Brave Donal ”g

28th Oct 2009

Brave Donal Óg

When we heard last week that Donal Óg Cusack was "coming out" many of us hurling fans thought it was a new ploy by Cork manager Denis Walsh to bring the Cloyne legend out of goal and into the forwards.

Read it before you speak about it.

The thought of a man as dedicated to the art of hurling as Ógie playing in full red rather than his traditional red and white stripes would indeed raise a few interested eyebrows. His razor sharp passing, fanatical fitness and fiery commitment to the Cork cause would undoubtedly be a useful weapon in the 2010 campaign if he were deployed out field.

Cork have, for many years, been drowning in talent from numbers one to nine but up front only Ben O'Connor and retired Joe Deane have been the only bona-fides soldiers worthy of 'legend' status with their multiple All-stars and Celtic crosses. There may of course be others in the making.

Slight confusion then when we discovered it was Ógie's sexuality that was apparently coming out and not a fascinating positional switch. The second worst kept secret in the history of Cork sport was out (the first we revealed on this very page in 2005 involves robotic hurling droids, space-age technology and two Newtownshandrum players).

The infamous 'Maids of Duhallow' and other Cork beures will of course finally realise that the dream of walking up the aisle to commit to vows between themselves and their hero, Cork's ace shot stopper, are officially over with the recent publication of Cusack's biography.

While many people are surprised Donal Óg had the courage to tell the public he was gay Cork people who have witnessed his bravery aren't as taken aback. Having walked-the-walk as a player with inter-county accolades festooning his mantelpiece he has already proved his worth as a brave and mighty Corkonian. He is also the quintessential club man and dedicated to his village below in Cloyne.

He has walked up the steps of Croke Park to collect medals and cups several times as both a minor and senior. He's been awarded All-stars accolades and made saves that have brought glory and pride to Leeside more times than you could shake a hurley at. And to top it all he has been at the forefront of the strikes to improve player welfare in the GAA. Several times in the book he clarifies that he doesn't believe professionalism is possible in the GAA.

In his prime: a pre-match parade in Thurles.

There's no better way of vetting chancers in Cork than to look at their record. Roy Keane's words wouldn't be taken so seriously if he didn't captain a champions league winning side or if he hadn't won so many English premiership medals.

He, like Cusack, have walked the walk so when they say something of note you have to consider the vast weight of their experiences from which they are drawing their judgements.

When Cusack talks about pride and passion in Cork his words carry more weight than a barstool pundit or a teenage twit on the terraces because he has stood between the posts for his county to stop rock-hard 100mph sliothars with his stick or body so that the rest of us can feel good about being Rebels.

While most of us are tucked up in bed, Ógie is out pounding the roads in East Cork or in the gym sweating his breakfast out through his forehead. So Cork can compete at the highest level. All this make Donal's involvement with the Cork team a far more interesting topic than whether he prefers men to women.

One of the more eye-opening threads in the book is the lack of support among Kilkenny hurlers for player welfare and the GPA. The narrow 'mé féin-ing of Kilkenny's so-called legends is in stark contrast to the likes of Cusack, Corcoran, Gardiner, Canty and Ó hAilpín. All using their clout to improve the GAA nationally.

With his 'coming out' Cusack has clearly raised the bravery bar yet again by challenging alpha-male notions that heterosexuality and toughness go hand in hand.

In international sport there are no openly gay players, giving Cusack no well worn path to follow with his announcement. That takes bravery far greater than the courage to stand in the way of a sliothar. The first worry on every Cork GAA fan's mind will have been 'what about the terraces'.

It says a lot of positive things about the openness of Cork society too. Look across the water. No gay English premiership soccer or rugby player feels they can admit that their sexual preferences might not lie among the tabloid driven WAG culture of their team mates. In Cork we're not bothered. Would it be the same in Kerry or Kilkenny? We have our doubts.

When Cork play their championship games next year no doubt the sneering narrow minded opposition crowds will delight in taunting Ógie but it won't matter because Rebels stick together through thick and thin and Cusack will get the mightiest roar from all of us when he bounds on to the pitch.

The book finishes on a nostalgic walk through Cloyne graveyard with Donal thinking about the lives of great men like the three Ring brothers, Christy among them. The message is vivid. Each Corkonian only has a short time to serve his county and make a difference - on and off the field.

Still only thirty-two, Donal Óg has made a lot of history in his short productive life and Cork sports fans look forward to everything else this laoch has to offer in what will undoubtedly be an exciting life ahead.