Latest news with #DonalOgCusack
The Irish Sun
20-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Donal Og Cusack pays tribute to ‘inspirational' Tipperary GAA star for overcoming cancer to play in All-Ireland final
DONAL OG CUSACK paid tribute to Noel McGrath as he lined up for Tipperary in the All-Ireland hurling final ten years on from being diagnosed with cancer. The Loughmore-Castleiney man learned he had testicular cancer in April 2015 and had surgery just four days later. Advertisement 2 Noel McGrath was on the bench for Tipperary in the All-Ireland final ten years on from being diagnosed with cancer Credit: Ray McManus/Sportsfile 2 Donal Og Cusack paid tribute to him The then-24-year-old was back in a Tipp jersey just four months later, receiving a standing ovation at Croke Park in a game against Galway. And on Sunday, he was on the bench as the Premier faced Cork for the first time in an All-Ireland final and Tipp's first since 2019. He is one of three McGrath's on the panel, with John starting at full-forward and Brian joining Noel on the bench. And speaking before the game, ex-Cork goalkeeper Donal Og Cusack paid tribute to Noel and his family for overcoming adversity. Advertisement Read More on GAA He hailed: "When Noel McGrath comes into my mind, there is one thing I want to say. "Ten years ago that man was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Ten years ago. "And everybody within the hurling world would have been given a shock by it. "Ten years later, he is back here and is on of the main people with two brothers playing. Advertisement Most read in GAA Hurling Live Blog Comment "What an inspiration him and his family are for hurlers all over the country." Cork are overwhelming favourites to lift Liam McCarthy for the first time in 20 years. 'Easiest interview I've ever had' jokes RTE GAA host after pundits go back and forth before Meath vs Donegal SunSport columnist, and Tipperary icon, Babs Keating believes Pat Ryan's men will get the job done. But he suggested the Advertisement He wrote: "If I was in Cahill's position I would adopt a new strategy that we haven't seen from this Tipp team in recent years — and that's to lower the blade. "Going back to 1964 when we were facing a Kilkenny team that had won an All-Ireland a year earlier, our full-back line was aging. "When I say aging, John Doyle was at it for 15 years at that stage and he had six All-Irelands. "Mick Maher was there with three and the majority of the team had been on the go for a decade — Theo English, Seán McLaughlin, John McKenna, Donie Nealon and all that gang. Advertisement "The word was the Kilkenny full-forward line were speed merchants and I remember John Doyle saying before the game that we'd have to lower the blade. "It was an old farming expression that you had to go deep down to cut the corn. "And that was his way of expressing how we had to deal with the speed that Kilkenny had to offer. "We lowered the blade in that final and won 5-13 to 2-8. Our backs were ravenous. Advertisement "Cahill needs that from Ronan Maher, Bryan O'Mara and Craig Morgan today. "But whether they have enough craft, experience and knowledge to do it against Alan Connolly, Shane Barrett, Brian Hayes, Declan Dalton or anybody that might come in after that remains to be seen."
BBC News
05-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Coming out as gay 'daunting' - Armagh All-Ireland winner Shields
Armagh's Mark Shields admits coming out as a gay inter-county footballer was "daunting", but says it was "important to tell my own story" as he publicly discussed his sexuality for the first time. An All-Ireland winner with the Orchard County in 2024, Shields spoke about coming out in the GAA world at the Gaelic Players Association's annual Pride Bunch last weekend. Shields is the first active male inter-county player to speak about being gay since former Cork hurler Donal Og Cusack, while Tyrone club footballer Kevin Penrose spoke about his experience on The GAA Social earlier this says he hopes his story will help young Gaelic games players who are struggling to express their sexuality."I feel it's just important to tell my own story of 12-15 years playing inter-county, my experience of coming through the ranks, being a senior inter-county player in the male GAA environment," said Shields in a video posted on the GPA's Instagram account."It was a daunting task coming out, whenever it was, about 10-12 years. The culture has changed within society, within the group in Armagh. I feel that I can express myself more. The group are more accepting."The language used around the group is changing. There's people standing up for people, for myself in the group, whereas maybe that didn't happen that much before. I think the culture is changing within the GAA itself." 'I hope telling my story will help younger players' Whitecross club-man Shields says some of the language previously used in changing rooms was "hurtful", but that he feels more supported within the GAA now. "It's been excellent to have allyships and people advocating for it in social media, and around GAA set-ups, and the GPA," he said."I hope speaking out and telling my story will help that younger player, be it male or female, non-binary to express themselves in the GAA environment."Shields added that speaking to his sister helped him before he came out. "I had to find someone I trusted in, that was my sister," he said."I spoke to my sister a lot, and would have a close relationship with her, my partner as well. It's finding that someone you trust and you want to express yourself to them."I found that very helpful whenever I was trying to tell my story and trying to come out. They were the ones that stood by me throughout and supported me whenever I felt down or low in the dumps or in a dark place."It doesn't have to be in front of a group; it can be a one-to-one conversation with someone. That's how I found it easier, to have that walk on the beach, in a forest or just chatting to someone over a coffee. That was the easiest way for myself."
