"The man in the cap" — 1918–2011
Peter McDermott
Peter McDermott was born in 1918 and attended Cushinstown national school in the early 1930s. He went on to play for the Meath senior football team as left corner-forward and became known as "the man in the cap" for his appearance on the field. In 1949 he was part of the Meath team that won the All-Ireland championship — the county's first. In 1954, at the age of 36, he captained the Meath team to another All-Ireland victory. His 51 championship appearances stood as a Meath record for nearly forty years. After his playing career ended, he managed Meath to an All-Ireland victory in 1967 and spent decades in administrative roles in the GAA. He was made an All-Time All-Star in 1989 and inducted into the GAA Hall of Fame in 2002. He died on 11 October 2011, aged 93.
Founded 1841
The school at Cushinstown
Cushinstown has had a school since 1838, though formal record of founding dates it to 1841. The original schoolhouse was located across the road from the present building and served as the schoolhouse from 1841 to 1934. In 1934 a new school building was constructed and is still in use. The school is part of the cultural memory of the parish and produced, among others, Peter McDermott, who would go on to represent Meath in the All-Ireland championships. Small village schools like Cushinstown were (and are) the foundation of rural Irish education.
Peter McDermott, and brothers O'Donoghue
Meath footballers from Cushinstown
Peter McDermott was not the only All-Ireland footballer from Cushinstown. Paudie and Éamonn O'Donoghue, brothers from the parish, won two All-Ireland senior football medals each with Meath in the 1980s. The small village produced multiple championship players — a tiny community from which came a cluster of excellence in Meath football. It is a reminder that All-Ireland success is built from villages, schools, and the work of people in places like this.