Fergal McCusker

Fergal P. McCusker
Personal information
Irish nameFeárghal Mac Oscair
SportGaelic football
PositionHalf back
Born16 March 1970
County Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
OccupationBank official
Club(s)
YearsClubApps (scores)
?-2007Glen?
Inter-county(ies)
YearsCounty
1988-2000Derry
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles2
All-Irelands1
NFL3/4?

Fergal P. McCusker (Irish: Feárghal Mac Oscair) is a Gaelic footballer who played with Derry in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. He played club football with Watty Graham's GAC Glen until retiring in 2007.

McCusker was part of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland Championship winning side, as well as the 1993 and 1998 Ulster Championship winning teams. He earned a reputation for his ability to play in either defence or attack.[1]

Personal life

McCusker was born in Maghera and attended St Patrick's College there. His brother Damien was also in the 1993 Derry team that won the All-Ireland. He works as a bank official and also writes a column for the County Derry Post newspaper. In 2007 he lodged a motion at the Derry GAA convention to rename Derry's training complex Owenbeg, to the Eamonn Coleman Centre of Excellence in honour of legendary Derry GAA figure Eamonn Coleman.

Although a founding member of the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) even coining the organisation's name,[2] McCusker has renounced his membership and in a December 2007 meeting in Newbridge, McCusker publicly spoke out against the direction the organisation had taken in over the recent players' grants issue. On one occasion, he almost came to blows with a Newbridge aficionado who voiced his disapproval of the GPA, McCusker wasn't available to comment at the time and the issue has since died down.[3]

Inter-county career

Regarded as one of the best Derry minor players of all time,[1] McCusker was called up at age 17 to the Derry's senior team during the 1988 National Football League by then manager Tom Scullion. McCusker made his Derry senior debut that year against Armagh and scored a goal in that match to save Derry from relegation.[1] He was part of Derry's 1993 Ulster Championship and All-Ireland winning team, which defeated Cork in the final.

McCusker added a second Ulster Championship medal in 1998. He won National Football League medals with Derry in 1992, 1995, 1996 and 2000??, and retired from inter-county football in 2000.[2] McCusker and Derry finished runners-up to Offaly in the 1998 National League decider.[4]

In September 2008 McCusker was appointed part of a special selection committee set up by the Derry County Board, to interview the candidates for the vacant Derry Senior, Under 21 and Minor managers' positions in both football and hurling.[5] Following the committee's recommendations, Damian Cassidy was formally ratified as new Derry Senior football manager at the county board meeting on 7 October.[6]

Club career

Among other club titles, McCusker won a Derry Minor Football Championship and Derry Senior League medal with Glen in 1987.[7] He played club football up until 2007 when a serious leg break finished his career.

Soccer

Fergal McCusker also had a brief stint playing soccer for Ballyclare Comrades F.C..[8]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Corry, Eoghan (1993). Oakboys - Derry's Football Dream Come True. Dublin, Ireland: Torc Books Ltd. p. 19. ISBN 1-898142-10-6.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Protecting the crown jewels". Irish Independent. 2007-12-09. Retrieved 2008-01-17.
  3. ↑ "Ulster Council to discuss grants". BBC News. 2007-12-05. Retrieved 2008-01-17.
  4. ↑ "Lyons' pride pass tough test of character to land League". Irish Examiner. 27 April 1998. Retrieved 6 April 2008.
  5. ↑ Archer, Kenny (13 September 2008). "Selection panel set up by Derry". The Irish News. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
  6. ↑ "New Derry Senior Football Manager Announced". Official Derry GAA website. 7 October 2008. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
  7. ↑ "A history of the Watty Graham Club by Eamonn Higgins". Archived from the original on 11 December 2007. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
  8. ↑ Gill, Barry (21 January 1996). "Fitz and start". Sunday Mirror. Retrieved 21 January 2008.

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