Coming out as gay in the GAA world
Aghyaran footballer Kevin Penrose is the guest on this week's The GAA Social Podcast on BBC Sounds. The surname 'Penrose' will be familiar to Tyrone football watchers with Kevin's brother Martin having helped the Red Hand County win the All-Ireland Senior title in 2005 and 2008.Growing up in a GAA household, football was the done thing and he played for the club during his childhood and teenage years.However the realisation that he was gay after going to university in Liverpool in his early twenties led to Kevin pulling back from the club to an extent, although he did continue to have sporadic playing stints with the St Davog's outfit based near Castlederg."The whole thing of changing room culture and lad culture was a thing. There are words thrown out there," he recalls.Kevin took several more years to come out to his family and friends and it was during a travelling stint in south east Asia in 2022 when he was aged 28, that he finally broke the news to his mother during a FaceTime call home.The Aghyaran native painted a picture during the BBC podcast of the mental anguish that he went through for five days during a stint in the Thai city of Phuket as he weighed up whether to tell his family and friends about his sexuality. "I felt the travelling was catching up on me and reaching burnout in a way," Kevin recalls"I was in a dark room in a hotel. The motivation was gone to travel and I was just like, 'I can't really do this any more.' I was probably in the room for about five days straight. Wasn't going out, wasn't seeing anyone and I knew myself what it was."I needed to ring home and I needed to tell people and when I made the phone call on the Thursday or Friday with mum, it was just an instant weight lifted."
His mother and father and indeed all his family reacted with love and understanding, which meant Kevin could finally visualise his previous life "of essentially playing two different people….two different characters", coming to an end."Dad is a man of few words. It was just 'right well done' sort of thing. He is just a typical GAA father and he was asking, 'when are you coming home?'. Where are you going today?'"After telling his aunts, uncles and cousins, Kevin, who already had a sizable social media following thanks to the travel videos he had been posting, felt it was time to inform the wider world."I was travelling for another month and with social media, having the platform I just thought 'I'll post this and whoever sees it, that's done and dusted'. Though as long as my family and close friends knew, that's all that really I cared about."By the time he arrived home in Castlederg, the word had spread and 2021 Tyrone All-Ireland winner Ronan McNamee soon got in touch to ask Kevin to return to playing football for Aghyaran. "I was worried in a sense because I hadn't really been fully involved in the team for years….in and out, in and out. I was there but not fully there. "Ronan McNamee asked me to come back playing and was speaking on behalf of the lads and saying 'no one has a problem with this'."
'I know I'm a good footballer'
Three years on, Kevin is firmly established in the Aghyaran senior squad and is looking forward to the 2025 campaign for his club after playing probably the best football of his career in 2024."I know I'm a good footballer and growing up in my teens I was a key player in the group which is now the senior team that we play with. That same group of lads. "It was only last year when I was focused and not worrying about everything else and just there to play football."I do feel 100% included with the team. Not once have a I felt uncomfortable walking into that changing room or when we're on the pitch. For myself, I know I'm really included with the lads, although I know it might not be the case for everyone else in a similar situation within the GAA."Kevin admits that there still occasions he has to personally "call out" certain types of behaviour and comments."If you don't call it out, they won't know any better," he adds.
Social media career
Professionally, he is now making a living from his travel videos with brands using his social media profile to advertise on his platforms. "It started just as a love of outdoors and hiking and during my summers growing up on Camp America. "But Ireland has a lot here too with, cliffs, mountains and the beaches. I've made an effort to explore my own country and with my GoPro camera."Once you grow your following and get people engaged, brands just look at you as a way to push their products and that's where the brand deals come and how you make your money out of it."It's mad to think it's a career but so far so good."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
15 minutes ago
- The Sun
Meg Nicholls ‘bags a belter' for dad Paul in £280,000 spending spree as father-daughter duo smash the sales
MEG Nicholls helped dad Paul 'bag a beauty' as the father-daughter duo went on a huge £280,000 spending spree at the sales. Sun Racing told you that legendary 14-time champion trainer Paul is enabling the help of Meg at the auctions this year. 1 The pair hit up the Goffs Arkle sale in Ireland on Tuesday and got the cheque book out in style - snapping up three hugely promising sorts. The pick of the bunch was a £130,000 gelding by champion jumps sire Walk In The Park, whose mum Lackaneen Leader was placed in a Grade 1. Meg, who combines her role as an ITV pundit with sourcing top talent, said: "I'm absolutely delighted to get him. "We got our three top picks, and thought we might have had to stretch a bit more for the Walk In The Park. "Dad actually loved him from the moment he came out of his box. "His eyes lit up really, the horse had that bit of class about him. "He's really athletic, and we can't wait to get him back and get him going. "We knew he would make this sort of money – he really is classy, he had that swagger about him, and he's by the right sire. "We've been fighting hard against some big stables and as I have got older I've found it easier to work alongside Dad! "To get some pretty smart horses at what we valued them at - I'm delighted. Now we need to find the right owners for them." The pair also bought £78,000 L'Ami Pierrot, who is related to Nicky Henderson's former multiple Grade 1 winner L'Ami Serge. Being by Nirvana Du Berlais, he also shares a sire with Lulamba, so expect him to be a speedy sort capable over hurdles. The Nicholls also went to £75,000 for an unnamed gelding by Vadamos, whose progeny include Grade 3 winner The Other Mozzie and Grade 1-placed runners such as Matata and King Of Kingsfield. Nicholls told Sun Racing he will continue to work with long-time sales ally Tom Malone. But he thought it would be beneficial having another set of eyes helping him too, hence the decision to bring in Meg. He said: "I've been hearing all sorts of rumours, Tom and I are good mates but there has never been any contract between us. "He's a freelance and he buys plenty for me, so do several others. "I'm going to work with everybody, but Megan is going to get quite a bit more involved for me. "Results could have gone better over the last few years but that's the way things are, it's very hard buying these days. "I'll keep all avenues open, but more so than ever I'd like to get Megan much more involved on that front." Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who:
