From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Dónal Óg Cusack |
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| Personal information |
| Sport |
Hurling |
| Irish Name |
Dónal Óg Ó Cíosóg |
| Full name |
Dónal Óg Cusack |
| Date of birth |
March 16, 1977 (1977-03-16) (age 31) |
| Place of birth |
Cloyne , County Cork |
| Club information |
| Club |
Cloyne |
| Position |
Goalkeeper |
| Inter-County |
| County |
Cork |
| Position |
Goalkeeper |
| Inter-County(ies)** |
| County |
Years |
Apps (scores) |
| Cork |
1996- |
40 (0-0) |
| Senior Inter-County Titles |
| Munster Titles |
5 |
| All-Ireland |
3 |
| All Stars |
1 |
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* club appearances and scores
correct as of .
**Inter County team apps and scores correct
as of .
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Dónal Óg Cusack (born 16 March 1977 in Cloyne, County Cork) is an Irish sportsman. He plays hurling with his local club Cloyne and with the Cork senior inter-county team. He is the current goalkeeper on both teams and is regarded by commentators as one of the best in the current game.
He has been nominated for five All Stars and has received the award twice.[1]
[edit] Early life
Dónal Óg Cusack was born in Cloyne, County Cork in 1977. He was educated locally and currently works as an electrical engineer. A grandnephew of the famed Christy Ring, generally regarded as the greatest hurler of all time, Cusack was noted as a good hurler from an early age. He made his first inter-county debut in the early 1990s when he took part in the Under-14 Tony Forrestal Tournament. He tasted further hurling success at Midleton CBS when he captained the under-15 side to Munster victory in the Whyte Cup. In 1995 Cusack had more underage hurling success with his school when he captained the team that won the Harty Cup, a prestigious hurling competition in Munster. His team-mates on the Midleton panel included future hurling star Joe Deane.
[edit] Career
[edit] Minor & Under-21
Cusack's hurling prowess brought him to the attentions of the Cork inter-county selectors and he was soon picked as goalkeeper on the minor team. He was central to Cork winning the All-Ireland Minor title in 1995, the teams first minor title since 1985. Cusack made his senior inter-county debut against Tipperary in 1996 in an Oireachtas game. It would be another few years before he became the first-choice goalkeeper.
Following his victories at minor level Cusack soon made the Cork under-21 team. In 1997 he won an All-Ireland Under-21, before finishing off the year by winning a Cork County Championship medal with Imokilly. In 1998 Cusack won a second consecutive All-Ireland under-21 medal. His team-mates on those teams - Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, Wayne Sherlock and Diarmuid O'Sullivan - would all go on to form the backbone of the senior team over the next decade. More importantly for Cusack was the fact that Ger Cunningham, the goalkeeper on the Cork senior team since 1980, decided to retire from the game. Cusack now became the first-choice goalkeeper on the senior side.
[edit] Senior
In his first full season in 1999 Cusack won his first Munster Championship medal before qualifying for his very first All-Ireland final. In a Cork team that had an average age of just 21 Cork were the underdogs on the day, however, they overcame Kilkenny by a single point with Cusack winning his first senior All-Ireland medal. He finished off the year be winning his first, and to date his only, All-Star Award.
In 2000 Cusack won a second consecutive Minster title, however, his side were defeated by Offaly in the All-Ireland semi-final. While Cusack's hurling career should have gone from strength to strength, Cork's hurling fortunes took a remarkable downturn, culminating in a players strike in 2002. Cusack was one of the main leaders when the entire hurling panel withdrew their services in December 2002 demanding better conditions. Eventually the players demands were met and normal service resumed on the Cork hurling team. Cusack has continued his campaign for better conditions for players and is the current chairman of the Gaelic Players Association, an unofficial players "union". In 2003 Cork were back. Cusack won his third munster Championship medal before going on to play Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final. In spite of losing that day the odds were that Cork and Kilkenny would meet again in the 2004 final.
In 2004 Cork lost the Munster final, however, they qualified for the All-Ireland final via the "back-door system". Once again their opponents were Kilkenny, however, this time Cork overturned the result of the previous year and Cusack captured a second All-Ireland winners medal. Cork were on form again in 2005 with Cusack capturing his fourth provincial Munster medal, before going on to defeat Galway in the final to win his third All-Ireland 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. Unfortunately for Cusack 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.
He made a vital save in injury time in the drawn All-Ireland quarter final against Waterford in 2007 when Cork were leading by a point.
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Cork - All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions 1999 (28th title) |
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Cork - All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Runners Up 2003 |
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Cork - All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions 2004 (29th title) |
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Cork - All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions 2005 (30th title) |
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Cork - All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Runners-up 2006 |
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Cork Senior Hurling Team 2008 |
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[edit] External links
