He's the uncle of Ryan O'Shaughnessy who represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018.
[1] O'Shaughnessy started studying aged 12 for four years with Irish jazz guitarist Eugene Macari.
In 1989, he formed a band with his brother Brian and together they toured Ireland, Spain and the UK.
Gary O'Shaughnessy had competed in the local Irish Eurovision Song Contest preselection twice previously, before winning the right to represent his homeland in the Eurovision Contest in 2001 in Copenhagen, Denmark with "Without Your Love" written by Pat Sheridan.
He had previously entered the Irish Eurosong 1997 contest, coming third with "Love and Understanding".