Forever Óg...

Between full-time work and training up to five times a week, there is little downtime for Seán Óg Ó hAilpín. But when it does come along, it’s the simple things that matter most to the former Cork inter-county hurling and football star.

“I live for Friday night at 10.30pm when Graham Norton is on TV,” says Seán, 35.

“I also like to go for walks with my partner Siobhán, go to the cinema or watch sport on TV. She doesn’t mind it but once I overdo it, that’s when the problems start. The controls are taken out of my hands and the TV turned off.”

The couple share a home in Cork and were introduced to each other by Siobhán’s brother Alan Quirke, one of the Cork football goalkeepers.

What shape are you in?

I am still training with Na Piarsaigh Hurling and Football club four to five times a week. A session will last on average two hours. It’s a combination of weights training, stamina running and skills sessions with the ball and team. We are getting ready for local championship games in the summer.

Do you have any health concerns?

None at the moment, thank God. I get the annual check up. People think they live reasonably fit lives and then do a few tests and find their cholesterol is higher than they thought. I was involved in a car crash and I had to get my knee reconstructed. It’s holding up well, except during the cold weather it stiffens up and swells but come the warmer weather during the summer it’s fine.

What are your healthiest eating habits?

It’ll have to be fruit and veg — 10 servings a day. Kiwi fruit, bananas, you name it. With my main meal, I like carrots and cabbage the best.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Ice cream and rhubarb crumble. It’s lovely after a Sunday dinner.

What would keep you awake at night?

I am generally a very good sleeper. In all of my 15 years playing you never get your ideal sleep the night before — because of nerves, and stuff going through your head. Compare that to the night after a match and you sleep like a baby.

How do you relax?

Training and playing sport relaxes me. That is where I am at my most comfortable.

Who would you like to invite to your ideal dinner party?

Graham Norton, Sugar Ray Leonard, Eva Mendes — I’ve the hots for her. Plus my immediate family.

What is your favourite smell?

That Deep Heat dressing-room smell. It reminds me of championship games over the years. Anything to do with mum’s cooking, especially her Fijian dishes.

What would you like to change about your appearance?

I have a mark on my right cheek — the result of stitches from a hurling blow when I was 12 years of age. I’d like to get rid of that. Also, I would like slender thighs because trying to find a pair of jeans that fit me properly is impossible.

But then one of the reasons I’ve lasted as long in my sporting career is because I have strong legs.

When did you last cry?

I shed a tear when my youngest sister Etaoin, who is 24, left to study for a year in Melbourne. I would be a softie when it comes to those kind of things.

What trait do you least like in others?

Selfishness.

What trait do you least like in yourself?

When I wake up in the morning or even the night before I have a set routine of what I want to do. And if I don’t get that done then can I get annoyed with myself and get stubborn with others.

Do you pray?

I do. When I pull out of my driveway in the morning I always say the Hail Mary to myself.

What would cheer up your day?

Winning the Lotto. On a serious note, when I leave the door in the morning, Siobhán wishing me the best for the day and a kiss on the cheek. It means a lot to me