Donal Óg Cusack is one of Ireland's best known GAA personalities.
The former Cork goalkeeper has made the headlines both on and off the field over a near 20-year career in the public eye.
Since retiring from playing hurling, the Cloyne man has become a well respected pundit with RTÉ and The Sunday Game and is in a long-term relationship with his model turned businessman boyfriend Nathan Adams, reports RSVPLIVE.
READ MORE: Donal Og Cusack slams Tipperary's treatment of Colm Bonnar
Age and where he is from
Donal Óg Cusack is from the village of Cloyne in East Cork, the home of legendary hurler Christy Ring.
He was born in March 1977, making him 45 years of age.
His younger brother Conor also played hurling for Cork and Cloyne.
RTÉ and The Sunday Game
Following Donal Óg's retirement from intercounty hurling in Cork in 2013 he soon moved into punditry. Later that year, he became a regular face on The Sunday Game, working alongside Michael Lyster and Des Cahill and later Joanne Cantwell.
He took a break from the RTÉ show in 2015 when he joined the backroom team of Davy Fitzgerald's Clare side before returning to screens in 2019.
He also reports on GAA for Radio 1's Morning Ireland and writes for the Irish Examiner.
Relationship with boyfriend Nathan Adams
Donal Óg's first public relationship was confirmed in 2015 when it was revealed he was dating Mr Ireland contender Nathan Adams. He said: “And yes, we are in love”
The pair tend to keep a low profile as a couple as they navigate their successful careers. Nathan, a former model, is a well-known businessman and PR manager in Cork, working across a number of brands, including his own rapidly expanding sweet business and digital marketing agency. He also launched his own teeth whitening brand in 2021.
After the first year with his growing business, Nathan paid tribute to his other half. He said on Instagram: "Started off in the spare room at home building up @rmpragency and we are now working with some very well known businesses who have now became good friends.
"To anyone that is reading this, thank you for supporting me and my crazy journey.. and a huge thank you to my better half @donalogc for supporting me in everything I do."
Nathan and Donal Óg have stepped out for Pride and GAA events together over the years. They also attended the wedding of Davy Fitzgerald and Sharon O'Loughlin in Dromoland Castle in October 2019. The pair joined Miriam Mullins and her boyfriend Tiaan for a wedding earlier this year.
Cork career
After impressing at minor and U21 level, Donal Óg made his debut with the Cork senior hurling team in 1996.
During his 17 year long career he won five Munster Senior Hurling titles, three All-Ireland senior hurling championships, one National Hurling League and two All Star awards.
Coming out as gay
Donal Óg Cusack was the first high profile intercounty GAA player to publicly come out as gay. He bravely shared the news in 2009, helping countless other young players from the country.
He wrote in his bestselling autobiography Come What May, "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."
Last year, Donal Óg shared some advice to people.
"Everyone has their own [coming out] journey. All I would say is be who you are and live while you can. There is so much that can happen in life, so many burdens that people have to carry, but your sexuality should not be one of them," he told the RTÉ Guide.
"My grandfather had a saying, 'live while you can and die when you can’t help it'. He was a man who lived into his 90s, fathered 14 children and saw a lot of life. Those words rang true when I first heard them and still ring true today."
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