Og’s bed (engraving circa 1770 by Johann Balthasar Probst)

Og, ("gigantic"; Hebrew: עוג‎, ^cog ˈʕoːɡ; Arabic: عوج‎, ^cogh [ʕoːɣ]) according to the Bible, was an Amorite king of Bashan who, along with his army, was slain by Moses and his men at the battle of Edrei. In Islamic folklore he is referred to as ‘Uj ibn Anaq (‘Ûj ibn ‘Anâq عوج بن عنق), one of the giants mentioned in the Qur'an (jababirat or jabbirun).

Og is mentioned in Jewish folklore as being alive from the time of Noah up until the time of his death in battle with the Israelites. It is also written in the Midrash^[1] that he had a special compartment in Noah's Ark just for him. Aggadah suggests an alternative to this; that he sat upon the top of the ark, riding out the flood for the duration of the storm from this location.

The destruction of King Og[link]

Og is introduced in the Book of Numbers. Like his neighbor Sihon of Heshbon, whom Moses had previously conquered at the battle of Jahaz he was an Amorite king, the ruler of Bashan, which contained sixty walled cities and many unwalled towns, with his capital at Ashtaroth (probably modern Tell Ashareh, where there still exists a 70-foot mound).

The Book of Deuteronomy continues:

"Next we turned and went up along the road toward Bashan, and Og king of Bashan with his whole army marched out to meet us in battle at Edrei." Moses speaks: "The LORD said to me, "Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon ... So the LORD our God also gave into our hands Og king of Bashan and all his army. We struck them down, leaving no survivors." ... "At that time we took all his cities, there was not one of the sixty cities that we did not take from them—the whole region of Argob, Og's kingdom in Bashan ... destroying every city, men, women and children ... But all the livestock and the plunder from their cities we carried off for ourselves."

Og's destruction is told in Psalms 135:11 and 136:20 as one of many great victories for the nation of Israel, and the book of Amos 2:9 may refer to Og as "the Amorite" whose height was like the height of the cedars and whose strength was like the oaks.

Og and the Rephaim[link]

Some see Rujm el-Hiri, dating from the third Millennium BC in the Golan Heights, as a source for legends about "a remnant of the giants" for Og.^[2]

In Deut. 3:11 and later in the book of Numbers and Joshua, Og is pronounced as the last of the Rephaim. Rephaim is a Hebrew word for giants. Deut. 3:11 declares that his "bedstead" (translated in some texts as "sarcophagus") of iron is "nine cubits in length and four cubits in width" (13.5 ft x 6 ft) according to the standard cubit of a man. It goes on to say that at the royal city of Rabbah of the Ammonites, his giant bedstead could still be seen as a novelty at the time the narrative was written. If the giant king's bedstead was built in proportion to his size as most beds are, he may have been between 9 to 13 feet in height. However, later Rabbinic tradition has it, that the length of his bedstead was measured with the cubits of Og himself. The Talmud further embellishes in fantastic detail that Og was so large that he sought the destruction of the Israelites by uprooting a mountain so large, that it would have crushed the entire Israelite encampment. Moses, fulfilling the LORD's injunction not to fear him, seized a spear of ten cubits length, and jumped a similar vertical distance, succeeding in stabbing Og in the ankle. The LORD then caused Og's teeth to lengthen until they grew into the mountain he held aloft; millions of ants then swarmed into his mouth, killing him.^[3] It is noteworthy that the region north of the river Jabbok, or Bashan, "the land of Rephaim", contains hundreds of megalithic stone tombs (dolmen) dating from the 5th to 3rd millennia BC. In 1918, Gustav Dalman discovered in the neighborhood of Amman Jordan (Amman is built on the ancient city of Rabbah of Ammon) a noteworthy dolmen which matched the approximate dimensions of Og's bed as described in the Bible. Such ancient rock burials are seldom seen west of the Jordan river, and the only other concentration of these megaliths are to be found in the hills of Judah in the vicinity of Hebron, where the giant sons of Anak were said to have lived (Numbers 13:33)^{[citation needed]}.

Og in non-Biblical inscriptions[link]

A reference to "Og" appears in a Phoenician inscription from Byblos (Byblos 13) published in 1974 by Wolfgang Rölling in "Eine new phoenizische Inschrift aus Byblos," (Neue Ephemeris für Semitische Epigraphik, vol 2, 1-15 and plate 1). It appears in a damaged 7-line funerary inscription that Rölling dates to around 500 BC, and appears to say that if someone disturbs the bones of the occupant, "the mighty Og will avenge me."

