Is Darran O'Sullivan a Professional Gaelic Footballer?

[IolarCoisCuain]

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/darran-o-sullivan-puts-kerry-front-and-centre-1.2081734

Finding a cushy job to help prolong an intercounty playing career is one thing, leaving a secure job to help save it is another. Yet Darran O'Sullivan says he would have "cracked" had he not left his job with Ulster Bank to effectively become a full-time Kerry footballer.

Am I missing something here? I remember Jack O'Connor catching heat for writing in his autobiography that the school had him on half-days when he was he managing Kerry. Now Darran O'Sullivan is living on air and nobody bats an eyelid? Someone is being taken for a fool here.

[smort]

I saw him on Sky Sports News there yesterday, he was talking about being an Ambassador/Mentor for their Living for Sport Campaign. Think they go round schools, youth groups and sports clubs, must be getting a few euro for that.

[ck]

2 years ago O'Sullivan was on a football scholarship for DIT whilst still an employee for ulster bank. Now he's a brand ambassador and no doubt a few GPA shillings too.

In fairness the GPA are paving the path to make this type of behaviour normal in the GAA. We are all on the slippery slope as a result, and the numptys in GAA watch on, clueless!

[From the Bunker]

The answer to the question in the title is YES! Well in his fantasy world he is. The reality is that Professional means you get paid! It's a tough conundrum, he's too old to pretend to go to College, or maybe he has that lark done already. He cannot do the 9-5 and sort his head and body out. Just shows you how mad intercounty football has gone! Anyway I'd feel sorry for the lad but there are dime a dozen in his situation with no AI medals and know even if they went down his road of Madness they still would not be in any better position of winning one. 

[Rossfan]

2 years ago O'Sullivan was on a football scholarship for DIT whilst still an employee for ulster bank. Now he's a brand ambassador and no doubt a few GPA shillings too.

In fairness the GPA are paving the path to make this type of behaviour normal in the GAA. We are all on the slippery slope as a result, and the numptys in GAA watch on, clueless!

All the GPA's fault 
It's the Kerry way FFS

[mjg]

More power to him

[orangeman]

He looks younger than he is. We only pass this way once and Darren has decided to give it a lash given his history of chronic injury. Fair play to him if this is what he has decided to do. This course of action would not be open to very many. Good luck to him.

[rrhf]

I know others who make that difficult decision to not work and they don't have gaelic football to occupy them in their spare time.
On a side I know  of some guys who practice their sport at 70 years old for 4 hours a day 7 days a week.  You couldn't burn these boys out and they are not professional nor plan to be.  They just love golf.

[T Fearon]

Stop Press. 6 players who left Tyrone squad this week now applying for jobs in the Bank.

Don't worry.A Fermanagh man has done his best to ensure there are no banks left to employ any GAA stars!

[blanketattack]

I always thought it odd how the media were preoccupied with details such as a player's occupation, and whether they were single or married, kids or not. You'd see it regularly in articles and reports e.g. "the Cork based Garda", " the father of three", "team x with 14 bachelors on the team ". I always felt the players should be entitled to privacy about their private life.

[rosnarun]

is it possible hes just putting the best spin on ' I took redundancy' after all the future propect of the Ulster bank down south are not good. and they are closing branches and letting a lot of people go?