Comments on: Donal Óg Cusack out of the closet and into the clover

By: Damien Mulley

Damien Mulley — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:46:44 +0000

Declan’s piece was one of the worst pieces of journalism I’ve read ever. It’s 2009, there are difficulties in coming out for a minority these days in Ireland but older gays have an issue with the world that was hostile to them decades earlier. Build a bridge and get over it. The world is moving on so save the moral outrage for something else.

Declan makes his money from being the default gay for the Indo and this article was just one more shameless piece exploiting sexuality for monetary gain.

By: BAC

BAC — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:22:21 +0000

“Cusack could have gone public on this without lining it up with his book launch. It’s exactly this kind of cynicism that makes acceptance of gay people all the harder.” (CJ Byrne)

As a gay man, I’ve always found it a lot easier to accept straight people who don’t use personal revelations to get media attention to launch a book (imagine doing such a thing..)

Still CJ has read the book (and found it boring) so a marketing job well done by Donal.

By: Dan McAlister

Dan McAlister — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:43:01 +0000

I think everything that could be said on this issue has been said, but did someone up the line in a post just generalize gaa supporters as ignorant country people? Donal’s orientation was an open secret. He remained on the team. Are there any current soccer players in urbanite Ireland or the UK openly secretly gay. Or do we need to find some dogs in some streets to ask. I believe there was a soccer player in England who came out quite a few years ago, believe he took his own life. I actually think rural people can be just as open minded as urbanites

By: sheena faughnan

sheena faughnan — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:56:16 +0000

It took alot fo courage for him to come out. His book is getting great reviews I have heard.

By: C J Byrne

C J Byrne — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:18:22 +0000

A brave post Pat, one that resonates with many people, and needed to be made. Cusack could have gone public on this without lining it up with his book launch. It’s exactly this kind of cynicism that makes acceptance of gay people all the harder. And his involvement with the mail is disgusting, given the circumstances. That his book will be accorded tax exempt status is all the more cringe-making. Besides his homosexuality, the rest of the book is frankly boring, and just tells us what a bunch of tossers GAA players can be.

The media hagiography of Cusack – and it must be said Gately too (as a resident of the inner city I can tell you Sherriff Street was not united in grief for somebody who put SFA back into that wretched community – nor is it some kind of San Francisco Castro on the East Wall) – is just frightening.

Thanks for having the courage. I have no doubt there will be those who dont like your post and will be immediately running to Damien and co to start a twhate campaign. Tough titties bhoys.

By: Jackie Danicki

Jackie Danicki — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:10:54 +0000

Wow, it really gets peoples’ backs up to use the word “berk”. I can only hope they know what it’s cockney rhyming slang for…

By: Philly

Philly — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:38:58 +0000

An international perspective (from the U.S.):
I don’t have a clue who Pat Phelan is, but Google led me here. Suffice to say that this story has international legs. I don’t know if Mr. Cusack is a “berk,” but at least on the Late Late Show segment I watched (YouTube, natch), he comes across as acceptably well-spoken and forthright. Conclusion: this is news, good news, and the marketing “ploy” (can we say “tactic”?) is well-suited to carry the story beyond the limited bounds of County Cork. Open your eyes a little wider, please.

By: Tony

Tony — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:43:15 +0000

I heard the rumour years ago that he was gay, I heard the rumour during the week that the book was serialised in the mail because they wanted to out him last year and this serialasion was payoff.. Think what ye like but I think he is the gaa answer to Roy Keane

By: Veronica

Veronica — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:33:04 +0000

Leave the guy alone. The people who say he came out to make money are begrudgers.
The politicians in this country are stealing from the taxpayers everyday and nobody seems to be able to get through to them.
Fair play to him and I hope he makes lots of money from his book. Just like our Bertie. Nobody said anything about him, did they.

By: Joanne

Joanne — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:51:02 +0000

how can you pass judgment on something like this? i am presuming you dont know him, or his family?!? so you dont know. I think it was incredibly brave. the main reason that everyone is talkin about it is because being gay and playing gaa just dont go togther in the country, and thats a shame. donal has given men and women all over ireland, who play gaa or not, a chance to be who they want to be. fair fucks to him, i hope he rakes it in from the sales of the book!