A possible connection can also be made with the much older Ugaritic text KTU 1.108, which uses the term "king" in association with the root /rp/ or "Rapah" (the Rephaim of the Bible) and geographic place names that probably correspond to the cities of Ashtaroth and Edrei in the Bible, and with which king Og is clearly associated (Deuteronomy 1:4; Joshua 9:10; 12:4; 13:12, 31).

"Ogias the Giant"[link]

The 2nd century BC apocryphal book "Ogias the Giant" or "The Book of Giants" depicts the adventures of a giant named Ogias who fought a great dragon, and who was supposedly either identical with the Biblical Og or was Og's father.

The book enjoyed considerable currency for several centuries, especially due to having been taken up by the Manichaean religion.

Hurtaly[link]

In "Pantagruel", Rabelais lists Hurtaly (a version of Og) as one of Pantagruel's ancestors. He describes Hurtaly as sitting astride the Ark, saving it from shipwreck by guiding it with his feet as the grateful Noah and his family feed him through the chimney.

Literature[link]

• Kosman, Admiel: "The Story of a Giant Story - The Winding Way of Og King of Bashan in the Jewish Aggadic Tradition", in: HUCA 73, (2002) pp. 157–190.

See also[link]

• Gilgal Refaim
• Bergelmir
• Moses in rabbinic literature
• Finger of Og

References[link]

1. ^ Talmud Bavli Zabahim 113b; Pirkei D’Rebbi Eliezer (Heigar) “Chorev” Ch. 23 ד"ה וזה אשר תעשה; Yalkut Shimoni, Torah, Parashas Noach, Remez 55 ד"ה זכר ונקבה יהיו; Yalkut Shimoni, Torah, Parashas Noach, Remez 56 ד"ה ד"א ויהי לשבעת; Yalkut Shimoni, Job, Remez 926 ד"ה +לט+ התקשר רים. These sources were found using Bar Ilan CD.
2. ^ From Og's Circle to the Wise Observatory, Yuval Ne'eman, Tel Aviv University
3. ^ Talmud Bavli: Berachot 54b

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2009)

Augustine "Og" Mandino II (December 12, 1923 – September 3, 1996) was an American author. He wrote the bestselling book The Greatest Salesman in the World. His books have sold over 50 million copies and have been translated into over twenty-five different languages. He was the president of Success Unlimited magazine until 1976 and is an inductee of the National Speakers Association's Hall of Fame.

Biography[link]

Mandino was born on December 12, 1923. According to the 1930 U.S. Census, he was named after his paternal grandfather.

Mandino was once the editor of a high school paper and planned to attend the University of Missouri's journalism school. But in the summer of 1940, before Mandino was able to enter college, his mother died suddenly from a massive heart attack. This happened while Mandino's mother was in the kitchen preparing his lunch. After the incident, Mandino decided to work in a paper factory until 1942. Afterwards, Mandino joined the United States Army Air Corps where he became a military officer and a bombardier. He flew for thirty bombing missions over Germany on board a B-24 Liberator during World War II.^[1] It was also during this time that Mandino flew with fellow pilot and movie star, James Stewart. Mandino kept a personalized 8 X 10 photograph of Stewart. This photograph hung on the wall of his home office where he wrote his books.

After his military duties, Mandino discovered that few companies were hiring former bomber pilots. As a result, he became an insurance salesman. Traveling on the road and sitting in bars at night, Mandino became an alcoholic. He was unable to keep a job. As a result, Mandino's wife, Miriam "Mimi" Stidstone, together with their only child, left him. One wintry November morning in Cleveland, Mandino almost tried to commit suicide. But as he sorted through several books in a library, volumes of self-help, success and motivation books captured Mandino's attention. He selected some titles, went to a table and began reading. Mandino followed his visit to the library with more visits to many other libraries around the United States. He read hundreds of books that dealt with success, a pastime that helped him alleviate his alcoholism. It was in a library in Concord, New Hampshire, where he found W. Clement Stone's classic, Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, a book that changed Mandino for the better.

