Tag Archives: michael cusack

“It’s safe to say that no Clareman in modern history has made the same impact on the country as Michael Cusack did.” – Brendan Vaughan, 1984 THE great Clare GAA man that was Brendan Vaughan was chairman of the Munster Council when he uttered those words in Centenary Year as the GAA — locally in Clare, provincially and nationally celebrated 100 years since Michael Cusack had his famous meeting in Thurles that started the association that has now wrapped itself around the world. If he were still alive this week as the GAA marks the 175th anniversary of Michael Cusack’s birth, he’d repeat those words to anyone who was listening, or wasn’t listening for that matter, just because the GAA founder’s impact was that great, far-reaching and beyond any of the wildest dreams he could have had that November 1 day in Hayes’ Hotel that started it all. In the words of An Bráthair Liam Ó Caithnia, the author of …

THE significant contribution to Irish culture by the founder of the GAA will be celebrated next Sunday, with the inaugural Michael Cusack Day in Carron. A Shane Gilmore sculpture representing the central role of gaelic games in communities across the island of Ireland will be unveiled, exactly 173 years on from Cusack’s birth in Carron. A tree for each county will also be unveiled, along the Burren Fairy Trail and GAA Trail near the Michael Cusack Cottage, thanks to the support of the TOMAR Trust. Sunday’s event also will feature the launch of Going WeLL, a national wellness experience programme being developed nationally by the GAA to encourage people to take better care of their mental and physical health, and by so doing, to reconnect with their communities. Going WeLL is being rolled out on a pilot outreach basis to a range of communities, schools and FET (Further Education and Training) Centres from the Michael Cusack Centre this winter. It …

A monument to Michael Cusack is to be erected in Ennis at the home of Clare GAA. Planning permission has been granted to the Clare County Board to install a statue over 2m high at the entrance to Cusack Park depicting Michael Cusack. Drawings submitted to the planning authority show that as well as depicting Michael Cusack himself, there are also plans to feature images relating to the GAA, such as a hurley, sliotar, football and GAA symbol on the statue. The total height of the planned monument will be 2.44m, including the plinth. No submissions were received by the planning authority in relation to the application. During the application process, the planning office raised concerns about the possibility of “ad hoc” development and the need for a design concept for the overall entrance area. According to the planner’s report, “There is no objection in principle to the provision of sculpture at various locations in the town. Indeed, such pieces …

FIRE in The Blood, a series of four programmes on the Celtic Revival begins on RTE One tonight (February 29) at 8.30pm. It focuses on four areas of the revival: drama; the Irish language; art; and, sports. Each episode will focus on one individual who played a central role in the Revival, including Lady Gregory and Michael Cusack, and will be presented by a contemporary figure who can speak with credibility about that individual – assessing their lives, and the influence of their work. The Celtic Revival was a broad-based cultural movement whose stated purpose was to address many diverse areas of Irish life – literary, linguistic, visual and sporting. The purpose of this four-part series is to give a real sense of the breath of those ambitions and the scale of their impact on Irish society.  The Celtic Revival contained a number of outstanding and colourful individuals, but producers selected four who they believe will provide insights to some …