of the big takeaways from it. I felt confident out there.”
Two years later, he was in France as a key part of an Ireland squad strongly tipped to go all the way in the World Cup.
A famous group stage win over holders South Africa raised hopes further but New Zealand proved too tough an obstacle to dislodge in the quarter-finals, with Kelleher held up over the line late on in an agonising 28-24 defeat.“
It just one of those things,” he told The Times last year. “I made a decision to break off and I thought it was the right thing to do.“
Looking back, maybe I should have stayed in the maul because it got moving again a bit to the right and we could have scored.“
But I don’t really fault the decision to break off. I normally back myself. He [Jordie Barrett] did well and I needed to stay a touch lower.”
BATTLING WITH SHEEHAN
Kelleher has found starting opportunities harder to come by since the emergence of Dan Sheehan, his teammate with Leinster, Ireland and now the Lions.
The pair will go head-to-head for the right to start at hooker in the coming months but this is no ill-tempered rivalry – quite the opposite, in fact, with the duo using each other as a sounding board and pushing their own games forward in the process.
Sheehan’s ACL injury in 2024 opened up a chance for Kelleher but he was quick to offer his sympathies to his stricken colleague.
“I wouldn't say bittersweet at all, it's just bitter,” he said. “You never want to see a teammate injured, hurt or anything like that. It’s unfortunate, but that's sport.”
Sheehan was back for the 2025 Six Nations and it was a case of ships in the night for the two hookers, as Kelleher started the first two matches before succumbing to a shoulder injury.
He is back to fitness now and ready for his second Tour – where he will be hoping for better luck on the golf course.
Kelleher describes a tee shot on a pre-Tour golf day in Jersey in 2021 as “without a doubt the most frightening thing I’ve ever done” – perhaps explaining the duffed drive which followed.
The ball came to a stop around 10 yards from his feet, much to the merriment of the watching squadmates and camera crew.
“I’m hooked on golf now but it’s a killer,” he said. “Years of pain await me.”
