Dublin promised top billing

GAA President Christy Cooney has guaranteed Dublin a stand alone All-Ireland football quarter-final fixture next weekend.

Dublin, along with the three other provincial champions, will find out tomorrow night who their last eight opponents are.

But what appears a definite is that the Sky Blues won’t take part in any potential double header over the Bank Holiday August weekend.

It’s good news for the county’s huge support base who feared a major ticket shortage in the event of a double header.

Cooney also dismissed reports that if Dublin were drawn to face Kerry the quarter-final tie may go ahead in Thurles.

He said Dublin would only have played in Thurles this summer in the event of the Leinster final ending in a draw as Croke Park is currently out of commission.

He also stated that Croke Park will be fully operational next weekend despite the short turnaround in laying down a new pitch from Wednesday onwards following the U2 concerts there.

“I think it’s fairly definite that it will be (a stand alone quarter-final for Dublin),” said Cooney.

“It’s most unlikely that we’ll be able to cater for a crowd with any other two counties involved.

“The Dubs could fill (Croke Park) on their own but understandably they’ll have to share tickets with another county. So be it. We would expect that will happen.”

Cooney said there’s no reason all four quarter-finals can’t take place at Croke Park over the Bank Holiday weekend.

“We’re happy that once the stage is taken down next Wednesday we’ll have a pitch in place ready to play next Saturday that’s in top condition,” continued Cooney.

“We’re very comfortable with that. There’s been a lot of time and effort gone into logistics and making sure the sod we’re getting is A1 and the pitch will play to form.

“If we wanted to play next Saturday, Sunday and Monday (at Croke Park) we’d do that.

“It’ll depend on who Dublin draw and who they’re playing and if they draw an Ulster team, which is only Antrim now at this stage, we couldn’t play that, for instance, on a Monday because it’s not a Bank Holiday in Ulster.”

Cooney was speaking at the unveiling of the GAA’s Codes of Best Practice in Youth Sport and Behaviour in the company of Minster for Children and Youth Affairs Barry Andrews.

The purpose of the codes is to prove guidance ‘for all units and branches of the GAA family in their work with children and young people’.

Meanwhile Dublin duo Conal Keaney and Peadar Andrews hope that following in the footsteps of Real Madrid’s galacticos will boost their All-Ireland football title hopes.

The Leinster champions held a two day training camp at the Carton House estate in Kildare this week, moving in to use the plush training facilities just as Madrid were moving out after a high profile stay.

“The pitch out there is similar to Croke Park, the surface is like a golf course, it’s unbelievable really,” said Keaney who has trained there before as part of Dublin’s official link up with Carton House.

“There were a few more advertisements around the pitch and Audi cars around the place this time. Unfortunately they weren’t for us.

“We had a couple of sessions and worked on a few things that we think will be of use to us going forward.”

The camp took place on Wednesday and Thursday and some players stayed on there until yesterday.

“Obviously there was a lot of hype about the place with Real Madrid just leaving,” said Dublin defender Andrews.

“But it has fantastic facilities and the pitch was great. It just allowed us to get a lot of work done and we’re very happy with it.

“It’s a lot more private and Pat gets his points across a lot better.

“This is the business end of the championship and hopefully we can get in our best shape over the next eight or nine weeks.”

One high profile player who didn’t take part in the Carton camp was Dublin forward Mark Vaughan who has been released from the panel for disciplinary reasons.

The All-Ireland club winner instead took part in a mid week league game for Kilmacud Crokes as his former colleagues geared up for their assault on the Sam Maguire Cup.

Dublin’s management team have refused to comment on the Vaughan situation though Andrews admitted the loss of such a fine player was regrettable.

“Everyone knows Mark Vaughan is a fantastic player,” said Andrews. “It was evident throughout Kilmacud’s run when they won the club championship. But that’s a management issue, I don’t know the ins and outs of it, he’s been carrying a wee bit of an injury.

“It is a loss to lose someone as talented as him but I suppose we have to get on with it at this stage and try to finish out the championship.”