BreakingNews.ie
17 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Animations from children of Gaza to receive Dublin screening debut
A special screening of short animations created by children from Gaza will take place in Dublin on Monday, June 16th. The Gaza in Colour screening will see 17 of these short films receive their cinematic debut in The Stella Cinema, Rathmines at 6pm. Advertisement The Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland, Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, will open the screening. The screening has been organised by Shauna Cullen of Jam Media with additional support from Animation Ireland and Avalon Films. These short animations exist thanks to the efforts of Haneen Koraz, a former teacher and now an acclaimed animation director and mentor from Gaza. Working with children based in refugee camps in Gaza, she provides animation workshops where these young artists can express themselves, process trauma, and "preserve their stories and their sense of childhood". "These workshops serve as small acts of resistance, joy, and healing in deeply difficult times. Advertisement "Through animation, these young voices are speaking to the world, and Haneen is helping to make sure they're heard. The animations present a sometimes fantastical, sometimes comedic and sometimes poignant sense of the daily lives experienced by these children who range in age from 5 years old upwards." Some of the short films they have prepared include 'Six Children and One Plate' and 'My Grandfather's Magical Cane', which were created by children from the Basmat Almat Camp in the city of Deir al-Balah, Gaza. The hope is that this Dublin cinema screening will help bring focus to the work of these children and encourage more people to watch and engage with their short films, which are published on a weekly basis through the Instagram account of Animation Community for Palestine. Speaking about the event, Shauna Cullen said: 'Like many, I've been heartbroken and overwhelmed by the horrors unfolding in Palestine. Amid this devastation, I came across something extraordinary: children, living in tents, creating animated films under the guidance of Haneen Koraz. Haneen has become a beacon of creativity and hope in the midst of unimaginable circumstances." Advertisement Ms Cullen added: 'What these children have been able to produce is remarkable. Even when the full dimensions of reality become too much to bear, these children are able to find escape through art and creativity. 'This evening is both a celebration of their creativity and a gesture of solidarity. We want to show these children that people are paying attention to them and that people are interested in their art. "We want to get more people looking at these short animations either on the day itself or via the Instagram account of Animation Community for Palestine. Every view sends a message to these children that people are paying attention to what they are doing and to their struggle. It helps amplify their voices, while also affirming their right to dream, to tell their stories, and to be children." Anyone who is interested in these animations and would like to follow the Instagram account can do so on Animation Community for Palestine, which can be found on
Metro
19 minutes ago
- Metro
Tottenham star reacts to Frank rumours after 'strange' Postecoglou sacking
Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven says he found Ange Postecoglou's dismissal 'strange' given the Australian proved his 'winning mentality' by ending the club's 17-year wait for a trophy. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy decided to bring Postecoglou's tenure to an abrupt halt last Friday, just 16 days after the north London outfit edged out Manchester United in an all-English Europa League final. The scrappy 1-0 victory secured Tottenham a place in the Champions League for the first time since the 2022/23 campaign and Postecoglou would no doubt have been looking forward to leading his side into Europe's premier competition next season. But Spurs' woeful domestic campaign – their worst-ever in the Premier League – ultimately cost Postecoglou his job and the search is ramping up for his successor. Brentford head coach Thomas Frank has emerged as the overwhelming favourite to take over the reins at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Spurs' talks with Brentford are progressing at a pace. It's understood Tottenham will have to pay a compensation fee of £10million to get a deal over the line for Frank. Asked for his thoughts on Postecoglou's sacking after the Netherlands' 8-0 thrashing of Malta, Van de Van told Voetbal Zone: 'That was ultimately a choice from the club. 'We, as players, have little to say about that. Of course, he is the first coach in a long time who has won a trophy has had success at Spurs. So if you look at it that way, it is of course a strange choice. 'It is a choice from the club about which we have little to say, so we will see what happens now.' Van de Ven admits it looks likely that Frank will be named as Postecoglou's replacement in due course. 'Of course, we see some rumours about the Brentford head coach, who it will probably be,' he added. 'So yes, a choice from the club about which we have little to say.' The Dutch centre-back believes Tottenham players must accept much of the responsibility for their 17th-placed finish which led to Postecoglou being fired. 'I think many of the players got along with him well and, of course, what I say is that he is the first coach who has brought success to Spurs in a long time,' he continued. 'That also shows that he has a certain quality. It also means that he has a winning mentality, 100 per cent. More Trending 'From that, you would of course say that it is strange that he was fired. 'What we have shown in the Premier League is, of course, unacceptable. That would, of course, have been a factor, but that was not only down to the coach.' The leading candidate to replace Postecoglou, Frank, is said to be eager to push through a switch to north London and has reportedly told the club to make Bryan Mbeumo their first summer signing. But Mbeumo is also attracting strong interest from Manchester United this summer, with the Red Devils lodging a second offer worth more than £60m for the Cameroon forward in recent days. Should Spurs have kept Ange Postecoglou? For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: 'I would love that' – Liverpool urged to hijack £60m Manchester United transfer MORE: Chelsea banish four players from Club World Cup squad but hand chance to young star MORE: Benjamin Sesko's manager tells him to reject one club after Arsenal and Man Utd talks
