Dónal Óg Cusack
Encyclopedia
Donal Óg Cusack is a well-known Irish
hurler and Ireland's first openly
gay
elite sportsman. He plays hurling
at club level with Cloyne
and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 1999.
, County Cork
in 1977. He was born into a family that had a strong link to Cork's hurling glories of the past. One of his close relations was Christy Ring
, regarded by many as the greatest hurler of all-time, and a holder of a record eight All-Ireland
medals with Cork.
Cusack was educated at the local national school in Cloyne village and later attended nearby Midleton
CBS
. It was here that his hurling talents first came to the fore. Cusack quickly became a key fixture on the school's senior hurling team and in 1994 his team lost the Dr. Harty Cup (Munster Senior Colleges' Hurling Championship) final. The next year he repeated his Leaving Certificate
and it paid off as he landed a Dr. Harty Cup
title, making up for the previous year's loss. Following his secondary schooling Cusack began a career as an electrician.
On 18 October 2009, Cusack revealed to the Irish Mail on Sunday that he is gay
. He released his autobiography, Come What May, in October 2009. He writes:
Come What May won the Williamhill.com Irish Sports Book of the Year for 2009. Since then Cusack has been noted as one of the few "openly gay sporting heroes" both at home and abroad.
and has had some success with the club. He has annexed a number of East Cork hurling titles; however, it was as a member of the Imokilly
divisional side in 1997 that he enjoyed his greatest success to date. That year Cusack lined out in the final of the county senior championship
with Sarsfield's providing the opposition. A thrilling 1-18 to 2-12 victory gave Imokilly the title and gave Cusack a coveted county senior championship winners' medal.
1997 also saw Cusack taste victory with Cloyne. The club reached the county final of the county intermediate championship
that year, with Deleanys providing the opposition. The final whistle in that game saw Cloyne claim a merited 1-12 to 1-7 victory, giving Cusack a county intermediate championship winners' medal. This victory allowed Cloyne to join the ranks of the senior county championship
in 1998.
By 2004 Cloyne had consolidated their position in the senior ranks, with Cusack serving as trainer of the team, and even reached the final. Na Piarsaigh
provided the opposition, however, Cusack's side were no match for the city side. A great second-half display saw Cusack end up on the wrong side of a 0-17 to 0-10 defeat.
In 2005 Cloyne set out to avenge the previous year's defeat and reached the county final again. Newtownshandrum
were the opponents on that occasion, however, Cloyne were still off the pace. A 0-15 to 0-9 defeat saw 'Newtown' take their third county title of the decade, while Cusack ended up on the losing side for a second year in-a-row.
2006 saw Cloyne reach a third successive county final. Erin's Own
were the opponents and an exciting game ensued. A thrilling game produced a score line of 2-19 to 3-14, however, for the third year in-a-row Cusack ended up on the losing side.
Since that defeat Cloyne have failed to reach the championship decider of the county championship.
minor winners' medal as Cork trounced Waterford
by 3-18 to 0-10. Cork later qualified for the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny
with Cusack lining out in goal. The game turned into a rout as Cork won easily, giving Cusack a coveted All-Ireland
winners' medal in the minor grade.
The following year Cusack moved onto the Cork under-21 team and more success quickly followed. He won a Munster
title in this grade that same year as Clare
were totally outclassed on a score line of 3-16 to 2-7. Cork, however, fell in the All-Ireland semi-final against Galway
.
In 1997 Cusack added a second Munster under-21 medal to his collection when Tipperary
were defeated by a single point. It took a late goal by Timmy McCarthy
to secure a 1-11 to 0-13 victory. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Cork take on Galway and Cusack lining out in his usual left corner-forward spot. Cork were victorious on that occasion on a score line of 3-11 to 0-13 giving Cusack a coveted All-Ireland
under-21 winners' medal.
1998 saw Cork maintaining their provincial dominance with Cusack collecting a third consecutive Munster under-21 medal with a 3-18 to 1-10 victory over Tipp. This victory marks Cusack out as one of the few players who never lost a provincial under-21 championship game. For the third year in a row Cork played in the All-Ireland final and, for the second consecutive year, Galway were the opponents. In a close game Cork just about secured a 2-15 to 2-10 win. It was Cusack's second consecutive All-Ireland under-21 winners' medal.
in 1996, however, at the time Ger Cunningham
's position as first-choice goalkeeper was safe.
