NICOLE MCLAUGHLIN’S exceptional dedication meant she was one of 23 players recently awarded third-level scholarships by the Women’s Gaelic Players’ Association.
The Donegal and Termon defender is undertaking a four-year education degree with business and religion at the Thurles campus – about 250 miles from home – of the University of Limerick.
Photo caption: Nicole McLaughlin and her Termon teammate Gráinne McDaid celebrate victory in the All-Ireland Senior Club Championship final against Mourneabbey from Cork in 2014. Photo: Sportsfile
“I’d leave around noon and get home at 8:30pm and there would usually be a delay somewhere or other,” the 21-year-old told Cliona Foley of The Irish Independent of her long trek to and from training on public transport.
“I wasn’t too popular with the other girls because training was not until nine on Friday nights to let me get back in time.
“Having a car is so much easier and luckily I have just three days college a-week at the moment so I can go up the day before. I also had my placement in Donegal for the whole of January which was a big help.
“Having a car is so much easier and luckily I have just three days college a-week at the moment so I can go up the day before. I also had my placement in Donegal for the whole of January which was a big help.”
McLaughlin was well-deserving of the scholarship received from the Women’s Gaelic Players’ Association (WGPA) and tomorrow she will line out for Donegal in Kildare with the team managed by Michael Naughton having won five from five in the Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 2 thus far this season.
“I really don’t think too too much about it,” said McLaughlin, whose sisters Geraldine – club and county – and Sharon with Termon, are her footballing teammates.
“I suppose it is a fair distance alright but sure everyone playing inter-county has college and work that they’re all trying to juggle.”
Please click here to read the full piece by Cliona Foley with Nicole McLaughlin
