Reviews

• I'll confess that I was prompted to buy this book as a result of all the hype in the press about Donal Og Cusack's "coming out" and in truth the writer is blunt and honest in admitting he is gay. But this fact is just one aspect of a fascinating insider's view of growing up in a hurling-obsessed family and county. That said, it is a remarkable dimension to this story given the very masculine, very patriarchal and very traditional world of hurling. In his account of shattering hurleys and shins, one can't help but note that the biggest thing shattered in this book is the stereotype of a top class male athlete. The fact this giant of the sport has come out will no doubt help countless other kids and adults dealing with similar issues. In Donal Og's account, being gay is simply a part of who he is, the same as his height, weight, age and team number. In that respect, this book should stand proud amongst other books that promote equality, tolerance, compassion and respect. However, this book is first and foremost, a book about love; love of hurling, love of Cork, love of family and love of friends. Such is the obsession with hurling in Cork, that senior hurlers are local heroes, county hurlers are celebrities and All-Ireland Champion hurlers are Gods who walk amongst us mere mortals. But these Gods are mortal too and they work hard for their sport. They train, they suffer, they sacrifice and they hurt, all in the hope of victory to be savored only until the next game. But it is this passion and respect for the sport that Donal Og relates so clearly. This explains passionately why Cork Hurlers and Footballers were compelled to take a stand against unfairness and disrespect. Donal Og Cusack is a defender - of goals, of hurling, of Cork, of rights, of fairness, of justice and of equality. Champions are applauded for their winning performance on the field, this book renders Donal Og Cusack a champion off the field too and I thank him for it.

• I must admit i bought this book because he was gay and a sportsman but this is a sports read, this is a hurlers autobiography, the fact that he is gay is sort of incidental which is nice even though its a major event in his life , in this book , his life is hurling, its sport, his relationships are through sport everything is through sport. It would have been nice to have him write a bit about love and passionate love because this is clearly a passionate man but I think he wisely came out in his book but like jackie Onassis , kept his mystery and left a lot to the imagination, which probably allowed most of the Irish population to accept him more easily as a gay public figure. I think this book is a must read for any Cork Hurling fan and any Hurling follower in general, stereotypical "non sporty" gay men wont find anything too enlightening in donals coming out story, we have all gone through it.

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