Following the conclusion of the 1998 championship Cunningham retired from inter-county hurling and Cusack was installed as Cork's new custodian. His elevation to the starting fifteen coincided with a year when Cork were back in their first Munster final since 1992. Clare, the team that had won three of the last four provincial titles, together with two All-Ireland titles, provided the opposition and were very much the favourites going into the game. An exciting contest unfolded with Joe Deane scoring a key goal after an excellent pass from Seánie McGrath
. A score line of 1-15 to 0-14 gave Cork the victory and gave Cusack his first senior Munster
title. Cork later defeated Offaly
in one of the games of the year to set up an All-Ireland final meeting with arch-rivals Kilkenny. A wet and windy day meant that the classic game that everyone expected failed to materialise. Both sides shot seventeen wides over the course of the seventy minutes as a young and inexperienced Cork came back from five points down to win by 0-13 to 0-12. It was Cork's first senior All-Ireland
title since 1990 and it was Cusack's first. He finished off the year by claiming his first All-Star
award.
In 2000 Cork were the favourites to retain their All-Ireland title. The team got off to a good start by retaining their Munster title, however, Tipperary put up a good fight. It was Cusack's second Munster title as Cork won by 0-23 to 3-12. Cork's next game was an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Offaly. While Cork were expected to win the game without breaking a sweat Offaly caught Cusack's side on the hop and recorded a 0-19 to 0-15 win.
While the Cork hurling team should have gone from strength to strength as a result of a solid foundation at minor and under-21 levels the opposite happened. Embarrassing defeats in 2001 and 2002 saw the Cork hurling team reach rock bottom and call a players' strike just before Christmas in 2002. Cusack played a huge role as one of the main spokesmen in representing the welfare of his fellow players. Had the strike failed it could have meant the end of his and his fellow teammates' careers, however, in the end the county board relented and met the demands. Although still amateur sportsmen the Cork senior hurling team were treated as professional athletes.
In 2003 Cork's players were vindicated in taking a stand as the team reached the Munster final for the first time in three years. Waterford provided the opposition on that occasion as one of hurling’s modern rivalries began in earnest. An exciting game resulted between the two teams; however, victory went to Cork by 3-16 to 3-12. It was Cusack's third Munster medal and it gave a signal that Cork were back. Cusack's side were hot favourites going into the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final against Wexford
, however, it was far from a walkover. In one of the most exciting games of the championship both sides finished level: Cork 2-20, Wexford 3-17. Both sides met again six days later with Cork making no mistake and taking the spoils on a score line of 3-17 to 2-7. This win set up an All-Ireland final meeting with Kilkenny. In another thrilling game of hurling both teams were level for much of the game, exchanging tit-for-tat scores. A Setanta Ó hAilpín
goal steadied the Cork ship, however, a Martin Comerford
goal five minutes from the end settled the game as Kilkenny went on to win by 1-14 to 1-11.
2004 saw Cork reach the Munster final once again and, for the second consecutive year, Waterford provided the opposition. In what many consider to be the greatest provincial decider of them all, both sides fought tooth-and-nail for the full seventy minutes. Cork lost the game by just a single point on a score line of Waterford 3-16, Cork 1-21. Although Cork surrendered their provincial crown they were still in with a chance of landing the All-Ireland title. After maneuvering through the qualifiers Cork reached a second consecutive All-Ireland final and, once again, Kilkenny provided the opposition. This game took on a life of its own for a number of reasons. Chief among these was the fact that Kilkenny were attempting to capture a third All-Ireland in-a-row and go one ahead of Cork in the All-Ireland roll of honour. The game was expected to be another classic; however, a damp day put an end to this. The first-half was a low-scoring affair and provided little excitement for fans. The second-half saw Cork completely take over. For the last twenty-three minutes Cork scored nine unanswered points and went on to win the game by 0-17 to 0-9. It was Cusack's second All-Ireland winners' medal.
