Colin Corkery
Encyclopedia
Colin Corkery is a retired Irish
sportsperson. He played Gaelic football
with his local club Nemo Rangers
and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1993 until 2004.
club on the south side of Cork city and has enjoyed much success. He first came to prominence as a player on the club’s minor team that captured the county minor championship
title in 1989.
Corkery subsequently joined the Nemo Rangers senior team. He secured a county championship winners’ medal in this grade in 1993, following a nine-point defeat of near rivals St. Finbarr's
. Nemo later represented Cork in the provincial club championship and even reached the final of that competition. A 1-17 to 0-4 drubbing of Kilmurray Ibrickane
gave Corkery a coveted Munster
club winners' medal. He later lined out in his first All-Ireland club final, with Mayo’s Castlebar Mitchels providing the opposition. A goal after just ten seconds helped Nemo to eventually secure a 3-11 to 0-8 victory. With that Corkery collected a coveted All-Ireland
club winners' medal.
By this stage Kavanagh had also joined the Nemo Rangers senior team. He secured a county championship winners’ medal in this grade in 2000, following a ten-point defeat of divisional side Carbery
. Nemo later represented Cork in the provincial club championship and even reached the final of that competition. A 0-11 to 0-7 defeat of Glenflesk
gave Kavanagh a coveted Munster
club winners' medal. He later lined out in the foot-and-mouth delayed All-Ireland club final, with Mayo’s Crossmolina providing the opposition. Nemo looked to be in the driving seat, however, a second-half comeback, inspired by Kieran McDonald, saw the momentum switch to the Mayo side. A late Colin Corkery goal narrowed the deficit to one point, however, Nemo were eventually and narrowly defeated by 0-16 to 1-12.
Corkery secured a second county championship winners’ medal in 2000, following a ten-point defeat of divisional side Carbery
. Nemo later reached the final of the provincial club championship. An 0-11 to 0-7 defeat of Glenflesk
gave Corkery a second Munster club winners' medal. He later lined out in the foot-and-mouth delayed All-Ireland club final, with Mayo’s Crossmolina providing the opposition. Nemo looked to be in the driving seat, however, a second-half comeback, inspired by Kieran McDonald, saw the momentum switch to the Mayo side. A late goal by Corkery narrowed the deficit to one point, however, Nemo were eventually and narrowly defeated by 0-16 to 1-12.
In 2001 Corkery secured a third county championship title as Nemo Rangers trounced Bantry Blues
in the final. A third Munster club winners’ medal was quickly captured, after a 1-11 to 0-10 defeat of Fethard
. Corkery subsequently lined out in his second All-Ireland club final, this time with Ballinderry providing the opposition. The championship decider was switched to Semple Stadium
because of the reconstruction of Croke Park
, however, a change of venue did not suit Nemo. Goals by Gerard Cassidy and Declan Bateson gave the Derry side a comfortable 2-10 to 0-9 victory. It was a second consecutive All-Ireland defeat for Nemo.
2002 saw Nemo becoming the first team in nearly sixty years to win three county championship titles in-a-row. A third consecutive Munster club title quickly followed for Corkery, as Nemo trounced Monaleen of Limerick by 4-15 to 0-6. For the third successive year Corkery subsequently lined out in the All-Ireland club final, however, Nemo faced the prospect of becoming three-in-a-row losers. Crossmolina provided the opposition for the second time in three years and the game was a close affair. Corkery scored six points to give Nemo a merited 0-14 to 1-9 victory. At the third time of asking Corkery had finally captured a second All-Ireland club winners’ medal.
in the Munster final. Corkery joined the starting fifteen in 1989, however, Cork suffered the same fate in the provincial decider. That same year Corkery was also a member of the Cork under-21 football team. He missed out on the team's Munster
final victory, however, he came on as a substitute in the subsequent All-Ireland final. Galway
provided the opposition on that occasion and a close game developed. At the full-time whistle Cork were the champions by 2-8 to 1-10 and Corkery picked up a coveted All-Ireland
under-21 winners' medal.
Corkery was expected to quickly join the Cork senior team, however, in 1990 he went to Australia
and played Australian Rules Football
with Carlton
. He returned to Ireland in 1991 and, as expected, joined the Cork senior football panel.