Mandino eventually became a successful writer and speaker. His works were inspired by the Bible and influenced by Napoleon Hill, W. Clement Stone, and Emmet Fox. He was inducted into the National Speakers Association Speaker Hall of Fame.^[2]

Philosophy[link]

Mandino wrote The Greatest Salesman in the World which contains the "time-tested wisdom of the ancients distilled into ten simple scrolls" which, if followed for the prescribed ten months, will as Og says, "seep into my other mind, that mysterious source which never sleeps, which creates my dreams, and often makes me act in ways I do not comprehend. As the words of these scrolls are consumed by my mysterious mind I will begin to awake, each morning, with a vitality I have never known before. My vigor will increase, my enthusiasm will rise, my desire to meet the world will overcome every fear I once knew at sunrise, and I will be happier than I ever believed it possible to be in this world of strife and sorrow." (Scroll I)

The scrolls each have a principle designed to replace bad habits built up over a lifetime which "threatens to imprison my future" (Scroll I) with good habits developed through a ten month process of studying the scrolls. Each Scroll's principle is life altering. They are:

• Scroll I - Today I begin a new life.
• Scroll II - I will greet this day with love in my heart.
• Scroll III - I will persist until I succeed.
• Scroll IV - I am nature's greatest miracle.
• Scroll V - I will live this day as if it is my last.
• Scroll VI - Today I will be master of my emotions.
• Scroll VII - I will laugh at the world (Keep perspective)
• Scroll VIII - Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
• Scroll IX - I will act now, I will act now, I will act now.
• Scroll X - I will pray for guidance.

Mandino's main philosophical message is that every person on earth is a miracle and should choose to direct their life with confidence and congruent to the laws that govern abundance. He wrote in Scroll I, "I will not fail as the others, for in my hands I now hold the charts (the Ten Scrolls) which will guide me through perilous waters to shores which only yesterday seemed but a dream." Og was also a proponent of taking action now. In Scroll IX, the phrase I will act now is written 18 times. He recognized that all successful people take on their own lives by "charting" or consciously choosing both the desired destination and the path to reach it. Mandino's philosophical messages have Christian undertones. They are encouragements to build good habits, to live according to the laws that govern abundance and to find a vigor and joy in life as we learn to stand at the helm of our ship charting its course into the safety of the harbor instead of just waiting for someone else to bring it in.

Profile[link]

Mandino was married to his second wife Bette on December 9, 1957. He wrote a total of 19 books, 16 of which are still in print^[when?], the first being The Greatest Salesman in the World. He retired at the age of 52.

Mandino's hometown was Natick, Massachusetts. He was the oldest of four children.

Favorite books[link]

The following books are what Mandino believed to be the twelve greatest self-help, self-knowledge, and self-inspirational books ever written:^[3]

• The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, by Benjamin Franklin
• Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill
• Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, by W. Clement Stone and Napoleon Hill
• The Power of Faith, by Louis Binstock
• Your Greatest Power, by J. Martin Kohe
• Wake Up and Live, by Dorothea Brande
• I Dare You, by William Danforth
• Acres of Diamonds, by Russell H. Conwell
• The Ability to Love, by Dr. Allan Fromme
• How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success In Selling, by Frank Bettger
• The Magic Power of Emotional Appeal, by Roy Garn
• As a Man Thinketh, by James E. Allen
• The Holy Bible

Books written by Mandino[link]

• U.S.A. in a Nutshell
• Cycles
• The Greatest Salesman in the World
• The Greatest Secret In The World
• The Greatest Miracle In The World
• The Gift Of Acabar (with Buddy Kaye)
• The Choice
• The Christ Commission
• Mission: Success!
• The God Memorandum
• The Greatest Salesman In The World Part II: The End Of The Story
• The Ten Ancient Scrolls For Success: From The Greatest Salesman In The World
• He Is Tough
• University of Success (Compilation from other works)
• A Better Way To Live
• The Return Of The Ragpicker
• The Twelfth Angel
• Spellbinder's Gift
• The Greatest Mystery In The World
• Secrets For Success And Happiness
• The Greatest Success In The World

References and external links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Og Mandino

• Og Mandino's Official Website, Ogmandino.com, retrieved on: 24 June 2008

References[link]

Gucci Mane
Gucci Mane performing in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on August 29, 2010.
Background information
Birth name	Radric Davis
Born	(1980-02-02) February 2, 1980 (age 32) Birmingham, Alabama
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Genres	Southern hip hop, gangsta rap
Occupations	Rapper
Years active	2005 – present
Labels	1017 Brick Squad Records, Asylum, Warner Bros.
Associated acts	1017 Brick Squad, Young Money, V-Nasty, Yo Gotti, Soulja Boy, Plies, Usher, Young Jeezy, E-40, French Montana, Maino, Jadakiss, CTE, Lil' Kim, Birdman
Website	www.guccimaneonline.com

Radric Davis^[1] (born February 2, 1980),^[2] better known by his stage name Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He debuted in 2005 with Trap House and followed with albums such as Hard to Kill in 2006, Trap-A-Thon and Back to the Trap House in 2007. In 2009, his second studio album The State vs. Radric Davis was released, and The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted was released in 2010, and is his highest charting album so far. Gucci Mane has released many other mixtapes and independent albums as well.

