Dónal Óg Cusack (born 16 March 1977) is an Irish hurling coach and hurler who plays for Cork Premier Championship club Cloyne. He played for the Cork senior hurling team for 16 seasons, during which time he usually lined out as a goalkeeper. Noted for his innovative and sometimes controversial approach as a player and his championing of the cause of player welfare, Cusack is also regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of his generation.
Cusack began his hurling career at club level with Cloyne. He broke onto the club's top adult team as a 17-year-old in 1994 and experienced his greatest success two years later when the club won the 1997 Cork Intermediate Championship title and promotion. Cusack has made 85 championship appearances in three different grades of hurling for the club, while his early prowess also saw him selected for the Imokilly divisional team with whom he won the 1997 Cork Senior Championship.
At inter-county level, Cusack was part of the successful Cork minor team that won the All-Ireland Championship in 1995 before later winning back-to-back All-Ireland Championships with the under-21 team in 1997 and 1998. He also won an All-Ireland Championships with the intermediate team in 1998. He joined the Cork senior team in 1996. Cusack eventually succeeded Ger Cunningham as first-choice goalkeeper and made a combined total of 137 National League and Championship appearances in a career that ended with his last game in 2012. During that time he was part of three All-Ireland Championship-winning teams – in 1999, 2004 and 2005. Cusack also secured five Munster Championship medals and a National Hurling League medal. He announced his retirement from inter-county hurling on 6 March 2013.
Cusack won his first All-Star in 1999, before claiming a further accolade in 2006. He is currently the player with the third-highest number of championship appearances for Cork, second only to Christy Ring and Ben O'Connor with 58 appearances. At inter-provincial level, Cusack was selected to play in six championship campaigns with Munster, with Railway Cup medals being won in 2000 and 2005.
After being involved in team management and coaching in all grades at club level with Cloyne, Cusack won the National League title in 2016 as coach of the Clare senior hurling team.
He has been appointed manager of the Cork minor hurling team for the 2020 season.
Cusack became the first openly gay elite Irish sportsman in 2009.
Playing career Midleton CBS Cusack played in all grades of hurling during his secondary schooling at Midleton CBS Secondary School before joining the college's senior hurling side. On 27 March 1994, he lined out in goal when Midleton CBS suffered a 1–09 to 0–04 defeat by the North Monastery in the Harty Cup final.
While the 1994 Harty Cup final was supposed to be his last game, Cusack was one of 11 Midleton CBS players who repeated the Leaving Cert in an effort to claim the title. He later said: "In our world, where hurling was religion and everything else was distraction, the fact that we were making an all-out charge on the Harty Cup, Munster’s famous schools' hurling championship, was far more important than the requirements of the education system or the whims of future employers." On 26 March 1995, Cusack lined out in goal in a second successive Harty Cup final as well as captaining the team. He ended the game with a winners' medal following the 3–18 to 3–05 defeat of Lismore CBS. On 30 April, Cusack captained Midleton CBS to a 5–10 to 3-05 All-Ireland final defeat by St. Raphael's College from Loughrea.
Cloyne Cusack joined the Cloyne club at a young age and played in all grades at juvenile and underage levels. He joined the club's top adult team as a 17-year-old during the 1994 Cork Intermediate Championship and made his first appearance at left corner-forward on 10 July in a 1–12 to 0–10 defeat of Bishopstown.
During the 1996 Cork Intermediate Championship Cusack was switched from playing as a forward to goalkeeper. On 20 October, he lined out in goal when Cloyne drew with Newtownshandrum in the final. He lined out in the same position a fortnight later when Cloyne were defeated in the replay by 0–12 to 0-09.
Cusack lined out as goalkeeper in his second successive final on 2 November 1997. A 1–12 to 1–07 defeat of Delanys secured the title, promotion to the top flight and a Cork Intermediate Championship medal for Cusack.
On 31 October 2004, Cusack was captain and coach of the team when Cloyne qualified to face Na Piarsaigh in the final of the Cork Senior Championship. He made a number of important saves and kept a clean sheet, however, Cloyne were defeated by 0–17 to 0-10.
Cloyne qualified for a second successive Cork Senior Championship final with Newtownshandrum providing the opposition on 16 October 2005. Cusack was captain of the team for a second successive year, however, Cloyne suffered a 0–15 to 0–09 defeat.
Cusack continued as coach of the team but handed the captaincy to Diarmuid O'Sullivan for the 2006 championship. On 22 October, he lined out in goal when Cloyne were defeated by 2–19 to 3-14 by Erin's Own in the final.
Imokilly Cusack had just turned 18 when he was first selected for the Imokilly divisional team. He made his first appearance for the team on 10 June 1995 in a 1–15 to 1–13 defeat of Glen Rovers.
Cusack was again a regular for the Imokilly team throughout the 1996 championship and was in goal when Imokilly drew with Avondhu in the final on 22 September 1996. A fortnight later he was selected in the same position for the replay which Imokilly lost by 0–13 to 1-08.
Cusack was again selected in goal the following year. On 5 October 1997, he won a Cork Senior Championship medal after a 1–18 to 2–12 defeat of Sarsfields in the final.
After a 15-year period of being ineligible for selection, Cusack was recalled to the team in 2013 and was also appointed captain. His return ended with a 2–20 to 3–10 defeat by University College Cork on 8 June 2013.