In 1993 Corkery made his senior championship debut for Cork. In that game against Clare
he scored a remarkable 2-5. Cork later defeated Tipperary
in the provincial final by 1-16 to 1-8, giving Corkery his first Munster
winners' medal. Cork subsequently qualified for the All-Ireland final, with Derry
providing the opposition. Things did not go to plan as 'the Rebels' were reduced to fourteen men when Tony Davis
was harshly red-carded. Séamus Downey scored the winning goal as Derrys ecured their first All-Ireland with a 1-14 to 2-8 victory. In spite of this defeat Corkery was later presented with an All-Star
award.
Corkery added a second Munster winners' medal to his collection in 1994 following another convincing victory over Tipperary. Cork, however, were later defeated by eventual champions Down
in the All-Ireland semi-final.
In 1994 Corkery won a third consecutive Munster title as Kerry fell in the provincial decider. Once again Cork were subsequently defeated by eventual All-Ireland champions Dublin
in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Cork lost their provincial crown for the next few seasons, however, in 2002 Corkery, who returned to football after a heart condition, tasted success once again. Tipperary provided the opposition in the provincial decider, however, the game ended in a draw. After a thrilling draw Cork trounced Tipperary by 1-23 to 0-7 in the subsequent replay. It was Corkery's fourth Munster winners' medal and his first as captain. The subsequent All-Ireland semi-final pitted Cork against Kerry. It was an historic occasion as it was the first time that these great rivals had met in Croke Park
. However Cork were trounced on a score line of 3-19 to 2-7. The year ended with the Cork hurling team going on strike. In turn, the football team joined in a sympathy strike. The players, who had been seeking better conditions, refused to play or train with the county again until the dispute with the county board was resolved.
Following the strike the fortunes of the Cork football team took a turn for the worse. A series of defeats in 2003 and 2004 saw the Cork football team reach an all-time low. Corkery retired from inter-county football following the 2004 championship.
in the inter-provincial football competition. He played with his province in 1995, 1996 and 1997, however, Munster were defeated on all three occasions.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
sportsperson. He played Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
with his local club Nemo Rangers
Nemo Rangers GAA
Nemo Rangers Hurling and Football Club is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club on the southside of Cork city, Ireland. The club was founded in 1922 and is primarily concerned with the game of Gaelic football, though interest in hurling has escalated in recent years.-History:Nemo Rangers...
and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1993 until 2004.
Club
Corkery played his club football with the famous Nemo RangersNemo Rangers GAA
Nemo Rangers Hurling and Football Club is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club on the southside of Cork city, Ireland. The club was founded in 1922 and is primarily concerned with the game of Gaelic football, though interest in hurling has escalated in recent years.-History:Nemo Rangers...
club on the south side of Cork city and has enjoyed much success. He first came to prominence as a player on the club’s minor team that captured the county minor championship
Cork Minor Football Championship
The Cork Minor Football Championship is a Gaelic football competition for Gaelic Athletic Association players under the age of 18 in County Cork, Ireland. This competition is also known as the Premier Minor Football Championship and is played on a county-wide basis. The competing clubs do not play...
title in 1989.
Corkery subsequently joined the Nemo Rangers senior team. He secured a county championship winners’ medal in this grade in 1993, following a nine-point defeat of near rivals St. Finbarr's
St. Finbarr's GAA
St. Finbarr's National Hurling and Football Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Togher area of Cork city, County Cork, Ireland....
. Nemo later represented Cork in the provincial club championship and even reached the final of that competition. A 1-17 to 0-4 drubbing of Kilmurray Ibrickane
Kilmurray Ibrickane GAA
Kilmurry Ibrickane GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in County Clare, Ireland.The club only plays gaelic football, and are the 2011 Clare Senior Football Champions, and won the Munster Senior Club Football Championship in 2009.-History:...
gave Corkery a coveted Munster
Munster Senior Club Football Championship
The Munster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament played between the hundreds of senior football clubs in Munster. The winners will represent Munster in the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship. East Kerry were the first winners of the Munster senior...
club winners' medal. He later lined out in his first All-Ireland club final, with Mayo’s Castlebar Mitchels providing the opposition. A goal after just ten seconds helped Nemo to eventually secure a 3-11 to 0-8 victory. With that Corkery collected a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament run since 1971, played between the thousands of senior football clubs in Ireland. The current champions are Crossmaglen Rangers of Armagh, who defeated St. Brigid's of Roscommon on March 17, 2011 to win their...
club winners' medal.
