Michael Cusack (Gaelic Athletic Association)

Michael Cusack was born in 1847, during the great Irish famine to fluent Irish-speaking parents,^[2] Matthew and Bridget Cusack.^[3] The third oldest of five children, he had one sister, Mary and three brothers, John, Patrick and Thomas. Cusack was raised in Carron, in the east of the burren region, Co Clare and attended Carron National School, Co Clare.^[4]

Cusack began training to be a teacher in 1864 and attended District Model School, Enniscorthy, followed by the Central Model School in Marlborough street, Co Dublin. He taught at and was principal of Lough Cultra National School, Co Galway until 1871 until he moved to teach at St Colmans College in Co Down, where he worked as a professor of English and Mathematics for 3 years. From 1874-1875 he taught in Blackrock College, Co Dublin and after that in Clongowes Wood College, Co Kildare from 1866-7.^[2] In 1877, Cusack began to offer tutoring to students preparing for civil service exams, eventually establishing his own academy and running it from his own house in Gardiner Place, Co Dublin.^[5]

Cusack married Margaret Imelda Woods, a seamstress from Dromore in County Down born In 1854. They wed in 1876 in St Colmans Church, County Down.^[4] It is believed that they had 5 children that survived into adulthood, Clare, Michael, Bride, Francis and John. Their daughters Margaret and Aoife Cusack died as children. In 1890, Margaret Imelda Cusack died after being ill with tuberculosis. After this tragedy the family was separated, with some of the children being sent to orphanages and others to live with relatives.^[6]

A romantic nationalist, Cusack was also "reputed" to have been associated with the Fenian movement.^[7] He was active in the Gaelic revival: a member of the Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language which was founded in 1876, and later the Gaelic League who in 1879 broke away from the society. Also in 1879, Cusack met Pat Nally, who was a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and a leading nationalist and athlete.^[8] Cusack found that Nally's views on the influence of British landlordism on Irish athletics were the same as his.^[9] Cusack would recall how both Nally and himself while walking through the Phoenix Park in Dublin seeing only a handful of people playing sports in the park so depressed them that they agreed it was time to "make an effort to preserve the physical strength of [their] race."^[10] Nally organised a National Athletics Sports meeting in County Mayo in September 1879 which was a success, with Cusack organising a similar event which was open to 'artisans' in Dublin the following April.^[9]

Cusack was fond of sports and was involved in many, including a rugby club that he set up in his own academy, as well as handball, rowing and cricket.^[4] An article was written in 1884 by who many believe was Michael Cusack, talking about how English rule has disregarded traditional Irish sports. Cusack arranged a meeting in Hayes's hotel, Thurles, Co Tipperary on November 1, 1884, and the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) was founded. Maurice Davin was elected to be the president of the association and Cusack became an honorary secretary.^[7] Just 18 months after the formation of the association it is believed to have had 50,000 members.^[11] In 1886, Just 18 months after Cusack took up this position, He was voted out of office and his Academy closed. In a census from the year 1901, after his wife's passing and family separated, Cusack referred to himself as a journalist and a private tutor.^[4]