In 2005 Cork were on form again. They won back the provincial crown that year with a 1-12 to 1-16 victory over Tipperary. It was Cusack's fourth Munster winners' medal as Cork went on the march for glory once again. In the All-Ireland semi-final against Clare their championship campaign was nearly derailed when they fell behind by seven points at the start of the second half. A huge performance by Cork turned this deficit around and Cusack's side eventually went on to win the game by 0-16 to 0-15. While it was expected that Cork and Kilkenny would do battle again in a third consecutive All-Ireland final Galway were the surprise winners of the second semi-final. It was the first meeting of Cork and Galway in an All-Ireland final since 1990 and even more daunting was the fact that men from the west had never beaten Cork in a championship decider. Once again neither side broke away into a considerable lead, however, at the final whistle Cork were ahead by 1-21 to 1-16. For the second year in-a-row Cork were the All-Ireland champions and Cusack collected his third winners’ medal.
In 2006 expectations were high amongst Cork supporters that the team could win a third successive All-Ireland title. These expectations were heightened when the team won the Munster Championship, with Cusack capturing his fifth provincial medal. Cusack had his best championship season with Cork in 2006. He provided real leadership from his goalkeeping position and was one of the stars of the team. Cork were defeated by Kilkenny
and were denied the three-in-a-row. In spite of this Cusack won a long-overdue second All-Star Award
in November 2006.
In 2007 Cork set out to atone for their failure to capture the elusive three in-a-row. The first game of the championship pitted Cork against Clare, however, there was controversy before the sliothar was even thrown in. The so-called Semplegate
affair saw both Cork and Clare emerge from the tunnel at the same. A melee ensued with Cork players Cusack, Diarmuid O'Sullivan and Seán Óg Ó hAilpín being singled out as culprits. Cork won the game against Clare, however, the three players mentioned earlier suspended for the next game against Waterford. Cork lost on that occasion and had to play in the qualifiers in an effort to get their championship campaign back on track. Cork qualified along with Tipperary and were drawn to play Waterford for the second time that year in the All-Ireland quarter-final. That game saw Cusack make a vital save in injury time when Cork were leading by a point, however, Waterford went on to level the scores and a replay was forced. Waterford won the replay and Cork's season came to an abrupt end.
The beginning of 2007 saw Cork's pre-season preparation hampered due to disagreements with the Cork County Board. The Cork senior Gaelic football
team refused to play under new manager Teddy Holland
and the Cork senior hurlers withdrew their services in sympathy. The 'strike' continued until February 2007, which resulted in Cusack's side withdrawing from the Waterford Crystal Cup
as well as postponing their opening National Hurling League
games against Kilkenny and Waterford. Cork were later forced to forfeit their league points after failing to fulfill these fixtures. Cork's first outing in the championship was a meeting with Tipperary. On that occasion Tipp defeated their age-old rivals at home, ending a hoodoo that had lasted since 1923. This defeat resulted in Cork having a second chance in the All-Ireland qualifiers. An unconvincing victory over Dublin
set up a meeting with Galway, a team tipped for All-Ireland success. The first half was a scrappy affair with Cusack receiving a yellow card early in the first-half. He later received a second yellow card for pulling down a Galway player and was duly sent off shortly before the interval. Cork, however, went on to win the game with Martin Coleman, Jnr
deputising for the sidelined Cusack. In the second-half Cork took charge with Joe Deane
giving a great display and scoring four crucial points from play to help his team to a 0-23 to 2-15 victory and a place in the All-Ireland quarter-final. Clare were the opposition on that occasion and, once again, Cork gave a poor first-half display. The second-half was a different story with Cork taking charge once again and securing a 2-19 to 2-17 victory. This win allowed Cork to advance to the All-Ireland semi-final where Kilkenny provided the opposition. It was the first time that these two teams met in the championship outside of an All-Ireland final. That game was an intriguing encounter; however, ‘the Cats’ won the day by 1-23 to 0-17.
