DONAL ÓG CUSACK has paid tribute to Anthony Nash after the Cork goalkeeper’s retirement, classing him as an example of a sportsperson who ‘got the most out of himself’.
Nash announced on Sunday that he was retiring from the inter-county game after a long hurling career and his fellow All-Star winning netminder praised the contribution of the Kanturk man.
“I think Anthony got the most out of himself, he’s served that jersey very well. We were exchanging messages the other night and I would say that for any sportsperson, of course winning is important, but at the end of the day it’s about how much you got out of yourself really. Anthony got the most out of himself as a sportsperson. That’s that ultimate question, when you look in the mirror and there’s no one else around, that’s the question that you’ll be asking yourself as a sportsperson.
“It’s only you ultimately can answer that but from what I saw of Anthony he did. Added into that, he was the best in his position at his chosen sport for a couple of years which is no mean achievement either and hopefully that gives him good satisfaction going into his retirement. But he’s served that jersey very well.”
Cusack was a long-term team-mate of Nash before the Kanturk man moved from goalkeeping understudy to successor between the posts on Cork teams.
Three-time All-Ireland senior medallist Cusack regards the training ground work with Nash and fellow goalkeeper Martin Coleman as some of the best memories of his own sporting career, while also pointing to their character at staying involved while seeing little gametime.
“I was lucky I trained with great players, Anthony Nash, Martin Coleman, top, top class players. Even if you look at Martin’s career, you can just maybe get a break or not get a break but you’ve to be some type of character to stick it out if you like.
“Because being a sub goalkeeper is a different type of position, especially as you get older, it’s probably different if you were just maybe 18, 19 or 20. But I will say then when it comes to goalkeeping, I’d be a strong believer that your goalkeeper is a long-term investment as well. With the likes of Anthony when he came in and established himself then, it was no surprise to me that once he got in, was established, that he was there for so long.
“But again all credit to him. It was a thing I was fierce conscious of. I was obviously goalkeeper for a number of years and I had nothing but the height of admiration and respect for himself and Martin Coleman. My memories of training with those lads, whilst playing and competing, but some of my greatest and happiest memories in sport was the competition we’d have amongst ourselves out there. The thing that we were all pursuing which was to get the most out of yourself. So I’m very happy for him that I’d imagine he should be very satisfied with his career and I hope he is.”
Nash’s retirement announcement was followed by Aidan Walsh’s statement last night that it had been ‘a pleasure and a privilege’ to play for the county as his focus was moving to the club game.
After their qualifier exit last month in the All-Ireland hurling championship, Cork’s squad is set to enter a phase of change.
“It sounds like it,” remarked Cusack.
“Again I know as much as you now about it. It obviously sounds like change over the last couple of days. It’s part and parcel of sport.”
Cusack’s own Cork hurling focus is on the minor team he manages who face into a Munster semi-final next Saturday against Limerick.
It has been a challenging season, Cork only played their opening game in October when defeated against Clare and then the campaign was put on hold again.
The Cork boss admits it ‘is tough’ not being able to bring their full squad of players to attend the game in Semple Stadium due to the current restrictions. One parent of each player does qualify for entry to the the match.
“It doesn’t apply for the minors (for full panel to attend). It is tough because you are going to Thurles, you are playing against Limerick in a Munster semi-final.
“We started with 150 (players). Then there was phone calls made to a load of those lads. Then we brought the squad down to 40. We were looking at reducing the squad before the first lockdown, but then word started coming through that there could be a lockdown and we said we couldn’t do that to any of the young lads so we kept them on board.
“Having to reduce the squad from 40 down to 30, they are all tough calls and then the lads that won’t make it, but it is just part and parcel of sport. But of course it is a tough thing and not a nice thing. You would like to think that in stadiums that size that you would be able to cater for the extra players, but I think that conversation has been well played elsewhere at this stage.
“The parents will drive the players. We had the option of going by buses which would you mean you would take two buses, but to be honest, you could get caught in such a grey area of conversation. We just wanted to eliminate that so the parents drive the players and they all travel separately, as do all the management.”
Its thanks to Billy that our amateur boxing team setup and training regime is the envy of all. No wonder the US want to poach him. Without Billy we would not have had that medal haul in London 2012, and without Billy we wont be able to match it in Rio. Its not the IABA that success lies with, its Billy and his team. They’d be fools to not give him everything he wants and anything he needs to keep that success going.
The fact that our boxers stay amateur thanks to healthy funding of 40k and coaches etc all paid for helps. While boxers in other countries are forced into professional ranks in order to go into a full time set up. Here Boxers are afraid to leave the handy number in the amateur ranks, It is ridiculous that the public fawning all over a few bronze medals(third/fourth place) in a second tier competition while Andy Lee winning a proper world title goes nearly unnoticed.
Give him what he wants!! The boxers are consistently winning medals! No brainer here
what Danny said
Resolved soon.. What a joke they should ask Billy to name his price..
Excellent trainer, really good guy too.
Deserves as much as what Martin o neill/ keano etc getting. And I’ll bet what he’s asking is reasonable, his back room team as well. Smarten up IBBA.
If the Web summit is anything to go by Billy will be leaving soon.
It’s just madness that we cannot just secure this man! We have the best track record in amateur boxing in the world per capita, yet the boxing always struggles with funding! But we pump money into the athletics, for what?? So we can get to a few semi finals! Doesn’t make sense at all!
wat time is joe ward for ghtin