While serving a six-month jail term for assault in late 2005, Davis was charged with murder, though the charges were later dropped due to a lack of evidence. In 2009, he served a year-long county jail sentence for violating probation for his 2005 aggravated assault conviction.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Davis was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and later moved with his single mother to Atlanta. He enjoyed writing poetry as a child, and began rapping at age 14.^[1]

[edit] 2005–2006: Trap House and Hard to Kill

In 2005, Davis released his independent debut album entitled Trap House, which featured the successful single "Icy" with Young Jeezy. Disputes over the rights to this single caused a rift between the two artists. Hard to Kill followed in 2006. Hard To Kill included the hit single "Freaky Gurl". The song peaked at number 12 on the Hot Rap Tracks, number 19 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and at number 62 on the Hot 100.

[edit] 2007: Back to the Trap House

The official remix of Freaky Gurl featuring Ludacris and Lil Kim was included on his 2007 commercial debut album Back to the Trap House. Gucci Mane appeared on OJ da Juiceman's "Make Tha Trap Say Aye" and began working on various mixtapes.^[3] Gucci Mane signed to Warner Bros. Records in May 2009.^[4]

[edit] 2009–2010: The State vs. Radric Davis

He appeared on remixes of the songs "Boom Boom Pow" by The Black Eyed Peas, "Obsessed" by Mariah Carey and "5 Star Chick" by Yo Gotti and made a guest appearance on Mario's "Break Up" (he has made 17 guest appearances total in 2009). Gucci Mane's second studio album The State vs. Radric Davis was released under the label Warner Bros. Records on December 8, 2009. Its first single, "Wasted" featuring Plies, was originally from Mane's 2009 mixtape Writing on the Wall. It peaked at number 36 on the Hot 100, number 3 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and number 3 on the Rap Songs making it Gucci Mane's most successful single to date. The second single is "Spotlight" featuring Usher. The third single is "Lemonade". The fourth single is "Bingo", featuring Waka Flocka Flame and Soulja Boy Tell 'Em. On October 2, 2009, Gucci Mane was listed at number 6 on MTV's annual Hottest MC in the Game list.^[5]

Gucci Mane performing on August 29, 2010.

[edit] 2010–present: The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted and other projects

After being released from jail, Gucci Mane stated that he would start or change the label name from So Icey Entertainment to 1017 Brick Squad Records. The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted, was released on September 28, 2010.^[6] The first single from this release was titled "Gucci Time",^[7] produced by Swizz Beatz. It premiered on Gucci Mane's official MySpace page on August 6.^[8] The single also features Swizz Beatz and was released to US urban radio stations on August 24, 2010.^[9]

On March 18, 2011, Gucci Mane released his 10th EP, The Return of Mr. Zone 6, mostly produced by Drumma Boy.^[10] It debuted at #18 on the Billboard 200, and is his highest charting EP. The album also debuted at #2 on the Rap albums chart and #8 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. He also released a collaboration album with Waka Flocka Flame named Ferrari Boyz on August 5, Gucci's first collaboration album.^[11] It's first single is "She Be Puttin On" featuring late-fellow Brick Squad labelmate Slim Dunkin. Ferrari Boyz debuted at #21 on the Billboard 200. Gucci Mane released another collaboration album, this time with rapper V-Nasty, called BAYTL, on December 13.^[12] The album's first single is "Whip Appeal" featuring P2theLA.^[13] Three days after the album's release, while traveling to the video shoot of "Push Ups", a song from BAYTL featuring Slim Dunkin, the latter got into an argument with another person who shot Dunkin dead at an Atlanta recording studio.^[14] On February 5, 2012, Gucci Mane released his Trap Back mixtape. It features guest appearances from Yo Gotti, Rocko, Waka Flocka Flame, Jadakiss, 2 Chainz, and Future, the latter three recently appearing on Young Jeezy's third studio album Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition. The first single is the mixtape's title track.^[15] Music videos have been filmed for the songs "Quiet", "Face Card", "In Love With a White Girl" featuring Yo Gotti, "Chicken Room" featuring Rocko, and the title track, and "Sometimes" featuring Future.^{[16][17][18][19][20][21]} Trap Back has been met with positive reviews so far, scoring a 7.8 from Pitchfork Media, a 7.5 from AllHipHop, and an "L" from XXL.^[22][23][24]

Legal issues[link]

2001[link]

In April 2001, Davis was arrested on cocaine charges and sentenced to 90 days in county jail.^[25]

2005[link]