Irish Daily Mirror
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Tackle was 'reckless,' and 'Like something you'd see in the French Revolution'
Donal Og Cusack says a tackle that went unpunished in the Galway/Dublin game was 'like something you'd see in the French Revolution.' The RTE pundit, speaking on the Sunday Game, took issue with Conor Donohoe's high tackle across Galway's John Fleming, which knocked his helmet off. Referee Colm Lyons and his team of officials didn't pick the incident up, and no action was taken. However, this means that Donohoe could well face retrospective action from the GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) and could be slapped with a proposed suspension ahead of Dublin's All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final in three weeks time. With a raft of potential red card incidents highlighted on the Sunday Game last night that either weren't picked up by match officials, or resulted in yellow cards, it has reignited debates over the standard of refereeing, the training of match officials and the need for a video official. The CCCC could have a busy afternoon with Galway goalkeeper Darach Fahy also likely to be sweating for a swipe at Dublin's AJ Murphy, which went unpunished by the match officials. However, Cork's Sean O'Donoghue, who reacted to being bundled over by striking out at Dessie Hutchinson in their victory over Waterford, could be in the clear for their Munster Final encounter with Limerick in a fortnight. Referee Johnny Murphy yellow carded O'Donoghue for the incident. In such scenarios the GAA generally deem the issue to have been dealt with by the referee although they do have the power to ask him to review it again. Galway's Daithi Burke is likely to be in the clear after being yellow carded be referee Lyons for a thumping shoulder to the chest of Dubliin's Conor Burke. Sunday Game pundit Liam Sheedy said some of the incidents across the week were 'more street fighting than street wise,' while Donal Og Cusack aaddressed the Donohoe challenge on Fleming. 'This last one here, something like to be honest you'd see in the French Revolution,' said the Cork All-Ireland winner. 'It's more suited to something that would be happening in the Bastille. 'I can't understand how the umpires didn't see that. Hurling is a physical game. It's a game for courage. It's a game for bravery. It's a game for toughness. There's nothing tough about that tackle.' And on Darach Fahy's swipe at AJ Murphy, Cusack said:'He's not going to break his leg with something like that but there's nothing tough about that. 'In that situation - we've said it in numerous situations - there's a duty on the umpire to be calling the referee. 'When I speak about duty, there's a duty on the tackler. You see Daithi Burke on Conor Burke. "There's a duty on the tackler in those situations to be careful with the player. A shoulder on the chest could go seriously wrong.' Cusack went on to question the role of the GAA: 'You'd have to ask, who is leading? We saw during the winter there was stuff being leaked out to the media and we all know where it was going before the referees were getting it. 'You'd have to ask what type of support they (referees) are getting from Croke Park. Are they getting the fitness help and so on? 'Has the day come to get some sort of technology into the GAA to help em. I do think the GAA are going to have to make big decisions. 'You hear a lot coming out of Croke Park about the handpassing of the ball. There's way bigger problems in hurling than somebody who is trying to handpass the ball quickly. 'We've seen it with the whole tackle. The tackle is one of the biggest issues. 'A number of years ago when some of us were speaking about the introduction of the spare hand and all the issues that that was going to bring in the game, the GAA avoided going after trying to define the tackle. 'So you'd have to question from a leadership point of view in Croke Park, because the game of hurling has never been better and that comes from a fella who played the game a number of years. 'We know the game has always been skilful players. The game is excellent but one of the biggest problems we have in the game is the standard of refereeing. 'And it gives none of us, and we've said it about three or four times because we respect referees…. 'And especially at club level the game won't go ahead without referees, but it's just not good enough." Cusack continued: 'You (Sheedy) spoke about the responsibility on players but you'd have to say the standard of refereeing is just not good enough. 'My own minor team at home will know whenever we speak about referees, I always ask them, 'Who is the bravest person on the field?' and I will always say, 'It's the referee,' because in a lot of cases they are there by themselves. 'But the game, especially at this level, has advanced so much physically, pace wise, technology, the referees just haven't advanced at the same pace.' Speaking about the Galway/Dublin game, Liam Sheedy said: 'It could have been 13 against 14. It should have been absolutely. There's no question all three of them were sendings off. Equally the game is made - we want it to be 15 on 15, but there is a duty of care. John Kiely said it a number of weeks ago - players need to respect the players they are playing against. 'Some of the stuff we are seeing is stupid and silly stuff, but some of it is wreckless, down right wreckless. That could have been and should have been 14 against 13 at the end of the first half.' Sheedy felt Cork's Sean O'Donoghue should have been sent off for an incident with Dessie Hutchinson. 'I mean, he clearly strikes Dessie Hutchinson, and to me that should have been a red card for striking. 'Johnny does consult and it ends up where Sean O'Donoghue gets a yellow card and Stephen Bennett actually gets a yellow card for throwing away the hurley. To me, if that is a striking action, it's a sending off.'
