Donal Og's Book

[Reillers]

Is Z list celebrity status now the aspirational pinnacle of high profile people in the GAA in this day in age? Get a book deal and you've made it. I find the whole thing very uninteresting. The GAA is sadly littered with mercenaries.

I suppose that includes Cody, Mickey Harte, Kennelly..etc, right? And it's not just GAA either, it's every bloody sport, so give it a rest. I mean, do you ever stop moaning. I mean give it a break ffs.

[dowling]

"Donal Og's (or so I've heard) is very refreshing (and so far has been) just straight down the line, no bullshit spinning or the same old crap"

So why doesn't he come out and admit he encouraged panel members not to attend a certain funeral?
Why doesn't he admit the Cork strike had a GPA agenda?
Why doesn't he admit professionalism was always part of the GPA agenda?

[heffo]

Firstly, I don't know Donal Og Cusack at all, so I have no idea what the private man is like. I think for people to say they hate him or don't like him is silly. I don't like his ideas a lot of the time, or the way he carries himself in public, or the things he says in relation to the GPA etc, but I don't think that's the person, that's just the bit we see and think we know.

As regards his sexuality, I think that's his own business, and how he deals with letting people know is his own business. So what if he decided it was worth putting in the book. Most autobiographies mention life away from the game, wife, family etc. Donal obviously has different circumstances and it's fairly reasonable to suggest that once he decided to do a book, that it would be part of it.

I sincerely hope that he doesn't hear any abuse for it, but I know he has already. It's been one of those 'secrets' that were fairly well known or rumoured for a while, as he suggests himself. The fact that some lads who know hurling weren't aware of it is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. What a man does in his own time is his own business. This shouldn't change because he's publicly said it.

Having said all that, these comments from Reillers made me chuckle a bit. Unintended I know, but all the more funny for it.

All his teammates came out and support him,

and

Clare player was slagging Donal Og about it and there was a bit more of the handbags between them.

Sorry, juvenile I know

Did anyone read Cody's book..a complete snoze, full of clichys and absolute bore. Whatever about the man himself, one of the great GAA men like, but that book....
Donal Og's (or so I've heard) is very refreshing (and so far has been) just straight down the line, no bullshit spinning or the same old crap we hear all the time. Just honest, his views, and a lot of biographies aren't like that.
And so far it seems to be getting good reviews..so.

I agree with you on this one Reillers - I'd much prefer to read a book that actually has something to say and gives an insight into the contentious issues the player has been involved in.

My feelings on Donal Og the GPA member are well known at this stage, but his private life is his own business and I think he was right to deal with the sexuality issue in this way - it's going to generate more hype in the media about the book, but I don't believe he came out for any other reason other than to get it out there as it were, as it was widely known already.

To put it in context, I picked up a Teddy Kennedy autobiography on a recent flight to the States and immediately flicked to the index to look for the chapter on Chappaquidick - there was no mention of it whatsoever, so fair play to Donal Og for being so candid  - he could easily have portrayed the issue in a far softer light and not mentioned picking up one night stands in Vietnam etc..

[theskull1]

Is Z list celebrity status now the aspirational pinnacle of high profile people in the GAA in this day in age? Get a book deal and you've made it. I find the whole thing very uninteresting. The GAA is sadly littered with mercenaries.

I suppose that includes Cody, Mickey Harte, Kennelly..etc, right? And it's not just GAA either, it's every bloody sport, so give it a rest. I mean, do you ever stop moaning. I mean give it a break ffs.

Yes as it happens it do. But the glossy media frenzy the will surround this one will make it a bit of a pantomine

He'll bring a hell lot more of abuse on him now, but he hasn't gone looking for it, nobody ever does.
And the amount of abuse that he'll get from certain people who will be doing it for their personal oppinion of him himself, or their beliefs or hell even just for a "joke" wont be made up for in book sales.
Like I said, if you heard him talk in it, he wouldn't do it to himself, his family or the lads on the pitch next to him, because like he says, it bothers them more then it does him.

I did read over your previous comments here Reillers after reading heffo's latest post.

Do you think his parents needed to know about him picking up a total stranger in vietnam for casual sex? I think he's more interested in sensationalizing than worrying about what his family might think. If your motivations was not to make money but solely to tell your story Reillers, would you write about the one night stands you've knobbed in your book and do you think your parents (never mind the GAA public) would consider that an important part of your story?