Cork Minor and under-21 Cusack first played for Cork when he was selected for the minor team during the 1994 Munster Championship. On 10 July he won a Munster Championship medal as a non-playing substitute following Cork's 2–15 to 0–09 defeat of Waterford in the final. Cusack was also named amongst the substitutes when Cork qualified to meet Galway in the All-Ireland final. He remained on the bench for the 2–10 to 1–11 defeat.
Cusack was eligible for the minor grade again in 1995 and joined the starting fifteen as the first-choice goalkeeper. He made his first appearance for the team on 28 June in a 2–14 to 1–03 defeat of Limerick. Cusack won a second Munster Championship medal - his first on the field of play - on 9 July following a 3–18 to 0–10 defeat of Waterford. On 3 September he lined out in goal in the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny and collected a winners' medal following the 2–10 to 1–02 victory.
On 17 July 1996, Cusack made his first appearance for the Cork under-21 team in a 2–18 to 1–12 defeat of Tipperary. He won a Munster Championship medal on 24 July following a 3–16 to 2–07 defeat of Clare in the final.
Cusack was retained as first-choice goalkeeper the following season and won a second consecutive Munster Championship medal on 30 July following a 1–11 to 0–13 defeat of Tipperary in the final. On 21 October, he won an All-Ireland medal following Cork's 3–11 to 0–13 defeat of Galway in the final.
Cork dominated the championship again in 1998, with Cusack winning a third successive Munster Championship medal on 23 August following a 3–18 to 1–10 defeat of Tipperary in the final. He won a second successive All-Ireland medal on 20 September after lining out in goal in Cork's 2–15 to 2–10 defeat of Galway in the final. It was Cusack's last game in the grade.
Junior and intermediate Cusack was called up to the Cork junior panel for the 1996 Munster Championship. He won a Munster Championship medal as a non-playing substitute on 25 June following Cork's 2–15 to 2–10 defeat of Tipperary in the final.
Cusack progressed onto the Cork intermediate team in 1997 and succeeded Fergal O'Mahony as first-choice goalkeeper when he made his first appearance in a 1–19 to 1–04 defeat of Kerry on 25 June. He won a Munster Championship medal on 23 July after lining out in goal for Cork's 1–15 to 1–12 defeat of Limerick in the final. Cusack later won an All-Ireland medal on 11 October following a 2–11 to 1–12 defeat of Galway in the final.
Senior Cusack was just out of the minor grade when he was drafted onto the Cork senior team. He made his first appearance for the team on 12 October 1996 in a 1–11 to 2–07 defeat of Tipperary in the pre-season Waterford Crystal Cup. Cusack made his first appearance competitive appearance on 27 April in a 2–11 to 1-07 National League defeat of Meath. He was also included on Cork's panel for the 1997 Munster Championship as deputy goalkeeper to Ger Cunningham.
Cusack made two appearances for Cork during the 1998 National League. On 17 May, he won a National Hurling League medal as a non-playing substitute following a 2–14 to 0–13 defeat of Waterford in the final. Cusack was again deputy goalkeeper to Ger Cunningham for the 1998 Munster Championship.
Following the announcement of Ger Cunningham's retirement from inter-county hurling on 14 January 1999, Cusack was promoted to Cork's first-choice goalkeeper. He lined out in all six of Cork's National League games that season before making his championship debut on 13 June in a 0–24 to 1–15 defeat of Waterford. On 4 July, he won a Munster Championship medal after a 1–15 to 0–14 defeat of reigning champions Clare in the final. On 11 September, Cusack was in goal for the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny. He kept a clean sheet and claimed a winners' medal following the 0–13 to 0–12 victory. Cusack was later honoured with his first All-Star award.
On 3 July 2000, Cusack lined out in his second Munster final. He was described as "lucky" not to have been red-carded after upending Tipperary's Paul Shelly, however, he also saved a penalty from John Leahy in the 0–23 to 3–12 defeat of Tipperary.
Cork qualified for the 2002 National League final on 5 May, with Cusack lining out in goal. In the week leading up to the game there had been speculation that Gaelic Players Association members from both teams would stage a protest during the parade before the match with their socks down and jerseys out - offences punishable by fine under the GAA's match regulations. The Cork players went ahead with their pre-match protest before losing the final by 2–15 to 2-14. Later that year, Cusack gave an interview on 96FM in which he stated that young players were warned off joining the GPA. He alleged: "Younger players got calls informing them that joining the GPA would jeopardise their chances of playing with the senior team. Publicly, the county board stated they had no problem with us joining the GPA but that was not the case, and behind the scenes other forces were at work." On 29 November, Cusack and six of his teammates from the Cork hurling panel held a press conference at the Imperial Hotel to announce that all 30 members of the panel were withdrawing their services from the county in the hope of better treatment from the county board. He remained a high-profile representative at the negotiations over the following two weeks before was reached on 13 December.
Cusack lined out in his third Munster final on 29 June 2003. In spite of conceding three goals Cork won the game by 3–16 to 3–12 with Cusack winning his third Munster Championship medal. On 14 September, he was in goal for Cork's 1–14 to 1-11 All-Ireland final defeat by Kilkenny.