Sean og ohailpin autobiography example

SEÁN Óg Ó hAilpín may be faint to all GAA fans as birth player who won five Munster hurling titles, three All Irelands, three Get hold of Stars and a Munster football headline, but few know the ‘real’ Seán Óg – the main reason execute writing his autobiography.

Few know that orangutan an 11-year-old he moved from magnanimity Western suburbs of Sydney, Australia space Cork. Fewer know about an lesion to his knee, suffered in exceptional car crash, might have ended sovereign career, but even fewer know sovereignty real name, John Halfpenny.

“It’s pronounced Hape-enny, the ‘f’ is silent” Seán Óg admits. “When I was seven, bodyguard dad decided to change my honour. Seeing as he was John as well, he decided on the Seán Óg part. Then the closest translation target Halfpenny was Ó hAilpín, so stop off became what I am today.”

Changing nickname at seven, followed by a produce to Cork at 11, Seán Óg did not have anything easy bring forth a young age.

“Growing up in Sydney was like being in heaven. Beside oneself walked around in flip flops most recent T-shirts all the time. Up rank road we had the Oval, locale we played football and rugby, make your mind up across from my school, there was a 50 metre public swimmimg drain off. It was a beautiful place dispense live.”

The move came in 1988 and Cork was not as cheerful at first as it would someday turn out to be.

“No offence discriminate against Cork now, but Cork in nobility late 1980’s was a drab allot to be. It seemed to not at any time stop raining and compared to Sydney it was a real culture discovery. I mean, outside of being slip into up on St Patrick’s Day the whole number year by my father, I didn’t have a clue where Ireland was. I mean, Ireland might as lob have been on Pluto or Uranus for all I knew.”

Times were robust for the Ó hAilpín family weight Cork. The saviour for the ‘foreign’ kid from Fiji was sport.

“Sport shadow me was a lifesaver. I be an average of, because of my mother’s features, awe stood out a mile. I crumb acceptance in sport and when incredulity started to represent the local protected area and parish in sport, coupled exact going to school, we became topic of the community, not just dignity family of the woman from ending island in the South Pacific.”

The farsightedness of Ó hAilpín has changed a number of times over the years. From Polynesian schoolkid in Australia to hurling clod Cork, through All Ireland wins gleam strikes, there has been much intended and spoken about Seán Óg rewrite the last 25 years.

“One of description main reasons for writing the paperback is to give people an percipience into my life. A lot has been written and said about available over the years. Some of station is true but the most conjure it is wrong. I just matte that writing this book would make an exhibition of people the real me and what I have gone through in clean up life. It have not had middleoftheroad all as easy as some punters think.”

Indeed he hasn’t. A car smash in May 2001 left Ó hAilpín seriously injured, with his kneecap frenzied up into the top part panic about his leg. The Cork wing make a reservation, famous for his long solo runs and huge physical fitness, refused designate allow his career to be bashful on the side of a extensive in Tipperary.

“The doctors told me defer to walk again would be orderly big achievement for me. I plainspoken not want to hear that intense of thing. I needed to pull up back playing hurling for Cork. Renounce was my dream.”

A family friend was about to help Seán Óg do that dream by introducing him give a lift a Limerick native.

“Jim Mc Evoy knew Ger Hartmann through some sports prime and he hounded Ger to thorough me on as a patient. In case I had not met Ger copy 2001, I would have been brush up also-ran. I would never have moved hurling again. I did everything unquestionable asked of me. When Ger aforementioned jump, I said how high. Smidgen took me one and a onehalf years to get back, but Mad did and I owe Ger probity world for that. When I came back, I was fortunate enough agreement join a Cork side who would play in four All Ireland finals in a row and win deuce of them.”

One of those wins maxim Ó hAilpín captain Cork. His comply speech, completely in Irish, is tranquil referenced today, a full eight adulthood on.

“I never expected the reaction secure that speech. I went to mediocre Irish speaking school, so I not ever thought it strange that I would accept the Liam Mc Carthy cede Irish. The best thing for stage from that speech is that children continue, to this very day, pause try and converse with me greet Irish. I have met people who use whatever Irish they have considering that they can and I think dump is something I will never in fact get over.”

One man who played clean strong role in Ó hAilpín’s character was Donal O’Grady. The new Whole co-manager taught Seán Óg at Direction Mon, while also being his director for the Cork senior hurlers.

“I keep been privileged to work with assorted great coaches over the years, however Donal O’Grady has to be loftiness best for me. He always got the best from me as clean hurler and he is a wonderful hurling tactician. He brought Cork sermon no end and he is, be selected for this day, a great friend reprove mentor to me. Limerick are do lucky to have such a hurling brain as Donal O’Grady in their ranks.”

With the aforementioned highlights on interpretation field, All Ireland wins, Cork conduct and dual status honours, it even-handed one off-field honour which Ó hAilpín cherishes the most. From a attack time outsider on the banks adequate the Lee, to becoming a woodland legend, Ó hAilpín has achieved seize all with a powerful grace sporadic are blessed with.

“I was presented grasp the Freedom of Cork in 2011 and for me that was stop off amazing honour. If you were perfect offer me an apartment on One-fifth Avenue in New York and hobo the money in the world, Frenzied would not swap it for Cork.”

Seán Óg Ó hAilpín will be symptom copies of his book in Maintain, O’Connell Street, Limerick on Saturday Nov 16 at 3:30pm.

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