On May 10, 2005, Davis was attacked by a group of men at a house in Decatur, Georgia. Davis and his companions shot at the group, killing one. The corpse of one of the attackers, Pookie Loc, was found later behind a nearby middle school. Davis turned himself in to police investigators on May 19, 2005, and was subsequently charged with murder. Davis claimed that the shots fired by him and his party were in self-defense.^[25] The DeKalb County district attorney's office dropped the murder charge in January 2006 due to insufficient evidence. The previous October, in an unrelated matter, Davis had pleaded no contest to a charge of aggravated assault for assaulting a nightclub promoter the previous June; at the time the murder charge was dropped, he was serving a six-month county jail sentence for this.^[26] Davis was released from jail in late January 2006.^[1]

2008[link]

In September 2008, Gucci Mane was arrested for a probation violation for completing only 25 out of 600 community service hours following his 2005 arrest for aggravated assault. He was sentenced to a year in the county jail but was released after six months.^[27] He was incarcerated in the Fulton County jail for probation violation^[28] and released on May 12, 2010.^[29]

2010[link]

On November 2, 2010, Gucci Mane was arrested for driving on the wrong side of the road, running a red light or stop sign, damage to government property, obstruction, no license, no proof of insurance and other traffic charges. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.^[30]

2011[link]

On January 4, 2011, A judge in the Superior Court of Georgia’s Fulton County ordered rapper Gucci Mane to a psychiatric hospital, according to court documents. The documents reveal that his lawyers filed a Special Plea of Mental Incompetency on Dec. 27 arguing that he is unable “to go forward and/or intelligently participate in the probation revocation hearing.” ^[31]

On September 13, 2011, Davis was given a six month county jail sentence after pleading guilty to two counts of battery, two counts of reckless conduct and one count of disorderly conduct.^[32]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• 2007: Back to the Trap House
• 2009: The State vs. Radric Davis
• 2010: The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted

Collaboration albums[link]

• 2011: Ferrari Boyz (with Waka Flocka Flame)
• 2011: BAYTL (with V-Nasty)

EPs[link]

• 2009: Wasted: The Prequel

Compilation albums[link]

• 2008: Hood Classics

Independent albums[link]

• 2001: La Flare
• 2005: Trap House
• 2006: Hard to Kill
• 2007: Trap-A-Thon
• 2009: Murder Was the Case
• 2011: The Return of Mr. Zone 6

Mixtapes[link]

• 2006: Chicken Talk
• 2007: Bird Flu (Southern Slang)
• 2007: Ice Attack
• 2007: Ice Attack: Part 2
• 2007: No Pad, No Pencil
• 2008: EA Sportscenter
• 2008: Gucci Sosa
• 2008: Mr. Perfect
• 2008: The Movie
• 2009: Bird Flu: Part 2
• 2009: The Movie: Part 2 (The Sequel)
• 2009: Guccitendo
• 2009: Writing's On the Wall
• 2009: The Burrrprint: 3D (The Movie: Part 3)
• 2009: The Cold War: Part 1 (Guccimerica)
• 2009: The Cold War: Part 2 (Great Brrritain)
• 2009: The Cold War: Part 3 (Brrrussia)
• 2010: Mr. Zone 6
• 2010: Jewelry Selection
• 2010: Gucci Classics
• 2010: Ferrari Music
• 2010: Buy My Album
• 2010: Burrrprint (2) HD
• 2011: Gucci 2 Time
• 2011: Writing's On the Wall 2
• 2012: Trap Back
• 2012: I'm Up

Collaboration mixtapes[link]

• 2007: Guapaholics (with Shawty Lo)
• 2008: Definition Of A G (with Yo Gotti)
• 2011: Brick Squad Mafia (with 1017 Brick Squad)
• 2011: Free Bricks small>(with Future)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gucci Mane

• Official website
• Gucci Mane on Myspace
• Gucci Mane at the Internet Movie Database

Donal Óg Cusack (born 16 March 1977) is an Irish hurler who currently plays as a goalkeeper for the Cork senior team.^[1]

Cusack became first-choice goalkeeper when he succeeded Ger Cunningham for the 1999 championship. Since then he has retained the number one jersey and has won three All-Ireland medals, five Munster medals and two All-Star award.

At club level Cusack plays with Cloyne.

Biography[link]

Donal Óg Cusack was born in Cloyne, County Cork in 1977. He was born into a family that had a strong link to Cork's hurling glories of the past. One of his close relations was Christy Ring, regarded by many as the greatest hurler of all time, and a holder of a record eight All-Ireland medals with Cork.

