Donal Óg’s mixed emotions

Kevin Cassidy crept into Donal Óg Cusack’s thoughts a lot last September, while Donegal were making their All-Ireland football title breakthrough without their former captain.

Cusack was happy for the team but sad for the man who gave his best years to Donegal’s cause but wasn’t around to enjoy the climax after being unceremoniously jettisoned for an apparent breach of team discipline.

A year on, Cusack now finds himself walking in Cassidy’s boots, retired against his will after a brief conversation with Jimmy Barry-Murphy earlier this year and looking in from the outside as his former colleagues chase a remarkable hurling title success on Sunday week.