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Michael Cusack
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Cusack (Irish: Mícheál Ó Ciosóg) (1847 - 1906) was an Irish teacher and founder of the Gaelic Athletic Association.
Born in Carron, County Clare, Cusack became a teacher. He spent some years in the United States, but returned to Ireland and began teaching in Newry, Blackrock College, Clongowes Wood and Kilkenny College. He opened the Civil Service Academy, a cramming establishment in Dublin, which prospered and gave him a large income.
Together with Maurice Davin, of Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, he called a meeting in Hayes’s Commercial Hotel, Thurles, County Tipperary, on 1 November 1884, and founded the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).
Davin was elected president and Cusack became its first secretary. Later, Archbishop Thomas William Croke (May 28, 1824 - July 22, 1902), Archbishop of Cashel & Emily, Michael Davitt and Charles Stewart Parnell became patrons.
Cusack, also known as "Citizen Cusack" has been identified as the model for the bigoted nationalist character "The citizen" in the "Cyclops" episode of James Joyce's Ulysses. In a draft of the chapter the citizen is repeatedly called "Cusack."
Cusack died on 27 November 1906 at the age of 59 in Ireland.
The Clare GAA pitch is named "Cusack Park" in his honour as is the "Cusack Stand" in Croke Park.
The Clare primary school Gaelcholáiste Mhíchíl Cíosóg is also named after him.