Cusack was educated at the local national school in Cloyne village and later attended nearby Midleton CBS. It was here that his hurling talents first came to the fore. Cusack quickly became a key fixture on the school's senior hurling team and in 1994 his team lost the Dr. Harty Cup (Munster Senior Colleges' Hurling Championship) final. The next year he repeated his Leaving Certificate and it paid off as he landed a Dr. Harty Cup title, making up for the previous year's loss.^[2] Following his secondary schooling Cusack began a career as an electrician.

On 18 October 2009, Cusack revealed to the Irish Mail on Sunday that he is gay.^[3] He released his autobiography, Come What May,^[4] in October 2009. He writes:

"I get more out of men. Always have. I know I am different but just in this way. Whatever you may feel about me or who I am, I've always been at peace with it."

Come What May won the Williamhill.com Irish Sports Book of the Year for 2009.^[5] Since then Cusack has been noted as one of the few "openly gay sporting heroes" both at home and abroad.^[6]

Playing career[link]

Club[link]

Cusack plays his local club hurling with his local club in Cloyne and has had some success with the club. He has annexed a number of East Cork hurling titles; however, it was as a member of the Imokilly divisional side in 1997 that he enjoyed his greatest success to date. That year Cusack lined out in the final of the county senior championship with Sarsfield's providing the opposition. A thrilling 1-18 to 2-12 victory gave Imokilly the title and gave Cusack a coveted county senior championship winners' medal.^[7]

1997 also saw Cusack taste victory with Cloyne. The club reached the county final of the county intermediate championship that year, with Deleanys providing the opposition. The final w histle in that game saw Cloyne claim a merited 1-12 to 1-7 victory, giving Cusack a county intermediate championship winners' medal.^[8] This victory allowed Cloyne to join the ranks of the senior county championship in 1998.

By 2004 Cloyne had consolidated their position in the senior ranks, with Cusack serving as trainer of the team, and even reached the final. Na Piarsaigh provided the opposition, however, Cusack's side were no match for the city side. A great second-half display saw Cusack end up on the wrong side of a 0-17 to 0-10 defeat.^[9]

In 2005 Cloyne set out to avenge the previous year's defeat and reached the county final again. Newtownshandrum were the opponents on that occasion, however, Cloyne were still off the pace. A 0-15 to 0-9 defeat saw 'Newtown' take their third county title of the decade, while Cusack ended up on the losing side for a second year in-a-row.^[10]

2006 saw Cloyne reach a third successive county final. Erin's Own were the opponents and an exciting game ensued. A thrilling game produced a score line of 2-19 to 3-14, however, for the third year in-a-row Cusack ended up on the losing side.^[11]

Since that defeat Cloyne have failed to reach the championship decider of the county championship.

Minor and under-21[link]

Cusack's hurling skills at colleges and club championship levels brought him to the attentions of the Cork inter-county selectors and he was soon picked for the minor team. In 1995 he won his sole Munster minor winners' medal as Cork trounced Waterford by 3-18 to 0-10.^[12] Cork later qualified for the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny with Cusack lining out in goal. The game turned into a rout as Cork won easily, giving Cusack a coveted All-Ireland winners' medal in the minor grade.^[13]

The following year Cusack moved onto the Cork under-21 team and more success quickly followed. He won a Munster title in this grade that same year as Clare were totally outclassed on a score line of 3-16 to 2-7.^[14] Cork, however, fell in the All-Ireland semi-final against Galway.

In 1997 Cusack added a second Munster under-21 medal to his collection when Tipperary were defeated by a single point. It took a late goal by Timmy McCarthy to secure a 1-11 to 0-13 victory. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Cork take on Galway and Cusack lining out in his usual left corner-forward spot. Cork were victorious on that occasion on a score line of 3-11 to 0-13 giving Cusack a coveted All-Ireland under-21 winners' medal.

1998 saw Cork maintaining their provincial dominance with Cusack collecting a third consecutive Munster under-21 medal with a 3-18 to 1-10 victory over Tipp. This victory marks Cusack out as one of the few players who never lost a provincial under-21 championship game. For the third year in a row Cork played in the All-Ireland final and, for the second consecutive year, Galway were the opponents. In a close game Cork just about secured a 2-15 to 2-10 win. It was Cusack's second consecutive All-Ireland under-21 winners' medal.

Senior[link]

Cusack's move onto the Cork senior team was a natural progression for such a talented player. He made his senior debut in an Oireachtas game against Tipperary in 1996, however, at the time Ger Cunningham's position as first-choice goalkeeper was safe.