Its all very similar to the story format of z celebs
Jordan bears her soul to the Mirror
Peter tells his side of the story in the Sun

Theres no shame in these stories when you're making money from embarrassing yourself and your family.

[EddieMerx]

As for people saying everyone knew about it, its not as simple as that.  Everyone did not know about it, infact very few did, what everyone heard was the rumour that he was gay, but thats not the same as saying you "knew" he was gay.  There is a difference.  If that was the case I could post a few names of a few other sports people that are rumoured to be gay  Chances are, most that are rumoured to be are probably not.

Are you sure? The person who told me is also Gay and Donal is known in the Gay community so it's not like he was hiding in a closet, so as Reillers stated it has been known in Cork

[Aghdavoyle]

I know of only two other gay irish sports "stars", and neither are "out". a leinster footballer and a munster rugby player.

[longrunsthefox]

I know a county footballer plays the piano- no sh*t! 

[cicfada]

That Munster rugby player puts Donal og into the shade when it comes to fame and recognition that's for sure ! That will be some revelation that's for sure! Anyway back to Donal, he stands  to make a pile of money based on his sexual preferences, so why all the solicitors lettters to his Cloyne teammate( allegedly)  over some remark in the dressing room ?? Why the surprise over all the abuse from the terraces? it's nothing compared to what he would get if he was picked by Denis Walsh next year that's for sure!! The whole book regardless of his personal revelation will make him even more disliked if the dripfeeds of extracts coming out are indicative of the rest of it!!!

[Bud Wiser]

I would have thought that what you say off the pitch stays off the pitch between mates but I don't think it was very fair of him to publicly name the three lads who went for a massage when they were in the aptly named city of Bangkok.

I am sure these lads wives will be buying the book and will have no problem deciphering who "Ogsie" and the other lads named are.  Was the row between themselves, the Cork lads and the Kilkenny boys during the All-Stars trip the reason why Cody kept the finger on the trigger and fed in the whole nine yards in Nolan Park this year? 

[Aghdavoyle]

Seriously now lads, are we saying that donal should have avoided the subject of his homosexuality? When he decided to tell his story in a book (as so many sports stars of various codes do) he had to deal with this subject or give no credability to the book.

For those of you pretending to be offended on behalf of his father, you are advocating writing a watered down story. the best autobiographys (cascarino, adams, etc) are good because they are brutally honest - no matter how poor a light it shows the author in.

Personally, if i'm reading a sporting autobiography i want to read warts and all or i will stop reading immediately.

at we can't get good biogs about. personally i'd love to read "real" autobiographies on cody, o'grady, harte, kernan, McGeeney, o'rourke, etc.

[johnneycool]

when is this book to be released?

Who ghost wrote it or is it all Donal's work?

[Reillers]

when is this book to be released?

Who ghost wrote it or is it all Donal's work?

It was out yesterday.

[theskull1]

Seriously now lads, are we saying that donal should have avoided the subject of his homosexuality? When he decided to tell his story in a book (as so many sports stars of various codes do) he had to deal with this subject or give no credability to the book.

For those of you pretending to be offended on behalf of his father, you are advocating writing a watered down story. the best autobiographys (cascarino, adams, etc) are good because they are brutally honest - no matter how poor a light it shows the author in.

Personally, if i'm reading a sporting autobiography i want to read warts and all or i will stop reading immediately.

at we can't get good biogs about. personally i'd love to read "real" autobiographies on cody, o'grady, harte, kernan, McGeeney, o'rourke, etc.

Serious question Aghdavoyle and any other avid autobio reader

Why the fascination with high profile sports people? Do youse think the fact they're a bit more talented make them and their opinions a bit more interesting than the rest of the public. I think they're the female equivilant of the glossy mag myself full of embelished stories written to make them all seem a bit more considered funny and intruiging.

[Aghdavoyle]

personally i look for their stories of the arena. competition at the highest level. what motivates them, how theoy focus, how they react to pressure, how it effects them in normal life, etc. there is nothing more intriguing thanthe human reaction to elite competition or battle.

the "rest of the public" don't have those stories to tell.



EDIT - should have added - way to argue just for the sake of arguing....

[orangeman]

Coming across well on TV. Says he's been interviewed by channel 4, Observer etc etc - international star now.