Following the defeat by Kilkenny in 2008 manager Gerald McCarthy's two-year contract came to an end. He was later re-appointed for a further two-year term by the Cork County Board, in spite of the majority of the players not wanting him to stay on. The players on the 2008 panel, with Cusack taking a more subdued role than normal, refused to play or train under McCarthy. (see 2008-2009 Cork players strike). McCarthy accordingly began the 2009 National League campaign with a new squad, none of whom had been able to make the previous year's panel. After months of pressure McCarthy eventually stepped down as manager.
Following the resolution to these difficulties Cork were defeated by Tipperary on a score line of 1-19 to 0-19 in the opening round of the Munster campaign. After a convincing win over Offaly, Cork's next assignment was a win-or-bust All-Ireland qualifier meeting with Galway. Cork faltered in the final ten minutes, in spite of two great saves from Joe Canning
goal chances, and 'the Tribesmen' knocked 'the Rebels' out of the championship by 1-19 to 0-15.
in the inter-provincial hurling competition. He first played for his province in the semi-final of the competition in 1999, however, he was replaced by Tipp's Brendan Cummins
for the final. In 2000 Cusack came on as a substitute to collect his first Railway Cup medal following a win over Leinster
. He came on as a substitute again in 2005 to collect his second Railway Cup title.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
hurler and Ireland's first openly
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
elite sportsman. He plays hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
at club level with Cloyne
Cloyne GAA
Cloyne GAA club is located in the small town of Cloyne in east County Cork, Ireland. Founded in 1887 they have yet to win a Cork Senior Hurling Championship title and have the dubious distinction of losing in the last 3 finals...
and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 1999.
Biography
Donal Óg Cusack was born in CloyneCloyne
Cloyne is a small town to the south-east of the town of Midleton in eastern County Cork, Province of Munster, Ireland. It is also a see city of the Anglican Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, while also giving its name to a Roman Catholic diocese...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
in 1977. He was born into a family that had a strong link to Cork's hurling glories of the past. One of his close relations was Christy Ring
Christy Ring
Nicholas Christopher Michael Ring , better known as Christy Ring, was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the Glen Rovers club from 1941 until 1967 and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1939 until 1963. Ring is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in...
, regarded by many as the greatest hurler of all-time, and a holder of a record eight All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
medals with Cork.
Cusack was educated at the local national school in Cloyne village and later attended nearby Midleton
Midleton
Midleton, historically Middleton , is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies some 22 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare...
CBS
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
. It was here that his hurling talents first came to the fore. Cusack quickly became a key fixture on the school's senior hurling team and in 1994 his team lost the Dr. Harty Cup (Munster Senior Colleges' Hurling Championship) final. The next year he repeated his Leaving Certificate
Leaving Certificate
The Leaving Certificate Examinations , commonly referred to as the Leaving Cert is the final examination in the Irish secondary school system. It takes a minimum of two years preparation, but an optional Transition Year means that for those students it takes place three years after the Junior...
and it paid off as he landed a Dr. Harty Cup
Dr. Harty Cup
The Dr. Harty Cup is a hurling competition for schools in the province of Munster in Ireland. The cup is presented to the winners of the Munster Colleges Senior "A" Hurling Championship. Players have to be under the age of 19 to compete. The winning team represents Munster in the Dr. Croke Cup...
title, making up for the previous year's loss. Following his secondary schooling Cusack began a career as an electrician.
On 18 October 2009, Cusack revealed to the Irish Mail on Sunday that he is gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. He released his autobiography, Come What May, in October 2009. He writes:
"I get more out of men. Always have. I know I am different but just in this way. Whatever you may feel about me or who I am, I've always been at peace with it."
Come What May won the Williamhill.com Irish Sports Book of the Year for 2009. Since then Cusack has been noted as one of the few "openly gay sporting heroes" both at home and abroad.
