Cork hurler Dónal Óg Cusack's full and frank autobiography has been named William Hill sports book of the year. Come what May,written in conjunction with Tom Humphries of the Irish Times,received the accolade at lunchtime today.
Primarily, Cusack’s book tells the story of a life in hurling. His childhood and adolescence, his close relationship with his family, and his pride and sense of identification with Cloyne are all chronicled in detail.
His central role in the Cork hurling dispute is also explained, as is Cusack’s relationship, or lack thereof, with the current Kilkenny panel.
But it was the disclosure of his sexuality that grabbed media attention. Cusack’s descriptions of his bisexual past and of coming out to family, friends and team-mates take up but a few chapters in the book.
Nevertheless, as the first Irish sporting star to publicly declare his homosexuality, Cusack’s admissions dominated discussion in the weeks after the book’s release and ensured the book would be one of the most important published in Ireland this year.
"Taking the decision to write this book was a difficult one but once I decided, I knew it had to be an honest account of my life,” Cusack said today.
“An essential part of this process was Tom Humphries' skill and dedication to the project and his outrageous sense of humour which made the process less onerous, I would like to thank him sincerely."
Damian Lawlor's tale of a year with the Waterford footballers, Working on a Dreamcame in at second and the basketball book Hanging from the Rafters,by Kieran Shannon came in third.