Former Limerick goalkeeper Seamus O'Donnell is the latest GAA player to discuss his battle with depression.

Last week, former Cork hurler Conor Cusack and Cavan footballer Alan O'Mara spoke openly about their struggles against the mental illness. This all came in the wake of Galway hurler Niall Donohoe tragically dying a fortnight ago.

O'Donnell was in goals when Limerick reached the Munster SFC finals in 2003 and '04, but at just 24 years of age he left the county panel, at the time citing persistent injuries as the reason for his retirement, but now he recalls a different story to the Limerick Leader.

O'Donnell admitted that reading about Alan O'Mara and Conor Cusack's battles made him realise that it was good to speak out about the illness.

"Looking at the Cavan goalie - I remember reading it and thinking he has some guts. I read Conor Cusack's piece during the week and it was a mirror image. I cried reading it, myself and Sandra [his wife-to-be] were watching Coronation Street and I was reading it online and tears were coming down my face. I didn't even realise I was crying, I was just so engrossed reading it. That made my mind up that this is something that is not to be ashamed of," he realised.

"In one shape or form it has been the last 10 years but it has been the last two years that it really hit me that this is depression, whereas before I had an excuse. Like, my uncle died and my grandmother died before that and I thought this was just grief. It first happened when my grandmother died - I was going to grievance counsellors and all after that. But it didn't really hit me until my uncle [John O'Donnell] died by suicide. After that it just railroaded - I stopped playing football and lost interest and was blaming my knee injury," the 32-year- old added.

"I had a knee operation that January and that was my ticket out, more than anything else. Looking back it is one of the biggest regrets I have, that I turned my back on it - giving up so young was a waste. That time I would have thought, 'What is the GAA going to do for me?' but looking back if I had stayed in it I mightn't have ended up where I did. I was never a great trainer but my interest was gone. I lasted another year with the club and I didn't even go to many football matches until I joined the St Senan's management this year.

"Back then the GAA and everybody was burying their heads in the sand about mental issues - imagine talking about it in the dressing room, people would have been looking at you saying 'What is wrong with him now? 'Cop yourself on'.

On Friday week, Seamus will marry his long time girlfriend Sandra Reilly..

The full interview can be read on the Limerick Leader website. Tweet

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