Club
Cusack plays his local club hurling with his local club in CloyneCloyne GAA
Cloyne GAA club is located in the small town of Cloyne in east County Cork, Ireland. Founded in 1887 they have yet to win a Cork Senior Hurling Championship title and have the dubious distinction of losing in the last 3 finals...
and has had some success with the club. He has annexed a number of East Cork hurling titles; however, it was as a member of the Imokilly
Imokilly GAA
Imokilly GAA is a Gaelic football and Hurling division in the east of Cork, Ireland. The division includes towns such as Midleton, Cobh, and Youghal. It is one of eight divisions of Cork County Board. It organizes competitions for the clubs within the division, from Under 12 up to the adult level...
divisional side in 1997 that he enjoyed his greatest success to date. That year Cusack lined out in the final of the county senior championship
Cork Senior Hurling Championship
The Evening Echo Cork County Senior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Cork County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in the county of Cork in Ireland....
with Sarsfield's providing the opposition. A thrilling 1-18 to 2-12 victory gave Imokilly the title and gave Cusack a coveted county senior championship winners' medal.
1997 also saw Cusack taste victory with Cloyne. The club reached the county final of the county intermediate championship
Cork Intermediate Hurling Championship
Cork Intermediate Hurling Championship is the second-tier hurling competition organized by the Cork Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The winners usually will play in the senior grade the following year for the Cork Senior Hurling Championship. This championship has been played for since 1909...
that year, with Deleanys providing the opposition. The final whistle in that game saw Cloyne claim a merited 1-12 to 1-7 victory, giving Cusack a county intermediate championship winners' medal. This victory allowed Cloyne to join the ranks of the senior county championship
Cork Senior Hurling Championship
The Evening Echo Cork County Senior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Cork County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in the county of Cork in Ireland....
in 1998.
By 2004 Cloyne had consolidated their position in the senior ranks, with Cusack serving as trainer of the team, and even reached the final. Na Piarsaigh
Na Piarsaigh GAA
Na Piarsaigh are a Hurling and Gaelic football club based in the north side of Cork City, Ireland. The club was founded in 1943.-Birth of the club:...
provided the opposition, however, Cusack's side were no match for the city side. A great second-half display saw Cusack end up on the wrong side of a 0-17 to 0-10 defeat.
In 2005 Cloyne set out to avenge the previous year's defeat and reached the county final again. Newtownshandrum
Newtownshandrum GAA
Newtownshandrum GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the small village of Newtownshandrum in County Cork, Ireland. The club, situated in half a parish of about 800 people, was founded in 1896 and is almost exclusively concerned with the game of hurling.In senior hurling...
were the opponents on that occasion, however, Cloyne were still off the pace. A 0-15 to 0-9 defeat saw 'Newtown' take their third county title of the decade, while Cusack ended up on the losing side for a second year in-a-row.
2006 saw Cloyne reach a third successive county final. Erin's Own
Erin's Own GAA (Cork)
Erin's Own GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in Glounthaune in east County Cork, Ireland. The club is made up of players from Little Island, Knockraha, Brooklodge and Glounthaune areas of the parish...
were the opponents and an exciting game ensued. A thrilling game produced a score line of 2-19 to 3-14, however, for the third year in-a-row Cusack ended up on the losing side.
Since that defeat Cloyne have failed to reach the championship decider of the county championship.
Minor and under-21
Cusack's hurling skills at colleges and club championship levels brought him to the attentions of the Cork inter-county selectors and he was soon picked for the minor team. In 1995 he won his sole MunsterMunster Minor Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for the youngest competitors in the province of Munster in Ireland...
minor winners' medal as Cork trounced Waterford
Waterford GAA
The Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Waterford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for all levels of Gaelic games in County Waterford. The County Board is also responsible for the Waterford inter-county teams. The county...
by 3-18 to 0-10. Cork later qualified for the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
with Cusack lining out in goal. The game turned into a rout as Cork won easily, giving Cusack a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...
winners' medal in the minor grade.
The following year Cusack moved onto the Cork under-21 team and more success quickly followed. He won a Munster
Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Under-21 Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 for players aged between 18 and 21 in the province of Munster in Ireland...
title in this grade that same year as Clare
Clare GAA
The Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Clare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Clare. The county board is also responsible for the Clare inter-county teams....
were totally outclassed on a score line of 3-16 to 2-7. Cork, however, fell in the All-Ireland semi-final against Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
.
In 1997 Cusack added a second Munster under-21 medal to his collection when Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
were defeated by a single point. It took a late goal by Timmy McCarthy
Timmy McCarthy
Timmy McCarthy is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Castlelyons and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1999 until 2009.-Biography:...
to secure a 1-11 to 0-13 victory. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Cork take on Galway and Cusack lining out in his usual left corner-forward spot. Cork were victorious on that occasion on a score line of 3-11 to 0-13 giving Cusack a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of hurling played in Ireland...
under-21 winners' medal.
