Sean Og’s keeps the faith by making the most of his talent
“My faith is hugely important to me. I believe there is a God and I believe he has given me a talent for sport, so I don’t want to let this talent go to waste.
“Harnessing and using it is my pay-back to God for what He has given me. I don’t have doubts about God’s existence whatsoever. Before every game I always say a Hail Mary to guide me through the match. At night, I always say it again before going to bed to thank Him for getting me through the day; tomorrow is a whole new day, whatever He has out there for me, I’ll take it on board.
“Having faith helps you to love a good honest life. It gives you a goal and purpose in your life and direction as to what is good and not good for you,” the star hurler says in the current issue of The Word magazine.
Since overcoming a serious injury in 2001, Ó hAilpín has led Cork to a string of victories.
“My dad is from Co Fermanagh. My mum is from Fiji. My dad emigrated to Australia in the late 60s to find work. He went on a holiday to Fiji where Mum was working and they met. I am the eldest in the family. Having no relatives made us a close and tight-knit family,” he says.
“I was born in Fiji, on my mum’s island, although I only lived there until I was three. We then located to Sydney. I spent most of my early years in Sydney, from the age of three to 11. I have three brothers and two sisters. My brother Teu is 28, a year younger than me, and is in London. My sister, Sarote, is 25 and a teacher in the North Monastery in Cork. Setanta will be 23 this year. Aisake is 21. The youngest in the family is my sister Étaoin, who did her Leaving Cert in June.
“Setanta and Aisake are playing professional Aussie Rules football in Australia. It is a hard game, especially since they have only taken it up recently,” he says.
On the rumours, started two years ago, that Seán Óg was considering heading to Australia, he told The Word it was never on the cards.
Christy Ring, he believes, was the greatest hurler ever. Tony O’Sullivan of Na Piarsaigh, DJ Carey and Brian Whelan he mentions as some of the best players he ever saw on the pitch.
“If I were to name one hurler who in my opinion was the most outstanding hurler I have seen and played with, it would have to be Brian Corcoran. He played his first All-Ireland final at 19 years of age and won ‘player of the year’ in 1992 and in 1999. When I first joined the Cork panel, Brian was the first person to guide me. He went out of his way to help me and I have never forgotten it.”
Being captain of a winning senior team was “the ultimate honour”.
“When you consider the calibre of previous All-Ireland Hurling captains, Christy Ring, Jack Lynch, Charlie McCarthy, Gerald McCarthy. The one thing tradition has taught me is that great people have gone before me. To be mentioned alongside these great people is a huge honour. I feel I have been very lucky and blessed,” he says.