The Irish Sun
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Cork ace Ashling Thompson makes worrying prediction ahead of Camogie Association's Special Congress on skorts saga
CAMOGIE ASSOCIATION bosses hope their concerns over the playing of this year's All-Ireland Championships are put to bed this evening as the skorts saga comes to a head at Croke Park. Following a spate of protests from inter-county teams over the required playing gear, a Special Congress has been convened in an attempt to resolve the issue. Approximately 150 delegates are set to be in attendance to vote on a motion which would allow each player to make their own decision over whether to wear a skort or shorts in competitive fixtures. A two-thirds majority is needed for it to pass. After similar motions were defeated last year, delegates are sure to be reminded that freedom of choice — and not the abolition of the skort — is the matter at hand. At Congress in April 2024, a motion proposing that players be permitted to choose between skorts and shorts only received 45 per cent support. Read More On GAA Just 36 per cent of delegates backed a separate motion for shorts to replace skorts. This was despite Gaelic Players Association research which revealed 70 per cent of inter-county players deem skorts uncomfortable, while 83 per cent would like the right to choose between wearing skorts and shorts. Conscious of the potentially catastrophic consequences of the motion not being given the green light this evening, Camogie Association chiefs have lobbied county boards and provincial councils to vote for change. But Cork star Ashling Thompson has admitted that she is not confident it will pass. Most read in GAA Hurling Speaking on the Square Ball podcast, she said: 'That fear is based on the fact that these are delegates that are voting. 'These numbers were given and you had delegates that represented the players . . . we were voted against by our delegates.' Limerick GAA fans troll RTE pundit Donal Og Cusack after win over Cork Thompson was due to play for Cork in the Munster final against Waterford earlier this month. But it was postponed on less than 24 hours' notice after both teams made it clear that they were only prepared to play in shorts. The motion will come into effect for the start of the All-Ireland Championships on Saturday if passed. A statement on the outcome of the vote is expected to be issued some time after 8pm. 1 Ashling Thompson worries that once again the wishes of the majority of players will be ignored
The Irish Sun
18-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Watch moment Limerick GAA fans taunt RTE pundit after win over Cork as Joanne Cantwell jokes ‘I wonder who that's for'
LIMERICK fans appeared to taunt Donal Og Cusack after watching their team beat his native Cork in the Munster hurling championship on Sunday. Cusack - who won five Munster titles and three All-Irelands for the Rebels - was in the middle of analyzing the game when a roar came up from the pitch at the Gaelic Grounds. 1 Limerick hammered Cork in the Munster hurling championship Credit: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile Down below, a large cohort of cheer in Cusack's direction. The former goalkeeper tried to snap back at the cheeky congregation by saying: "There is a long year yet, folks", although he conceded they may not have heard him. Joanne Cantwell chimed in by rhetorically asking: "I wonder who that's aimed at of all the panel". Liam Sheedy responded: "It could be any one of the three of us." Read More on GAA Sunday belonged to John Kiely's men, who put their bitter rivals to the sword in a stylish first-half, followed by a controlled second. Goals from Aaron Gillane and Adam English - And while According to Donal Og Cusack, the result and Most read in GAA Hurling He said: "The game is the game. "I don't think anybody expected that Limerick would beat Cork by this amount today. Inside Lee Chin's life including day job as Wexford forward even stars during RTE GAA ad breaks with Johnny B "But from a Cork point of view, the worst part is over. "They will just have to go back, take this beating and a lot of learnings. "There were more than small cracks became emergent there and those cracks will have a jackhammer put to them. "I think they definitely learnt their lesson in terms of how to mark key Limerick men individually. "The need, when Cork get chances, that they need to put them away. "There is a long season ahead. "It has to be said from a Cork point of view, this Limerick we ever seen a better team? "What a machine they were today. So well engineered, resilient, strong, every part working and up for the fight everywhere."
