News - Irish All Star hurling goalkeeper Dónal Óg Cusack has revealed that he is gay. Cusack, who is one of the highest profile GAA players, is the first ever senior GAA star to publicly declare his homosexuality.

Excerpts from Cusack's forthcoming autobiography 'Come What May' reveal that the Gaelic Athletic Association star admits to sleeping with both women and men before then accepting his sexuality as a homosexual man.

In an exclusive interview with the Irish Mail on Sunday, the Cork hurler confirmed: "This is who I am. Whatever you feel about me or who I am, I've always been at peace with it."

"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."

Dónal has also admitted that he tried to live the straight life, but always knew that it wasn't for him. "I tried to go out with women to make sure, to see what kind of feeling it gave me," he writes. "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 said.

Dónal, who comes from the small village of Cloyne, also reveals how coming out to his family was one of the hardest things he has ever done.

Sister Treasa rang him at his hotel in South Africa to inform him that rumours were circulating at home that he was gay. Dónal immediately flew home to tell his family personally, aware that his father would particularly take the news badly.

"Now my father is a man who would fight for his family but he's 63 years of age. He's a crane driver. Building sites can be cruel, hard places, he didn't need this," he said.

When he did come out and tell them "the other, secret story of this son they had reared in this house," his father was confused. "He said he was a man of the world, and that he had lived and worked in London for 10 years but he thought, well, if he had a son like this, he would dress differently and behave differently," says Cusak.

"They all have square jaws," his father told him. "But you don't. You're into hurling." Then his father added: "Right, you know the way we need to deal with this? You need to get fixed." It wasn't until the shock wore off that Dónal's father stood by him, but warned him of the abuse that he was going to get.

Fortunately, the rest of the his colleagues are supporting him. "He's a top man," said Ben O'Connor, who was Cork All-Ireland's winning captain in 2004. "He is one of the best genuine GAA men around and will be supported by Cork players and genuine GAA people 100%."

Inter-county colleague Cathal Naughton adds: "We're all fully behind him, he's a great man and has so much for all of us. This won't change anything."

Dónal has also been one of the most prominent figures in the Gaelic Players Association. In the past, he has lobbied for a level of professionalism for GAA inter-county players, and is one of the GPA's negotiators at GAA and government level.

Dónal Óg Cusack became a legend after winning three All-Ireland finals.

Come What May, The Autobiography will be released on October 21st by Penguin books.