JD McDonagh Says Everyone Looked Up To This WWE Star When He Was First Training

It wasn't that long ago that the republic of Ireland had virtually no representation in the world of pro wrestling. Flash forward to present day, and if pro wrestling were to have an Olympic event, Ireland could form a pretty formidable team. Fans can largely credit this increased representation to Sheamus, who was the first Irish World Champion in WWE history. 

JD McDonagh is among the many wrestlers waving the Irish flag in present day WWE. He speaks with "Insight With Chris Van Vliet" about Sheamus' influence in Ireland and how he, as a smaller wrestler, looked at it. 

"Sheamus was the first guy that, certainly for my generation, the first guy that broke out of Ireland, broke into the States. But that wasn't really a huge help to me because he also was 6'4" and looked like a "Celtic Warrior," McDonagh said with a smile. "The guy that made me stop and go, oh this is a possibility, was Finn [Balor]. He was walking that path ahead of me ... he was just another guy from Bray that came through the same school I did, the same mats.  

McDonagh notes the incredible influence both Sheamus and Balor had on the Irish wrestling scene, before he turns his attention to another Irish superstar that is on the rise in WWE – Lyra Valkyria. 

"She's killing it. She's the IC Champion of the world. I love that girl, she's awesome."

McDonagh is currently recovering from injuries sustained during a brutal fall onto the announce desk on "Raw" a couple of months ago.  

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Insight With Chris Van Vliet" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for transcription.