Vaughan’s steadfast belief

UNTAINTED is the word that springs to mind when it comes to Donal Vaughan.

Oh, the then 17-year-old was there in 2006 but only to witness the car crash. Standing on the Hill with a buddy, David Harney, he was left unscathed if a little horrified as Kieran Donaghy and Colm Cooper wreaked havoc in the Mayo full-back line, effectively ending the game as a contest in the first half.

“The crowd was very silent but he was one of the fellas that just kept shouting and shouting,” he recalled about his friend.

“The Kerry fellas were giving him abuse but he kept going. I suppose the game was over after 10 or 15 minutes so it was hard to watch. But I think most Mayo supporters stayed until the end.”

Those same fans’ faith was rattled to its core in May when London almost pulled off the shock of the new millennium but there Vaughan was rallying the troops.

“I was one of the players who spoke before the extra time in London and I used the comparison to Cork last year.

“I was watching their game in Newcastle in England against Limerick. They possibly could have been beaten but they went on to win an All-ireland.

“So I made the point that if we could get over [London], anything is possible. Now what we are facing is an All-Ireland semi-final.”

The more cynical kind might say Vaughan’s can-do philosophy might have something to do with five of his formative years being spent in Kerry.

With both parents hailing from Kanturk, he spent a couple of years in Cork before moving to Castleisland. His father, he says, is a rabid Rebel but that loyalty was pushed aside when Mayo faced the All-Ireland champions earlier this month.

“The minute the draw was made, not just my parents but relations in Cork, I got a few texts saying: family first. We are all behind you. And that meant a lot to me.”

Vaughan knows Mayo people travelled up to Croke Park at the start of the month with little expectation.

“Going back to the Cork game, a lot of supporters probably went up more in hope than belief. What’s important is that the team believes. The mindset of the players is what matters.”

Vaughan’s is a clear one. Having made his championship debut against New York in 2009, he had to wait until this year to claim a provincial title.

The final year under John O’Mahony last season was a bitterly disappointing one, going out in the first round of the qualifiers to Longford. Still, Vaughan insists he never lost his confidence.

“Last year was a strange season. We did so well in the league and then we were gone in the championship.

“It is always my belief that if we perform we can beat any team in the country. And if you don’t perform, you can be beaten by anyone. It was tough.

“I think sometimes you have to feel a bit of pain. What is the saying? You can’t appreciate success until you have experienced disappointment. You are always going to have more downs than ups — unless you are from a county like Kerry, where you could win five or six All-Irelands in your career.”

As Mayo have improved with each game, they have been met with pundits and commentators keen to have a pop at them. David Brady, Liam Hayes, Des Cahill and Joe Brolly have all had to swallow some humble pie.

This past week, former Cork player Tony Davis described them as “losers” and Newstalk breakfast presenter Ivan Yates yesterday said they haven’t “a prayer job” of beating Kerry.

Aidan O’Shea has admitted Hayes’ words before the Connacht final motivated the players but Vaughan explains the inspiration for their run comes from within the camp.

“What you are talking about there is external motivation. We have a lot of internal motivation — I am not going to reveal it here today but there are a lot of driven fellas in this panel who have experienced the last few years and they don’t need to open the Sunday papers on the morning of a game to get themselves motivated.

“So, no, we are not waiting for someone to say something.”

There’s no doubt Mayo are responding to a new manager, though. Vaughan is grateful for what O’Mahony gave him but, like Jim McGuinness in Donegal, James Horan represents a departure.

“There is no doubt that with a fresh voice, it is easier to get rid of things that happened in the past because you can say: right, it is a new slate. From my own point of view, it is a new manager. You have to impress him. It doesn’t matter what you did last year: reputations go out the window.

“So I suppose everyone is giving it an extra five, 10% in training. It is the same in Donegal. It doesn’t matter what they did last year.

“You have to prove yourself to the new manager. So I suppose that does make a difference.”