MARK VAUGHAN has found himself torn between two causes close to his heart – Kilmacud Crokes and Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) – and it seems only one of them can win out.
Vaughan is a wanted man these days anyway, ahead of the All-Ireland club football on St Patrick’s Day, but given his pivotal role in helping Kilmacud get there (scoring 1-6 against Corofin last Saturday) it’s easy to understand why they want to keep him wrapped up in cotton wool for the next fortnight.
DIT, however, are hoping Vaughan can still play some role for them this weekend in the climax of the Sigerson Cup. It’s Vaughan’s last year with the college, and although he didn’t play with them in their quarter-final win over Galway-Mayo IT last Wednesday (given its close proximity to Kilmacud’s club semi-final against Corofin on the Saturday), they could certainly do with him for Friday’s semi-final against Dublin rivals UCD – with the winners meeting either Cork IT or NUIG in the final 24 hours later.
“Of course I’m very eager to play with DIT,” says Vaughan, “but it’s just not ideal to be involved in the Sigerson Cup as well, leading up to that All-Ireland club final. I missed DIT’s quarter-final because it was just too close to the club semi-final. I quite often have back problems as well, and had been injured with that for a while. Paddy Carr (the Kilmacud manager) had a word with me, and he didn’t really want to risk playing me four days before the club were out.”
Kilmacud met last night for their first training session since Saturday’s triumph, and also to talk through the positives and negatives of that performance as they switch their thoughts towards their date with Crossmaglen on St Patrick’s Day. The matter of Vaughan’s availability for the Sigerson this weekend, which is being hosted by Cork IT, should be decided sometime today.
“There is a lot more time in between this time, but we’ll just have to see. I was a bit sore towards the end of the club semi-final last Saturday. My back was actually at me a fair bit. That’s why I just wanted to get to the sideline at the end. It’s nothing too major though.
“It’s not just about trying to play for DIT if I can. It’s that I’ll miss the couple of training sessions with Kilmacud as well. It’s going to have to be discussed with everyone involved. Being realistic about it, I’m probably not going to get another chance to play in an All-Ireland club final with Kilmacud. I know Crossmaglen have been there a few times but they are the exception. But the way I’m thinking about it, I’m in a position with Kilmacud I may never be in again. But then it’s my last year with DIT as well, so I won’t have another shot at a Sigerson either. It is frustrating because I know I’m going to be letting down someone either way.”
In the meantime, he says, Kilmacud won’t need to spend too much time thinking about Crossmaglen: “Their record speaks for itself, and we know what they’re all about anyway. We don’t have to do too much homework on them. I think nearly everyone knows their strengths and just how good they are. We’ll just have to step up our own preparation.”
It’s only the third time in DIT’s history they’ve made the finals weekend of the Sigerson Cup, and they’ll be up against a UCD side that have won the title a record 32 times since 1911, when Dr Sigerson, a student at UCD, donated a trophy to the college’s football competition. However, UCD’s greatest era remains the 1970s, when they won the title six times in seven years, and their last title came in 1996.
Vaughan’s team-mate at Kilmacud, Ross O’Carroll, is in a similar position, as he’s in line to play for UCD. The DIT management team of Tadhg Condon and Paddy Canning have developed a good relationship with Carr and the Kilmacud management, but it seems inevitable on this occasion club will have to come before college.
The GAA have confirmed the throw-in times for the finals on St Patrick’s Day: the hurling final is at 2.30pm, with De La Salle against Portumna, followed at 4.30pm by the football final between Crossmaglen and Crokes.
