The Corduff senior football team.
By John Harrington
Last Sunday was a day of days for everyone associated with Corduff GAA club in Monaghan.
They recorded their first ever win in the Monaghan senior football championship by beating Truagh on a scoreline of 1-13 to 0-11.
That result leaves them in a strong position in Group 1 because they drew with reigning champions Ballybay in their first round match a week previously.
Intermediate champions in 2022, Corduff have quickly shown they can mix it at the highest level, and their ability to do so is a testament to the drive within the club considering how small their catchment area is in Carrickmacross parish.
“Yeah, it's a loaves and fishes situation alright,” says Corduff manager, Seamus McEnaney.
“Corduff is a community of only 400 people but, while we haven't a big pick, we have a big heart.
“The people in the community are hugely enthusiastic and every player who is capable of playing football in Corduff is available to us. No-one has gone travelling in the last 18 months. We're getting 100 per cent of the people who are capable of playing football, playing football.
“And if we didn't get that 100 per cent commitment we are getting, we wouldn't be able to compete. We're happy that we're competing with the other teams in the group . It is special for us to be playing senior football especially as it's the first time in 25 years we've played senior football.
“For this group of players it's a great place for us to be, to be getting our first win away from home, it was certainly satisfying from our point of view. But, more importantly, were the two points gained in what's a very competitive Monaghan senior football championship.”
Corduff manager, Seamus McEnaney.
Corduff are able to punch above their weight because they’re a really well organised club.
Evidence of that can be seen every Saturday morning when around 120 boys and girls aged between four and 10 congregate at their club grounds for a ‘Cubs & Academy’ training programme over seen by 60 coaches.
The numbers game has always been a challenging one for Corduff, and they’ve shown some vision to address it by amalgamating their boys and girls nursery training sessions.
Making the most of what they have is a necessity for a club like Corduff, and there’s a palpable sense of everyone pulling in the same direction now that they’re more than holding their own in the Monaghan senior championship.
“We've a great executive, a great club,” says McEnaney. “We've a great men's club and a great ladies club and we have great communication between both of them. We're very happy where our club is at from U-4 right up to senior men's and ladies.
“We've recently started a new mothers and others social football and there are 30 or 40 out playing that. We've a brilliant community in Corduff. For me it's the best place in the world. We have a great community rowing the boat together.
“Even if you only have a couple of hundred people in a community when they're all rowing the boat together there's a greaet spirit and you can achieve a lot.
“In terms of this group of players we have, it's the first time in quite some time that the entire group of players decided to buy into ever aspect of our game in relation to conditioning and being 100 per cent committed in every way.
“For this group of players we now have a scenario where everything comes second to football and that's why we're really competing and we're delighted.
“We were concerned surely after being Intermediate and Junior for 25 years would we be able to compete in senior. But the players are doing everything possible right and that gives you a fighting chance to compete.”
Corduff Gaels are reaping the rewards of mixing boys and girls in their club nursery.
McEnaney and his players are keeping their heads down and remaining as focused as possible, but everyone else in the community is embracing the buzz of senior championship football.
When Corduff played Ballybay in the first round of the championship they set a new record for the most people to ever attend a home match, which will give you an insight into how engaged the community is with their talented young team.
And having won the Intermediate Championship and League double last year, some are even allowing themselves to believe they can have a good cut off the Senior Championship this year.
And why not? It’s been a hugely exciting first two rounds of the Monaghan championship that has suggested the field of contenders for championship silverware is a pretty packed one.
“It has really thrown up some unbelievable results so far,” says McEnaney. "No-one would have fancied us to be on three points at this point in time. And there have been other unbelievable results such as Aughnamullen beating Ballybay last week. Clontibret were very lucky to beat Donaghmoyne.
“It's all up for grabs really, and there's a really good standard of club football being played in Monaghan at the moment. It's really competitive and if you lose a game you're under pressure straight away.
“It's good and I think it helps our county team as well. I think there was a feel-good factor in Monaghan from getting to the All-Ireland semi-final last year and that's being reflected now in the club championship too.
“It's a great opportunity for Vinny Corey and his management team to have a look around the whole county at all the club players and the championship itself is well structured in so far as there are four games every weekend and they're very competitive games.”