'It’s still very raw and hard to take': Conor Whelan on cousin Niall Donoghue’s death

By James O’Connor

When Galway’s hurling star Niall Donoghue died by suicide in 2013, Conor Whelan was just 16 years old, and suffering the loss of his cousin and first role model.

Now, Whelan is 21 and following Donoghue’s footsteps in becoming a stalwart for the Tribesmen, scoring three points in their dramatic semi-final replay win against Clare on Sunday.

Speaking in part three of the Littlewoods Ireland ‘Style of Play’ series, Whelan opens about how losing his cousin and childhood icon affected him, and how he can use his experience to help others.

"It was immensely sad and it’s still very raw and still very hard to take, but we all have a bit of responsibility to try and raise awareness and highlight the importance of mental health.

“Sometimes GAA players have a platform to try and reach out to younger people who look up to them and it’s very important for us to influence them and change the culture and make sure we don’t lose another loved-one like that.”

After such devastation in 2013, Whelan and Galway are looking to become back-to-back All-Ireland champions when they face Limerick in Croke Park on August 19.

The youngster shares how the loss of his cousin has helped him to stay grounded and shaped his outlook on hurling and life.

"You just have to try and stay strong mentally and positive and if you miss a ball there’s always another ball coming somewhere along the way.

“Perseverance pays off, that’s the key message really. Practice makes perfect and you just have to keep on going and going and going, and don’t take it for granted.

“Every day you’re out there you give it your all, some days you win and some days you lose and that’s just the moral of sport.”