The Eddie O’Sullivan interview: ‘If I had it back, I would have stopped to smell the roses’

It is 18 years since his era as Ireland head coach ended. He paved the way for future success but his final years in charge came with a cost and a few regrets

Eddie O’Sullivan regrets he didn’t enjoy the high points he had with Ireland more than he did at the time. Photo: Ray Ryan

Eddie O’Sullivan was at home in Galway last month when he got messages on his phone about a horror scene unfolding in Providence, Rhode Island.

An active shooter was on the loose at Brown University, where O’Sullivan works as technical advisor for the men’s rugby squad. He would have been in America – except the rugby team were knocked out of the national championship the previous weekend, so he returned to Ireland for the winter.