By this stage Kavanagh had also joined the Nemo Rangers senior team. He secured a county championship winners’ medal in this grade in 2000, following a ten-point defeat of divisional side Carbery
Carbery GAA
Carbery GAA are a divisional team from the south-west division of County Cork, Ireland, in ancient Carbery. They compete in the Cork Senior Football Championship. They competed in the Cork Senior Hurling Championship up to and including 2010. They did not enter a hurling team in 2011...
. Nemo later represented Cork in the provincial club championship and even reached the final of that competition. A 0-11 to 0-7 defeat of Glenflesk
Glenflesk GAA
Glenflesk is a Gaelic Athletic Association club from County Kerry, Ireland.-Honours:* East Kerry Senior Football Championship 6: 1988, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001* Kerry County Club Championship 1: 2000...
gave Kavanagh a coveted Munster
Munster Senior Club Football Championship
The Munster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament played between the hundreds of senior football clubs in Munster. The winners will represent Munster in the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship. East Kerry were the first winners of the Munster senior...
club winners' medal. He later lined out in the foot-and-mouth delayed All-Ireland club final, with Mayo’s Crossmolina providing the opposition. Nemo looked to be in the driving seat, however, a second-half comeback, inspired by Kieran McDonald, saw the momentum switch to the Mayo side. A late Colin Corkery goal narrowed the deficit to one point, however, Nemo were eventually and narrowly defeated by 0-16 to 1-12.
Corkery secured a second county championship winners’ medal in 2000, following a ten-point defeat of divisional side Carbery
Carbery GAA
Carbery GAA are a divisional team from the south-west division of County Cork, Ireland, in ancient Carbery. They compete in the Cork Senior Football Championship. They competed in the Cork Senior Hurling Championship up to and including 2010. They did not enter a hurling team in 2011...
. Nemo later reached the final of the provincial club championship. An 0-11 to 0-7 defeat of Glenflesk
Glenflesk GAA
Glenflesk is a Gaelic Athletic Association club from County Kerry, Ireland.-Honours:* East Kerry Senior Football Championship 6: 1988, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001* Kerry County Club Championship 1: 2000...
gave Corkery a second Munster club winners' medal. He later lined out in the foot-and-mouth delayed All-Ireland club final, with Mayo’s Crossmolina providing the opposition. Nemo looked to be in the driving seat, however, a second-half comeback, inspired by Kieran McDonald, saw the momentum switch to the Mayo side. A late goal by Corkery narrowed the deficit to one point, however, Nemo were eventually and narrowly defeated by 0-16 to 1-12.
In 2001 Corkery secured a third county championship title as Nemo Rangers trounced Bantry Blues
Bantry Blues
Bantry Blues is a Gaelic football club based in Bantry, County Cork, Republic of Ireland. The club is affiliated with Cork GAA and to the Carbery division. The club has always been primarily a Gaelic football club, but has fielded hurling teams also...
in the final. A third Munster club winners’ medal was quickly captured, after a 1-11 to 0-10 defeat of Fethard
Fethard GAA
Fethard GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association gaelic football club located in the village of Fethard, South Tipperary in Ireland. The club is part of the South Division of Tipperary GAA...
. Corkery subsequently lined out in his second All-Ireland club final, this time with Ballinderry providing the opposition. The championship decider was switched to Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium, located in Thurles, North Tipperary, Ireland, is the home of hurling for Tipperary GAA and for the province of Munster. It is the second largest stadium in Ireland with a capacity of 53,500....
because of the reconstruction of Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
, however, a change of venue did not suit Nemo. Goals by Gerard Cassidy and Declan Bateson gave the Derry side a comfortable 2-10 to 0-9 victory. It was a second consecutive All-Ireland defeat for Nemo.
