It is Sheehan’s first Test start since suffering a serious knee injury during last summer’s tour of South Africa following cameos in his country’s championship wins over England and Scotland.
It is a run of 14 successive Test losses, while Wales have also seen Warren Gatland depart as head coach, with Cardiff boss Matt Sherratt taking over on an interim basis.
Dan Sheehan says Ireland will “knuckle down to basics” when they continue their Guinness Six Nations title quest against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.
Ireland are red-hot favourites to pile further misery on a Wales team without a Test match win since the 2023 World Cup.
Jack Conan fills in for Doris at number eight and Jamie Osborne replaces Hugo Keenan at full-back for his Six Nations debut, while there is a maiden Test start for Leinster prop Thomas Clarkson.
