MTU Cork, formerly known as CIT, celebrates a milestone achievement next month.
On Monday, September 15, their student GAA club celebrates their 50th birthday with a big event at their wonderful campus in Bishopstown.
It has been an incredible rise for MTU Cork over the years in so many ways with sport a huge part of the fabric.
When you think of Keith Ricken, more often than not you think of MTU Cork. The St Vincent’s clubman has been associated with the college for nearly three decades and has been a driving force behind the promotion of GAA over the years.
He’s currently the Student Services manager of MTU Cork having previously been MTU Cork’s GAA administrator.
“John Meyler had just finished up in 1999 and I was picked as his replacement,” Ricken says to The Echo on first joining MTU Cork.
Launch of the VMware sponsorship of CIT GAA in 2013. John Dolan, VP Global Tech Support, VMware with Keith Ricken, GAA Development Officer and Mick Loftus, Head of Faculty, Engineering and Science with the new sponsored jersey on show. Picture: Larry Cummins
“It was more re-establishing at the start in my job, getting people back involved and getting people who were involved who now left and trying to establish a proper club and structure within the college.
“We had one pitch, which wasn’t great, and we had a few dressing rooms and it was a bit higgly-piggly.
Once we got our base set, and settled, we were trying to get funding and trying to get lots of stuff done, and we got the stadium built, pitches built, you know.
“A lot of people were a big, big help getting that structure in place and once the structure was in place, the students came in their droves.
“Money would have been tight at that time, but we were very lucky that we had very good people there.
“I remember getting a very good sponsorship from EMC at the very start, which was a big help in making the thing attractive, so we always liked to give the lads their jerseys, or the girls their jerseys at the end of the year to get the brand out.
Keith Ricken, Robert Heffernan and Aine Ní Shé in 2023. Picture: Brian Lougheed
“I think that was the first time we had a sponsor, a proper sponsor selling the club. When EMC finished up, we were lucky to get VMware and then when VMware finished up, we again were blessed to get a great sponsorship from Clearstream. It’s kind of great to have that sponsorship and that investment because, you know, they’re important names, important companies.
“Kevin O’Callaghan, he’s the third GAA Officer here in MTU Cork since 1992. He has been in the job three years now and has really made it his own.
Last season we had 13 teams in competitions and apart from securing the Clearstream sponsorship, he has been front and centre of all activity and looks after the students very well.
“MTU Cork is like going down to your village. It’s a lovely place, where you get that energy, and if you’re feeling down, or if you’re kind of after a long day at work, or you’re tired, or whatever, you come down there, and you just get energized down there.”
Ricken, who is currently the manager of the Cork minor football team, enjoyed wonderful success as boss of various MTU Cork teams over the years with the highlight for many the 2009 Sigerson Cup success. They were also hosting the competition in that particular year.
“I’d have thought we’d win the county championship before we’d win the Sigerson Cup,” he said.
CIT celebrate their Sigerson Cup success in 2009. Picture: Matt Browne/Sportsfile
“At that stage, post-grads were big in Sigerson Cup successes, so a lot of guys were in masters or PhDs or whatever, but there were no other students, so the teams were getting older and older. So, we had very few post-grads, but we had lads that were in their fourth year in college and we had a very good crop of players.
“Tony Leahy and Liam Hartley before me did a pile of work, and they were building on this all the time.
“It was a lovely group and a great year. We’ve hosted every competition over the years. At one time, you were talking about 600 athletes coming down to our location, our pitches, and immersed in the games.
“Winning is brilliant, but seeing the players grow and develop and seeing them with their clubs afterwards, that’s the kick I get.
Seeing them play for their clubs, contributing, going off coaching, going off getting involved at club level, it’s better than anything else, that is the kick for me.”
There were times over the years when Ricken could have easily walked away from MTU Cork and pursued other things, but he got attached to the place from day one.
CIT manager Keith Ricken speaking to the Carrigtwohill team in the dressing after their win over CIT in the Cork SHC final in 2011. Picture: Eddie O’Hare
“People are forming who they’re going to be, and, you know, they’re breaking out of the box that they might have been put in.
“They’re starting a parish, and it’s a lovely age group, they’re not cynical, they’re enthusiastic and they’re half-daft. The students haven’t changed.
“Being a student, and how a student is, has changed, how they study, what they study has changed, but students themselves, like, I mean, if you were put back in a time machine, and you went back to 1975, or you went to 2000, or you went now to 2025, you’re the same type, that enthusiasm, wide-eyed.
“It was hard to get people involved at the start because they had to trust what you’re offering, and trust the structures there. We were able to build that up over time and to see where we are now, it’s satisfying.”
