At the end of any season, there can only be handful of winners. The joy, elation and short-term feel good factor that surrounds the winners' enclosure is nothing if not ephemeral. While it is what all clubs aspire to, quite a few ever make it. When you look at the West Cavan club of Corlough you will find that they have fitted into the second part of this equation. Therein lies the core of what really makes the GAA tick. When you look at Corlough and see how hard the officers of the club have worked over many years, you know that while they may not have accumulated a cabinet of silverware they have crowned the true spirit and ethic of what sport is all about. The club have tasted success at underage level over the years, but as of yet have failed to realise a first junior championship title. While they have been close to the title on a number of occasions they now feel that they are getting into a position that will allow them to have a realistic chance of success at this grade. Football has been played in the area for over one hundred years so the tradition of playing Gaelic games is close to the heart of the people in this part of West Cavan. When talking to the club PRO, Gerard Prior, you are left in no doubt to the pride which is attached to his area and club. You cannot separate one from the other. Gerard points out that: "Our club is picked from just half a parish. The other portion of it being in Leitrim, where the famous Leitrim club of Aughawillan, reigned supreme in that county for many years. For years we have struggled with playing numbers but this coming year we should be in a position to redress that imbalance. Hopes are high in the club and it is expected that we should now be in a position to field two teams. This would be a great boost to the club and with the second team playing their football in Division 5 in the new league structure presently in place in Cavan, then that would mean that all the players would be getting a game. "While we did not have the greatest of seasons, there is still quite a bit of hope for the future. A number of factors militated against a good run in both league and championship with some of our key players suffering through injury. It is anticipated that all playing members will once again make a supreme effort to try make into the final rounds of both league and championship. If you look back over the past year, you can see that we are never too far away even from the top sides in our division. We know that while we finished second from the bottom in the league last year we know that we are a much better team than that and the aim this coming season is to translate our belief into reality. "A desire for success is something that is not short of at Corlough. We have a number of good young players who feel like the rest of the committee that they too can produce the same kind of performances that helped bring Munterconnaught to the Cavan Junior football championship final in 2006. "A committed drive over the past number of years at underage level has helped put us in place to reap the benefits of this work. With just one school in the parish, we have like all other clubs, catered for juveniles from U-8 upwards." Minor success Corlough, who formed part of the amalgamation that made up Dernacrieve Gaels, ran out deserved winners in the Minor league Division 2 when they overcame another West Cavan side, Belturbet Rory O'Moores. The game which was played at Drumlane produced a competitive affair with Dernacrive running out winners by double scores 0-14 to 0-7. "Being part of a winning side can only be of benefit to our club members who were part of that league final team and hopefully will instill in them the winning factor that is much needed. We had 10 minors from the club involved with that Dernacrieve winning setup so that is a hopeful sign for the future," stated Gerard Prior. Major influence While the acquisition of silverware has been little over the past number of years it hasn't dimmed the enthusiasm of the great outlook that is encapsulated within the club. "We are fortunate to have a very progressive chairman in Michael McGovern. We are in located in a low density area and have had to work that bit harder than most other clubs. Our present chairman is imbued with great enthusiasm and energy and has put in place a number of projects that will help put the club in a strong position. He is an active fund-raiser and is presently on course to further develop our already prized possession our playing pitch. It is a state of the art Prunty field and modern dressingrooms. Through his drive we have installed an electronic scoreboard and are presently working on fund-raising to install a floodlighting system that will allow games to be played at night-time. We have run an annual draw which has proved to be very successful. It is also hoped that with this new development, a playground will also be put in place for use by the local community," stated Prior. New Outlook The general consensus among the players and officials at the club is that the time is now right to move up another gear. The green and white of Corlough GFC should not be resting on an occasional morale boosting victory but should be out competing for the top honours. With ten minors from the club on the winning Dernacrieve minor panel, this is a realistic outlook. The great work that has been done over the past few years has also given the club a base 'older' players that have experienced the clash of league and championship in the junior ranks. Players of the calibre of Martin Cassidy, Joe Prior and Fintan McGovern are capable of making a difference. What these 'older' players at the club will be looking for from their younger counterparts is an extra dimension in commitment and a self belief that can help them push the barriers out further this coming year. Couple these young players with the present crop of minors then Corlough know that they have something to work with and to progress. The present set-up at the club, with its top-class playing field, dressingrooms, and proposed new lighting system should help boost the confidence of this rural west Cavan club. Team management The fortunes of the Corlough club have been driven by former Leitrim stalwart, Patsy Prior. Patsy in his football days, was a legend, first with Ballinamore and then with his home club Aughawillan. He was recognised by many as one of the best club players of his era and went on to represent Leitrim at senior inter county level for many years. Patsy has been at the helm of the club for the past eight years and it is hoped that his hard work and commitment over that long period of time will yield the results that his efforts so richly deserve. Patsy has also shown great faith in the Corlough camp and while there is an absence of winning finals, his belief and work at the club is truly trojan. PRO, Gerard Prior who is also a selector for the coming season is upbeat about the 2007 season. "We hope to have a playing panel of upwards of thirty players. This should provide competition for places and allow the team management the luxury of choice. With this quota of numbers we can field two teams so that all players will be playing football which is highly essential especially if you are to move forward," said Gerard. The proposed management structure for the coming year will see Michael McGovern, Francis McGovern, Frank Smith and Gerry Prior act as a four man management team. Local star While ladies football does not function in the Corlough club, the ladies of the area join forces with Templeport to form a formidable force in Cavan Ladies football. One of the stars of the Templeport ladies team is local girl, Sharon Cassidy. Sharon was a member of the Templeport team that won the Cavan junior ladies football title. The talented Sharon was further honoured when her skilful talents earned her a place on the Cavan ladies junior team that went on to win the Ulster title. Year tinged by sadness PRO Gerard Prior said: "The season took a turn for the worse when the news of the death of one of our star players, Peter Maguire. Peter who died tragically in a boating accident worked at the Slieve Russell Hotel, as a maintenance technican. Peter was only in his mid twenties and had a life-long association with the Corlough football. He played at levels from U-10 right up to senior. As a player, Peter was one of our most talented. His contribution was always immense and his scoring power saw him record an average of four to five scores a game. The loss at such an early age has robbed not just the club but the locality of one of its finest young residents. On behalf of the club, I would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the Maguire family," stated Gerard. Tweet

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