Michael Cusack

Michael Cusack ( Irish : Mícheál Ó Ciosóg ) (born September 20, 1847 in Carron near Corofin , County Clare , † November 27, 1906 in Dublin ) was an Irish teacher and founder of the Gaelic Athletic Association . He served James Joyce as a model for the character The Citizen in the novel Ulysses .

youth

Little is known about his childhood. He and his five siblings grew up in poor conditions. Only Irish was spoken in his parents' home. He only learned English when he attended the newly founded Carron National School from 1858 . In his spare time, he regularly played sports, particularly hurling and athletics.

His activity as a teacher

After spending a few years in the United States , Cusack began teaching at various Irish schools. In 1874 he came to Blackrock College near Dublin. Finally, in 1877, he founded his own school, the Civil Service Academy , in Dublin , often referred to simply as Cusack's Academy . It quickly became a notable success and provided him with a substantial income for the time. Through his work, Cusack built a large circle of friends, which also included politicians, university professors and well-known journalists. Politically, he was a supporter of the Home Rule movement under Charles Stewart Parnell . Cusack was even more interested in the revival of Irish culture than in politics, and in particular the promotion of the Irish language and traditional local sports such as hurling and Gaelic football . Therefore, he encouraged his students to be active in sports, and sometimes he took part in competitions and games himself. The Irish sports establishment of the time, however, was determined to be English. Students and professors from the Protestant Trinity College played an important role here. The first organizations for rugby , athletics and rowing were created by them. However, these organizations were clearly defined in a bourgeois manner and excluded professional groups such as craftsmen, workers and farmers from participating. Cusack sharply criticized these restrictions several times.

Cusack as the organizer of Irish sports

After founding his academy, Cusack began to become more involved in sports politics. In 1878 he was appointed to the council of the Irish Champion Athletic Club . In the years 1880 and 1881 he organized some sporting events in Dublin, in which mainly athletics competitions were held. In 1881, Cusack anonymously published three articles in Irish Sportsman , the leading sports magazine of the time. There he presented his ideas for an all-Irish sports association. This should also promote the political unity of the Irish and be organized down to the local base. Furthermore, it should be committed to the amateur idea and open to all social classes. A year later, in 1882, Cusack first tried to put this idea into practice by founding the Dublin Athletic Club . More important for the future, however, was the founding of the Dublin Hurling Club (DHC) in December of the same year. The ancient game of hurling had survived mainly in rural Ireland. In Dublin, however, it was almost unknown. There a somewhat defused variant called Hurley was played, which was more similar to today's hockey . Cusack's intention was to bring about the breakthrough of the original style of play, which he had also learned in his youth. Therefore, in the summer of 1883, he went on an - albeit less successful - trip through Munster to promote his ideas. The tense political situation and the opposition of the Hurley players, who had joined the DHC, led to the dissolution of the club. In September 1883, Cusack began weekly practice lessons with some students in Phoenix Park . This time he quickly found a crowd of young people interested in the game. By December 1883 he had found enough comrades to start the Metropolitan Hurling Club . In the spring of 1884, the club made its first guest appearance in Ballinasloe , County Galway . The popularity of the game encouraged Cusack to promote the establishment of an all-Irish sports association. In the summer of 1884 he succeeded, especially in Munster, in winning support from nationalist politicians and church dignitaries.

Establishment of the Gaelic Athletic Association

In October 1884, Cusack invited several people to a meeting in Thurles , County Tipperary . On November 1, 1884, the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) was founded there in the billiard room of Miss Hayes's Commercial Hotel. There is no clarity about the number of people present. The numbers vary between 7 and 13. The most important co-founder besides Cusack was Maurice Davin , a farmer and internationally known athlete from Tipperary. His moderate political views were intended to counterbalance Cusack's more radical attitudes and thus make the organization acceptable to larger social groups. Davin also became the organization's first president, while Cusack was elected one of three secretaries.

The organization quickly spread across the country. The acquisition of influential personalities such as Archbishop Thomas Croke , Charles Stewart Parnell and Michael Davitt as sponsors of the GAA also contributed to this. In the first few years Cusack took care of the organization of local sporting events and clubs with great personal commitment. Athletics in particular played an important role, as uniform rules first had to be created and disseminated for hurling and Gaelic football. Cusack also had to repeatedly counter criticism that the GAA was a political organization and not a sports association. The main goals for him continued to be the opening of the sport to the whole population and the preservation of traditional Irish sports.

In the course of 1886, criticism of his personal leadership style grew ever more intense. He was accused of neglecting administrative work and finance, as well as generally lacking the ability to deal with criticism. On July 4, 1886, he was replaced as secretary at a meeting of the GAA with 47 to 13 votes.

From his discharge as secretary to his death

In January 1887, Cusack founded The Celtic Times newspaper . It was the first publication to focus solely on reporting on Irish sports. Cusack also used the newspaper as a tool to sharply criticize the GAA, which he felt betrayed by. Despite some initial success, the newspaper ceased its publication in 1888.

In March 1893, Cusack was elected County Secretary for Dublin. His election led to a split in the Dublin GAA. After violent protests and the resignation of some Dublin associations from the organization, a new board was installed in February 1894 without the controversial Cusack. Until his death on November 27, 1906, he no longer held an office in the GAA, but remained active as a member, speaker and arbitrator.

Others

The Cusack stand in Dublin's Croke Park Stadium was named after him in 1927. Several sports stadiums in Ireland also bear his name.

literature

• Marcus de Búrca: The GAA - A History. Gill & Macmillan, Dublin 2000. ( ISBN 0717131092 )

Web links

• Clare County Library : Clare People: Michael Cusack (English)