Former Cork hurler Conor Cusack, widely admired for raising awareness of mental health issues in Ireland, has opened up about his sexuality in his most recent blog post.
Cusack, the brother of former Cork goalkeeper Donal Óg Cusack, came to national prominence late last year for a completely frank and utterly moving blog post about his battles with depression, a battle he subsequently elaborated upon in a compelling interview on Prime Time.
In a blog posted yesterday entitled ‘To thine own self be true’, Cusack continued to talk about mental health issues and also opened up about his sexuality, revealing that he has known for a good while now that he has been sexually attracted to men.
Cusack was keen to stress that his sexuality had nothing to do with his mental health difficulties, as he wrote: “When I was not well during my late teens and early twenties, my sexuality was never an issue for me and it was something that never concerned me.
“I had a major battle going on then, fighting literally for my life, with my deep and dark depression. I can honestly say that concerns with my sexuality had little, if nothing, to do with the distress I had in my life then. It was long after my counselling had ended and was far on my path to wellness and continuing my inner work on my own that I began to explore this area of my being.
“I’ve known for a good while now that I have been sexually attracted to men. In that time, I’ve had relationships with women, and enjoyed them immensely but I’ve always had more fulfilment from being with a man.”
“I believe nobody should have to talk publicly about matters to do with their Mental Health or with issues to do with their sexuality if they don’t want to,” Cusack continued.
“I have chosen to do both. I have done so because I have a great love of people, I have had that since I was a young child where I could easily hold company with people of all ages. I genuinely enjoy being in the presence of people from all walks of life and so it is important for me to be able to be fully authentic with them when I am in their company, with whatever the discussion is about.”
He subsequently concluded the blog post by writing: “A great weight hasn’t been lifted off my shoulders. I worked through and removed that many years before. Still though, it’s nice as my head just hits the pillow on Sunday night to get a phone call from my Dad. “Hi Con. Just want to say your Mam and I love you. Good night”. Good night Da!”
You can read the blog in full here (and we strongly suggest that you do) and while a high-profile figure coming out shouldn’t be a big deal in this day and age, it may make people in a similar situation feel comfortable about following in his footsteps.
If anyone reading is experiencing difficulties with mental health and feels the need to talk, then the folks at Pieta House are always happy to lend an ear. You can reach them at 01 601 0000.
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