1998 saw Cork maintaining their provincial dominance with Cusack collecting a third consecutive Munster under-21 medal with a 3-18 to 1-10 victory over Tipp. This victory marks Cusack out as one of the few players who never lost a provincial under-21 championship game. For the third year in a row Cork played in the All-Ireland final and, for the second consecutive year, Galway were the opponents. In a close game Cork just about secured a 2-15 to 2-10 win. It was Cusack's second consecutive All-Ireland under-21 winners' medal.
Senior
Cusack's move onto the Cork senior team was a natural progression for such a talented player. He made his senior debut in an Oireachtas game against TipperaryTipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
in 1996, however, at the time Ger Cunningham
Ger Cunningham
Ger Cunningham is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club St. Finbarr's and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1981 until 1998. Cunningham is regarded as one of the greatest hurling goalkeepers of all-time.Cunningham's status as one of Cork's...
's position as first-choice goalkeeper was safe.
Following the conclusion of the 1998 championship Cunningham retired from inter-county hurling and Cusack was installed as Cork's new custodian. His elevation to the starting fifteen coincided with a year when Cork were back in their first Munster final since 1992. Clare, the team that had won three of the last four provincial titles, together with two All-Ireland titles, provided the opposition and were very much the favourites going into the game. An exciting contest unfolded with Joe Deane scoring a key goal after an excellent pass from Seánie McGrath
Seánie McGrath
Seánie McGrath is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local clubs Mayfield and Glen Rovers and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1997 until 2003.-Early life:...
. A score line of 1-15 to 0-14 gave Cork the victory and gave Cusack his first senior Munster
Munster Senior Hurling Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Munster in Ireland....
title. Cork later defeated Offaly
Offaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
in one of the games of the year to set up an All-Ireland final meeting with arch-rivals Kilkenny. A wet and windy day meant that the classic game that everyone expected failed to materialise. Both sides shot seventeen wides over the course of the seventy minutes as a young and inexperienced Cork came back from five points down to win by 0-13 to 0-12. It was Cork's first senior All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
title since 1990 and it was Cusack's first. He finished off the year by claiming his first All-Star
GAA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
award.
In 2000 Cork were the favourites to retain their All-Ireland title. The team got off to a good start by retaining their Munster title, however, Tipperary put up a good fight. It was Cusack's second Munster title as Cork won by 0-23 to 3-12. Cork's next game was an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Offaly. While Cork were expected to win the game without breaking a sweat Offaly caught Cusack's side on the hop and recorded a 0-19 to 0-15 win.
While the Cork hurling team should have gone from strength to strength as a result of a solid foundation at minor and under-21 levels the opposite happened. Embarrassing defeats in 2001 and 2002 saw the Cork hurling team reach rock bottom and call a players' strike just before Christmas in 2002. Cusack played a huge role as one of the main spokesmen in representing the welfare of his fellow players. Had the strike failed it could have meant the end of his and his fellow teammates' careers, however, in the end the county board relented and met the demands. Although still amateur sportsmen the Cork senior hurling team were treated as professional athletes.
In 2003 Cork's players were vindicated in taking a stand as the team reached the Munster final for the first time in three years. Waterford provided the opposition on that occasion as one of hurling’s modern rivalries began in earnest. An exciting game resulted between the two teams; however, victory went to Cork by 3-16 to 3-12. It was Cusack's third Munster medal and it gave a signal that Cork were back. Cusack's side were hot favourites going into the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final against Wexford
Wexford GAA
The Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wexford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wexford. The county board is also responsible for the Wexford inter-county teams.-History:Hurling has been played in...