Following the conclusion of the 1998 championship Cunningham retired from inter-county hurling and Cusack was installed as Cork's new custodian. His elevation to the starting fifteen coincided with a year when Cork were back in their first Munster final since 1992. Clare, the team that had won three of the last four provincial titles, together with two All-Ireland titles, provided the opposition and were very much the favourites going into the game. An exciting contest unfolded with Joe Deane scoring a key goal after an excellent pass from Seánie McGrath. A score line of 1-15 to 0-14 gave Cork the victory and gave Cusack his first senior Munster title.^[15] Cork later defeated Offaly in one of the games of the year to set up an All-Ireland final meeting with arch-rivals Kilkenny. A wet and windy day meant that the classic game that everyone expected failed to materialise. Both sides shot seventeen wides over the course of the seventy minutes as a young and inexperienced Cork came back from five points down to win by 0-13 to 0-12. It was Cork's first senior All-Ireland title since 1990 and it was Cusack's first.^[16] He finished off the year by claiming his first All-Star award.

In 2000 Cork were the favourites to retain their All-Ireland title. The team got off to a good start by retaining their Munster title, however, Tipperary put up a good fight. It was Cusack's second Munster title as Cork won by 0-23 to 3-12. Cork's next game was an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Offaly. While Cork were expected to win the game without breaking a sweat Offaly caught Cusack's side on the hop and recorded a 0-19 to 0-15 win.

While the Cork hurling team should have gone from strength to strength as a result of a solid foundation at minor and under-21 levels the opposite happened. Embarrassing defeats in 2001 and 2002 saw the Cork hurling team reach rock bottom and call a players' strike just before Christmas in 2002. Cusack played a huge role as one of the main spokesmen in representing the welfare of his fellow players. Had the strike failed it could have meant the end of his and his fellow teammates' careers, however, in the end the county board relented and met the demands. Although still amateur sportsmen the Cork senior hurling team were treated as professional athletes.

In 2003 Cork's players were vindicated in taking a stand as the team reached the Munster final for the first time in three years. Waterford provided the opposition on that occasion as one of hurling’s modern rivalries began in earnest. An exciting game resulted between the two teams; however, victory went to Cork by 3-16 to 3-12. It was Cusack's third Munster medal and it gave a signal that Cork were back.^[17] Cusack's side were hot favourites going into the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final against Wexford, however, it was far from a walkover. In one of the most exciting games of the championship both sides finished level: Cork 2-20, Wexford 3-17. Both sides met again six days later with Cork making no mistake and taking the spoils on a score line of 3-17 to 2-7. This win set up an All-Ireland final meeting with Kilkenny. In another thrilling game of hurling both teams were level for much of the game, exchanging tit-for-tat scores. A Setanta Ó hAilpín goal steadied the Cork ship, however, a Martin Comerford goal five minutes from the end settled the game as Kilkenny went on to win by 1-14 to 1-11.^[18]

2004 saw Cork reach the Munster final once again and, for the second consecutive year, Waterford provided the opposition. In what many consider to be the greatest provincial decider of them all, both sides fought tooth-and-nail for the full seventy minutes. Cork lost the game by just a single point on a score line of Waterford 3-16, Cork 1-21.^[19] Although Cork surrendered their provincial crown they were still in with a chance of landing the All-Ireland title. After maneuvering through the qualifiers Cork reached a second consecutive All-Ireland final and, once again, Kilkenny provided the opposition. This game took on a life of its own for a number of reasons. Chief among these was the fact that Kilkenny were attempting to capture a third All-Ireland in-a-row and go one ahead of Cork in the All-Ireland roll of honour. The game was expected to be another classic; however, a damp day put an end to this. The first-half was a low-scoring affair and provided little excitement for fans. The second-half saw Cork completely take over. For the last twenty-three minutes Cork scored nine unanswered points and went on to win the game by 0-17 to 0-9. It was Cusack's second All-Ireland winners' medal.^[20]

In 2005 Cork were on form again. They won back the provincial crown that year with a 1-12 to 1-16 victory over Tipperary.^[21] It was Cusack's fourth Munster winners' medal as Cork went on the march for glory once again. In the All-Ireland semi-final against Clare their championship campaign was nearly derailed when they fell behind by seven points at the start of the second half. A huge performance by Cork turned this deficit around and Cusack's side eventually went on to win the game by 0-16 to 0-15. While it was expected^{[by whom?]} that Cork and Kilkenny would do battle again in a third consecutive All-Ireland final Galway were the surprise winners of the second semi-final. It was the first meeting of Cork and Galway in an All-Ireland final since 1990 and even more daunting was the fact that men from the west had never beaten Cork in a championship decider. Once again neither side broke away into a considerable lead, however, at the final whistle Cork were ahead by 1-21 to 1-16. For the second year in-a-row Cork were the All-Ireland champions and Cusack collected his third winners’ medal.^[22]

In 2006 expectations were high amongst Cork supporters that the team could win a third successive All-Ireland title. These expectations were heightened when the team won the Munster Championship, with Cusack capturing his fifth provincial medal. Cusack had his best championship season with Cork in 2006. He provided real leadership from his goalkeeping position and was one of the stars of the team. Cork were defeated by Kilkenny and were denied the three-in-a-row. In spite of this Cusack won a long-overdue second All-Star Award in November 2006.

