Irish sports star Dónal Óg Cusack reveals he’s gay
Top Irish hurler Dónal Óg Cusack has come out.
The 32-year-old, who plays in goal for Cork All Stars, revealed he was gay in installments of his autobiography, published this weekend in the Irish Mail on Sunday.
He revealed he had slept with both men and women before realising he was gay.
Cusack wrote: “I tried to go out with women to make sure, to see what kind of feeling it gave me.
“I went out with nice women and good women, but sure, I still knew. I wanted something else. I get more out of men. I just do. Always have. I know I am different but just in this way. Whatever you may feel about me or who I am, I’ve always been at peace with it.”
He continued: “Since I was 13 or 14, I knew I was a bit different. I hate labels though. That’s the way I am. I live with it and I am fine with it. People close to me will tell you there were never any tears. There was never agony. I just know this thing.
“I’ve had to say this to people I’m close to again and again. This is who I am. This is what I do. I spend a lot of time trying to work things out but once I know something about myself, I know it. I don’t agonise. It’s logical to me. I thought about this but never had any problems dealing with it.”
The star added that he was forced to cut short a team trip to Africa in 2006 to come out to his family after rumours began circulating about his sexuality.
His autobiography, Come What May, is to be published this month.