, however, it was far from a walkover. In one of the most exciting games of the championship both sides finished level: Cork 2-20, Wexford 3-17. Both sides met again six days later with Cork making no mistake and taking the spoils on a score line of 3-17 to 2-7. This win set up an All-Ireland final meeting with Kilkenny. In another thrilling game of hurling both teams were level for much of the game, exchanging tit-for-tat scores. A Setanta Ó hAilpín
Setanta Ó hAilpín
Setanta "Carlos" Ó hAilpín is an Australian-Irish sportsman. He was a hurler with the Cork senior team before becoming a professional Australian Rules footballer. He is of mixed Irish and Rotuman background...
goal steadied the Cork ship, however, a Martin Comerford
Martin Comerford
Martin Comerford is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club O'Loughlin Gaels and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 2002 until 2010.-References:-Teams:...
goal five minutes from the end settled the game as Kilkenny went on to win by 1-14 to 1-11.
2004 saw Cork reach the Munster final once again and, for the second consecutive year, Waterford provided the opposition. In what many consider to be the greatest provincial decider of them all, both sides fought tooth-and-nail for the full seventy minutes. Cork lost the game by just a single point on a score line of Waterford 3-16, Cork 1-21. Although Cork surrendered their provincial crown they were still in with a chance of landing the All-Ireland title. After maneuvering through the qualifiers Cork reached a second consecutive All-Ireland final and, once again, Kilkenny provided the opposition. This game took on a life of its own for a number of reasons. Chief among these was the fact that Kilkenny were attempting to capture a third All-Ireland in-a-row and go one ahead of Cork in the All-Ireland roll of honour. The game was expected to be another classic; however, a damp day put an end to this. The first-half was a low-scoring affair and provided little excitement for fans. The second-half saw Cork completely take over. For the last twenty-three minutes Cork scored nine unanswered points and went on to win the game by 0-17 to 0-9. It was Cusack's second All-Ireland winners' medal.
In 2005 Cork were on form again. They won back the provincial crown that year with a 1-12 to 1-16 victory over Tipperary. It was Cusack's fourth Munster winners' medal as Cork went on the march for glory once again. In the All-Ireland semi-final against Clare their championship campaign was nearly derailed when they fell behind by seven points at the start of the second half. A huge performance by Cork turned this deficit around and Cusack's side eventually went on to win the game by 0-16 to 0-15. While it was expected that Cork and Kilkenny would do battle again in a third consecutive All-Ireland final Galway were the surprise winners of the second semi-final. It was the first meeting of Cork and Galway in an All-Ireland final since 1990 and even more daunting was the fact that men from the west had never beaten Cork in a championship decider. Once again neither side broke away into a considerable lead, however, at the final whistle Cork were ahead by 1-21 to 1-16. For the second year in-a-row Cork were the All-Ireland champions and Cusack collected his third winners’ medal.
In 2006 expectations were high amongst Cork supporters that the team could win a third successive All-Ireland title. These expectations were heightened when the team won the Munster Championship, with Cusack capturing his fifth provincial medal. Cusack had his best championship season with Cork in 2006. He provided real leadership from his goalkeeping position and was one of the stars of the team. Cork were defeated by Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
and were denied the three-in-a-row. In spite of this Cusack won a long-overdue second All-Star Award
GAA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
in November 2006.
In 2007 Cork set out to atone for their failure to capture the elusive three in-a-row. The first game of the championship pitted Cork against Clare, however, there was controversy before the sliothar was even thrown in. The so-called Semplegate
Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium, located in Thurles, North Tipperary, Ireland, is the home of hurling for Tipperary GAA and for the province of Munster. It is the second largest stadium in Ireland with a capacity of 53,500....
affair saw both Cork and Clare emerge from the tunnel at the same. A melee ensued with Cork players Cusack, Diarmuid O'Sullivan and Seán Óg Ó hAilpín being singled out as culprits. Cork won the game against Clare, however, the three players mentioned earlier suspended for the next game against Waterford. Cork lost on that occasion and had to play in the qualifiers in an effort to get their championship campaign back on track. Cork qualified along with Tipperary and were drawn to play Waterford for the second time that year in the All-Ireland quarter-final. That game saw Cusack make a vital save in injury time when Cork were leading by a point, however, Waterford went on to level the scores and a replay was forced. Waterford won the replay and Cork's season came to an abrupt end.
