THREE-TIME All-Ireland winning Cork hurler Seán Óg Ó hAilpín yesterday spoke of how humbled and honoured he was to receive the freedom of Cork at a ceremony attended by over 250 guests at Cork City Hall.
“I feel tremendously humbled,” said Seán Óg who captained Cork to All-Ireland success in 2005 and spoke in fluent Irish when accepting the Liam McCarthy Cup of the great journey that had brought him from his birthplace on the Fijian island of Rotuma all the way to Croke Park.
Yesterday, he noted his Fijian origins and later growing up in Australia before recalling how taking up Gaelic games with Na Piarsaigh on Cork’s northside helped him integrate into the community when the family arrived on Leeside when he was just 10 years old.
“Although not from you, I have become one of you,” said Seán Óg to loud and warm applause as he proudly accepted the freedom of the city bestowed upon him by Lord Mayor of Cork city Cllr Michael O’Connor and members of Cork City Council.
There to see him receive the honour were his mother Emilie, his brother Teu and his sisters, Sarote and Etaoin, as well as his girlfriend Siobhán Quirke, sister of Cork footballer goalkeeper Alan Quirke, along with other family friends.
Cork hurling historian Tim Horgan paid tribute to Seán Óg’s prowess as both a hurler and a footballer with the North Monastery, Na Piarsaigh and when wearing the red jersey of Cork whom he helped win All-Irelands in 1999, 2004 and 2005.
“Donal Óg Cusack in his award-winning autobiography says of Seán Óg – ‘Everywhere he goes, the man leaves people feeling better about themselves’ – it was a very apt comment on a popular sportsman and wonderful personality who has brought joy to so many sports fans.”
Former Cork hurling coach and current Limerick coach Donal O’Grady, who taught Seán Óg in the North Monastery, read a tribute as Gaeilge from broadcasting legend Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, who was unable to attend yesterday’s ceremony.
Ó Muircheartaigh recalled the famous All-Ireland speech in 2005 which he said had helped generate a willingness in people to try and speak the language when they saw someone who hadn’t been born in Ireland speak it so beautifully.
Afterwards Seán Óg revealed how humbling it was to see his name join the list of previous recipients such as US president John F Kennedy, the late taoiseach and Cork hurler Jack Lynch and more recent sporting heroes such as Roy Keane and Sonia O’Sullivan.
Among the many Cork GAA figures to attend were former Cork manager John Allen and Seán Óg’s former team-mates Joe Deane, Tom Kenny and current Cork captain, Shane O’Neill. Also in attendance were former Cork footballer Larry Tompkins and former hurler Johnny Crowley.
Guests at yesterday’s ceremony included Minister of State Kathleen Lynch, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, Cork North Central TDs Jonathan O’Brien of Sinn Féin and Dara Murphy of Fine Gael, Cork South Central Labour TD Ciarán Lynch and Ireland South MEP and former GAA president Seán Kelly.
