Early Life
O'Driscoll was born in Clontarf on Dublin's Northside to Frank and Geraldine O'Driscoll, both general practitioner doctors. As a child, he played Gaelic football before moving to rugby. For his secondary education he attended the famous Blackrock College where he played on the Senior Cup team in 1996 and 1997. Although he started the first two rounds of the competition in 1996 he was subsequently dropped to the bench for the remainder of the competition, an unused replacement in the victorious final in which Leo Cullen and Bob Casey were the second-row. He Captained the School in 1997 but were beaten in the Quarter-final by Clongowes who had Gordon D'arcy in their side. He was capped three times for Ireland Schools in 1996. In 1998, O'Driscoll played for the Ireland U-19 side, which won the Under 19 Rugby World Championship. After leaving school, he attended UCD on a scholarship. At UCD, he first made the under-20 side, before being promoted to the top team near the end of his first year. After two years, O'Driscoll graduated from UCD with a diploma in sports management. It was at UCD that coach John McClean moved O'Driscoll from fly-half to centre. He made his Ireland under-21 debut in February 1999, and eventually gained four caps.
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