In 2007 Cork set out to atone for their failure to capture the elusive three in-a-row. The first game of the championship pitted Cork against Clare, however, there was controversy before the sliothar was even thrown in. The so-called Semplegate affair saw both Cork and Clare emerge from the tunnel at the same. A melee ensued with Cork players Cusack, Diarmuid O'Sullivan and Seán Óg Ó hAilpín being singled out as culprits. Cork won the game against Clare, however, the three players mentioned earlier suspended for the next game against Waterford. Cork lost on that occasion and had to play in the qualifiers in an effort to get their championship campaign back on track. Cork qualified along with Tipperary and were drawn to play Waterford for the second time that year in the All-Ireland quarter-final. That game saw Cusack make a vital save in injury time when Cork were leading by a point, however, Waterford went on to level the scores and a replay was forced. Waterford won the replay and Cork's season came to an abrupt end.

The beginning of 2007 saw Cork's pre-season preparation hampered due to disagreements with the Cork County Board. The Cork senior Gaelic football team refused to play under new manager Teddy Holland and the Cork senior hurlers withdrew their services in sympathy. The 'strike' continued until February 2007, which resulted in Cusack's side withdrawing from the Waterford Crystal Cup as well as postponing their opening National Hurling League games against Kilkenny and Waterford. Cork were later forced to forfeit their league points after failing to fulfill these fixtures. Cork's first outing in the championship was a meeting with Tipperary. On that occasion Tipp defeated their age-old rivals at home, ending a hoodoo that had lasted since 1923. This defeat resulted in Cork having a second chance in the All-Ireland qualifiers. An unconvincing victory over Dublin set up a meeting with Galway, a team tipped for All-Ireland success. The first half was a scrappy affair with Cusack receiving a yellow card early in the first-half. He later received a second yellow card for pulling down a Galway player and was duly sent off shortly before the interval. Cork, however, went on to win the game with Martin Coleman, Jnr deputising for the sidelined Cusack. In the second-half Cork took charge with Joe Deane giving a great display and scoring four crucial points from play to help his team to a 0-23 to 2-15 victory and a place in the All-Ireland quarter-final. Clare were the opposition on that occasion and, once again, Cork gave a poor first-half display. The second-half was a different story with Cork taking charge once again and securing a 2-19 to 2-17 victory. This win allowed Cork to advance to the All-Ireland semi-final where Kilkenny provided the opposition. It was the first time that these two teams met in the championship outside of an All-Ireland final. That game was an intriguing encounter; however, ‘the Cats’ won the day by 1-23 to 0-17.

Following the defeat by Kilkenny in 2008 manager Gerald McCarthy's two-year contract came to an end. He was later re-appointed for a further two-year term by the Cork County Board, in spite of the majority of the players not wanting him to stay on. The players on the 2008 panel, with Cusack taking a more subdued role than normal, refused to play or train under McCarthy. (see 2008-2009 Cork players strike). McCarthy accordingly began the 2009 National League campaign with a new squad, none of whom had been able to make the previous year's panel. After months of pressure McCarthy eventually stepped down as manager.

Following the resolution to these difficulties Cork were defeated by Tipperary on a score line of 1-19 to 0-19 in the opening round of the Munster campaign. After a convincing win over Offaly, Cork's next assignment was a win-or-bust All-Ireland qualifier meeting with Galway. Cork faltered in the final ten minutes, in spite of two great saves from Joe Canning goal chances, and 'the Tribesmen' knocked 'the Rebels' out of the championship by 1-19 to 0-15.

Inter-provincial[link]

Cusack has also lined out with Munster in the inter-provincial hurling competition. He first played for his province in the semi-final of the competition in 1999, however, he was replaced by Tipp's Brendan Cummins for the final. In 2000 Cusack came on as a substitute to collect his first Railway Cup medal following a win over Leinster. He came on as a substitute again in 2005 to collect his second Railway Cup title.

References[link]

Teams[link]