Mark McHugh watched on from a high stool in the Bronx as Donegal wrestled the Anglo Celt back from Monaghan clutches in 2014.
He was out of love with the game and headed off on his toes to New York for the summer.
By the time September came around, McHugh watched in agony from the sideline at Croke Park as Donegal lost the All-Ireland final to Kerry.
Two years previously, he was an All-Star after a year that saw him in the unique place of having a position named after him; the ‘Mark McHugh role’ was entered into the GAA lexicon in 2012.
[adrotate group=”78″]But Mark McHugh, somewhere along the way, lost the grá.
In the aftermath of a Division Two League final loss to Monaghan in April 2014, his withdrawal from the Donegal squad was confirmed.
It bit hard not to be involved when Donegal were celebrating Ulster glory or preparing for the All-Ireland, but the sting was nothing near to the gut-churning losses to Monaghan in the Ulster finals of 2013 and last year.
“I was just thinking there that I haven’t won an Ulster title since 2012,” McHugh says with a look of surprise.
“I was involved in the last two that we were beat by Monaghan.
“They weren’t good days, and coming home on buses those days it hurt and that’s still very much there.
[adrotate group=”79″]“The hurt of losing in 2013 and last year is still there in that bit of your stomach and really don’t want to be involved in another defeat. It will be three in-a-row if we lose it, so I’m hoping we can put that right.
“You put in that hard work on the cold nights, it’s demoralising when you lose. The trophy here in Ulster means a lot to the players.
“It’s the number one goal at the start of every year. It’s always about winning that title.”
McHugh came on against Monaghan in the semi-final replay late in the first half after Anthony Thompson was black carded. He delivered what was perhaps his best performance since his return at the start of last year, scoring a superb point in the 0-17 to 2-10 win.
[adrotate group=”38″]“Listen, how could you not enjoy it at the minute – it’s a great set-up to be part of,” he says.
“The craic we have, and just travelling to training two or three times a week with the boys is great banter, and I don’t know what I would do without it.
“It’s the time of the year you love playing. If you could take January and February out of the equation, football would be great altogether!
“It’s a phenomenal time to be part of this set-up and now with six finals in-a-row, the buzz it brings to the county this week and last week after the win (against Monaghan) – everybody is just in good form.”
It will be a big weekend in Bavin, the Kilcar townland that gave Donegal the McHughs.
[adrotate group=”70″]Martin and James McHugh won Ulster titles with Donegal in 1990 and 1992. Now, Mark and Ryan McHugh, sons of Martin, and their cousin Eoin, a son of James, could all play a part this Sunday when Donegal meet Tyrone.
When Mark had a watching brief in 2014, Ryan was on his way to a Young Player of the Year award as Donegal reached the All-Ireland final, scoring two goals against Dublin in the semi-final.
“I never made any apologies for saying how good a player Ryan was,” Mark says, “and I was saying that since he was 17 or 18 years of age.
“He’s a phenomenal player and a very, very committed young fella. It’s a credit to him for all the work he puts in. He comes in for a lot of attention during matches and he deals with that reasonably well.
“I haven’t even won an Ulster title with Ryan by my side yet. If it happened this weekend it would be great, but we’re just focussing on the game plan and trying to carry it out.”
[adrotate group=”43″]McHugh was among a hoard of under-21 aces who stepped in to turn the tide in Donegal five years ago – and he sees similarities now. Donegal have beaten Tyrone in their last four Championship encounters.
“We were just into the panel and we had never faced Tyrone in a senior match,” he says.
“I think it’s something similar to what we have now, where we have young fellas coming in and they have absolutely no fear at all.
“For us coming in at that stage in 2011, just off the back of the under 21 success the previous year, we had no fear or hoodoos about Tyrone or anything like that, and this team doesn’t either.”
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