2002 saw Nemo becoming the first team in nearly sixty years to win three county championship titles in-a-row. A third consecutive Munster club title quickly followed for Corkery, as Nemo trounced Monaleen of Limerick by 4-15 to 0-6. For the third successive year Corkery subsequently lined out in the All-Ireland club final, however, Nemo faced the prospect of becoming three-in-a-row losers. Crossmolina provided the opposition for the second time in three years and the game was a close affair. Corkery scored six points to give Nemo a merited 0-14 to 1-9 victory. At the third time of asking Corkery had finally captured a second All-Ireland club winners’ medal.
Inter-county
Corkery first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Cork minor football team in the late 1980s. He was a non-playing substitute in 1988 as Cork were defeated by KerryKerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
in the Munster final. Corkery joined the starting fifteen in 1989, however, Cork suffered the same fate in the provincial decider. That same year Corkery was also a member of the Cork under-21 football team. He missed out on the team's Munster
Munster Under-21 Football Championship
The Munster Under-21 Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of Gaelic football played in the province of Munster, in Ireland....
final victory, however, he came on as a substitute in the subsequent All-Ireland final. Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
provided the opposition on that occasion and a close game developed. At the full-time whistle Cork were the champions by 2-8 to 1-10 and Corkery picked up a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship
The All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and are played during the summer months...
under-21 winners' medal.
Corkery was expected to quickly join the Cork senior team, however, in 1990 he went to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and played Australian Rules Football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
with Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
. He returned to Ireland in 1991 and, as expected, joined the Cork senior football panel.
In 1993 Corkery made his senior championship debut for Cork. In that game against Clare
Clare GAA
The Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Clare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Clare. The county board is also responsible for the Clare inter-county teams....
he scored a remarkable 2-5. Cork later defeated Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
in the provincial final by 1-16 to 1-8, giving Corkery his first Munster
Munster Senior Football Championship
The Munster Senior Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of football played in the province of Munster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Munster Council and are played during the summer months...
winners' medal. Cork subsequently qualified for the All-Ireland final, with Derry
Derry GAA
The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the GAA county of Derry, which covers virtually the same territory as the former administrative county of Londonderry...
providing the opposition. Things did not go to plan as 'the Rebels' were reduced to fourteen men when Tony Davis
Tony Davis (Gaelic footballer)
Anthony 'Tony' Davis is a former Irish sportsperson. He played senior football with Cork in the 1980s and 1990s..-Early & private life:...
was harshly red-carded. Séamus Downey scored the winning goal as Derrys ecured their first All-Ireland with a 1-14 to 2-8 victory. In spite of this defeat Corkery was later presented with an All-Star
GAA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
award.
Corkery added a second Munster winners' medal to his collection in 1994 following another convincing victory over Tipperary. Cork, however, were later defeated by eventual champions Down
Down GAA
The Down County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Down GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Down...
in the All-Ireland semi-final.
In 1994 Corkery won a third consecutive Munster title as Kerry fell in the provincial decider. Once again Cork were subsequently defeated by eventual All-Ireland champions Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Cork lost their provincial crown for the next few seasons, however, in 2002 Corkery, who returned to football after a heart condition, tasted success once again. Tipperary provided the opposition in the provincial decider, however, the game ended in a draw. After a thrilling draw Cork trounced Tipperary by 1-23 to 0-7 in the subsequent replay. It was Corkery's fourth Munster winners' medal and his first as captain. The subsequent All-Ireland semi-final pitted Cork against Kerry. It was an historic occasion as it was the first time that these great rivals had met in Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
. However Cork were trounced on a score line of 3-19 to 2-7. The year ended with the Cork hurling team going on strike. In turn, the football team joined in a sympathy strike. The players, who had been seeking better conditions, refused to play or train with the county again until the dispute with the county board was resolved.
Following the strike the fortunes of the Cork football team took a turn for the worse. A series of defeats in 2003 and 2004 saw the Cork football team reach an all-time low. Corkery retired from inter-county football following the 2004 championship.
Inter-provincial
Corkery also lined out with MunsterMunster GAA
The Munster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Munster.-Constituent counties:*Cork*Clare*Kerry*Limerick*Tipperary*Waterford-Honours:...
in the inter-provincial football competition. He played with his province in 1995, 1996 and 1997, however, Munster were defeated on all three occasions.