The beginning of 2007 saw Cork's pre-season preparation hampered due to disagreements with the Cork County Board. The Cork senior Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
team refused to play under new manager Teddy Holland
Teddy Holland
Teddy Holland is an Irish retired Gaelic football manager and former player. He played football with his local clubs Ballinascarthy and St. Finbarr's and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1969 until 1970...
and the Cork senior hurlers withdrew their services in sympathy. The 'strike' continued until February 2007, which resulted in Cusack's side withdrawing from the Waterford Crystal Cup
Waterford Crystal Cup
The Waterford Crystal Cup is an annual hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 2006 for the top inter-county teams and third-level universities and institutes of technology teams in the province of Munster in Ireland.The series of games are...
as well as postponing their opening National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
games against Kilkenny and Waterford. Cork were later forced to forfeit their league points after failing to fulfill these fixtures. Cork's first outing in the championship was a meeting with Tipperary. On that occasion Tipp defeated their age-old rivals at home, ending a hoodoo that had lasted since 1923. This defeat resulted in Cork having a second chance in the All-Ireland qualifiers. An unconvincing victory over Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
set up a meeting with Galway, a team tipped for All-Ireland success. The first half was a scrappy affair with Cusack receiving a yellow card early in the first-half. He later received a second yellow card for pulling down a Galway player and was duly sent off shortly before the interval. Cork, however, went on to win the game with Martin Coleman, Jnr
Martin Coleman, Jnr
Martin Coleman, Jnr is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Ballinhassig and made his debut with the Cork senior inter-county team in 2008...
deputising for the sidelined Cusack. In the second-half Cork took charge with Joe Deane
Joe Deane
Joe Deane is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Killeagh and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1996 until 2009...
giving a great display and scoring four crucial points from play to help his team to a 0-23 to 2-15 victory and a place in the All-Ireland quarter-final. Clare were the opposition on that occasion and, once again, Cork gave a poor first-half display. The second-half was a different story with Cork taking charge once again and securing a 2-19 to 2-17 victory. This win allowed Cork to advance to the All-Ireland semi-final where Kilkenny provided the opposition. It was the first time that these two teams met in the championship outside of an All-Ireland final. That game was an intriguing encounter; however, ‘the Cats’ won the day by 1-23 to 0-17.
Following the defeat by Kilkenny in 2008 manager Gerald McCarthy's two-year contract came to an end. He was later re-appointed for a further two-year term by the Cork County Board, in spite of the majority of the players not wanting him to stay on. The players on the 2008 panel, with Cusack taking a more subdued role than normal, refused to play or train under McCarthy. (see 2008-2009 Cork players strike). McCarthy accordingly began the 2009 National League campaign with a new squad, none of whom had been able to make the previous year's panel. After months of pressure McCarthy eventually stepped down as manager.
Following the resolution to these difficulties Cork were defeated by Tipperary on a score line of 1-19 to 0-19 in the opening round of the Munster campaign. After a convincing win over Offaly, Cork's next assignment was a win-or-bust All-Ireland qualifier meeting with Galway. Cork faltered in the final ten minutes, in spite of two great saves from Joe Canning
Joe Canning
Joe Canning is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Portumna and has been a member of the Galway senior inter-county team since 2008....
goal chances, and 'the Tribesmen' knocked 'the Rebels' out of the championship by 1-19 to 0-15.
Inter-provincial
Cusack has also lined out with MunsterMunster GAA
The Munster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Munster.-Constituent counties:*Cork*Clare*Kerry*Limerick*Tipperary*Waterford-Honours:...
in the inter-provincial hurling competition. He first played for his province in the semi-final of the competition in 1999, however, he was replaced by Tipp's Brendan Cummins
Brendan Cummins (Tipperary hurler)
Brendan Cummins is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with Ballybacon-Grange and Gaelic football with Ardfinnan. A former dual player at the highest level, Cummins has been a member of the Tipperary senior hurling team since 1995...
for the final. In 2000 Cusack came on as a substitute to collect his first Railway Cup medal following a win over Leinster
Leinster GAA
The Leinster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Leinster. The Leinster Council has been partnered with the European County Board to help develop Gaelic Games in Europe...
. He came on as a substitute again in 2005 to collect his second Railway Cup title.