Former Carlow footballer, Andrew Corden, died tragically in 2002.
By John Harrington
It was fitting that Netwatch Cullen Park should host the first match of the newly minted Andrew Corden Cup last night as Carlow played Wexford in the first round of the U-20 football development competition.
Andrew Corden himself produced many heroics on the same pitch for both his club O’Hanrahans and the Carlow senior football team before he died in a tragic forklift accident at the age of 24 in 2002.
His fellow county-men did his name proud too last night as the Carlow U-20s stormed to a 2-15 to 2-9 victory over Wexford.
Before the match the Carlow players were presented with their jersies by Corden's former club and county colleague, Mark Carpenter, who also spoke a few words about his friend and the drive and talent that made him one of the county's greatest footballers.
Having Andrew's named engraved on a Cup in perpetuity is a source of happiness and pride for his friends and family, but there’s always that sense of sadness and deep loss left by a life snatched away all too soon.
“It was just such a shock that someone so dedicated could die that young and that something so simple could end a life that was only really starting," Carpenter told GAA.ie
“It devastated everyone in the club. We were heartbroken. It was such a privilege for us all to play with him and when you're younger you don't realise that you don't get to see these fellas after football a much as you'd like to.
“I'd often think of Andrew and his little daughter and the life that was taken from them. It's just heart-breaking, really.
“Andrew was just a really nice fella, really conscientious about everyone else. He was really headstrong in wanting to be the best he could be at whatever it was he was doing, whether that be football or work or training.
“He was so far ahead of the rest of us. We were only chaps, but he was a man at our age. His maturity was streets ahead of the rest of us.”
Andrew Corden celebrates after helping his club O'Hanrahan's to victory over Na Fianna of Dublin in the 2000 Leinster Senior Club Football Championship Final.
Andrew Corden was the sort of footballer who would be commonly described as ‘a natural’.
His parents were from a rugby back-ground and he actually took up gaelic football relatively late in his mid-teens, but as soon as he did it was as if he’d had a ball in his hand since he could walk.
“He was as good a footballer as I ever played with,” said Carpenter. “The funny thing about Andrew was that he only took up football at U-16 level. Even from when he started he was streets ahead of everyone else nearly straight away.
“Even at the age of 21 and 22 when we were only starting to get someway serious about football, Andrew was already being called up for Leinster trials for the Railway Cup.
“He was absolutely streets ahead of everyone. He was a big, tall, fast, and strong. he had a fierce mentality as well. He just always wanted to improve.
“When you're younger there are all sorts of distractions around, but Andrew was always trying things that could make him better.
“I always remember we were after winning some championship with the club and a lot of work had gone into it and we were all out celebrating. But all Andrew wanted to do was talk to the manager about how he could improve his game.
“I think that's why he was so good. Even when it was time to celebrate he was still working on what he could do to make himself better.”
Corden was the brightest light of a shining generation of young footballers in O’Hanrahan’s who won a historic Leinster Senior Club Championship in 2000.
Andrew Corden keeps close tabs on Colin Corkery of Nemo Rangers in the 2001 All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final.
They pulled off an almighty shock in the provincial final that year against a Na Fianna of Dublin team stacked with household names.
Just like he was most days he pulled on the number three jersey for O’Hanrahans, Corden led by example on the Carlow club’s biggest day of all.
“He was brilliant,” said Carpenter. “When we played Na Fianna at the time they had 12 or 13 inter-county fellas and players of the calibre of Jason Sherlock, Dessie Farrell, and Kieran McGeeney.
“Andrew was marking Jason Sherlock who he kept scoreless, I think, for the whole game. And at that time Jason Sherlock was the biggest star in the GAA.
“He kept Colin Corkery scoreless from play that year as well in the All-Ireland semi-final.
“He just had a massive hand in all our Championship matches that year. If there was anyone that needed to be marked or kept quiet, he'd always pick him up.
“He just had this ability to absolutely swamp whoever he was marking. He would be quicker than them he would be stronger than them, he would just be better than them in every department.
“He had no weakness in his game.
“Even up in the training field he always drove lads on. You could tell he improved our forwards as well because if you marked Andrew you knew you were marking someone who wasn't just the top full-back in the county, but one of the best in the country as well.”
Andrew Corden in action against Wicklow's Adrian Foley in the 2002 O'Byrne Cup Final.
Corden’s death wasn’t just a devastating loss for O’Hanrahan’s, it was a real body blow to the Carlow county team too.
A few weeks before he passed away he captained Carlow to their only over O’Byrne Cup success, but the team was just never the same again without their inspirational full-back.
“We had quite a good team at the time and our back-line was held together by Andrew at full-back. We were lucky we had a good mix at the time of old and young fellas.
“Andrew was in his early twenties at the time but was still the captain of the team and our main back and the fella we would have looked towards to negate any good forward.
“He was so good already at that stage, you'd wonder how good he would have been if he was still playing in his prime at 26 or 27.”
Andrew Corden holds the O'Byrne Cup aloft after captaining Carlow to victory over Wicklow in the 2002 Final.
His family, friends, and former team-mates will always remember Andrew Corden fondly. And now those who play for his Cup will honour his name on an annual basis.
“We're just delighted that he's after getting a Cup named after him,” said Carpenter. “Everyone in the club is absolutely thrilled.
“It will keep his name alive and it's great to hear people talking about him again. After so long it's only natural that you'd forget some memories so it's great now to have conversations in the club and the county again about Andrew.
“Even for the youngsters in Carlow who weren't even born when he was playing, to know about Andrew Corden now that this Cup is named after him.
“We had a little discussion with the Carlow U-17s recently before they played Wexford about who Andrew was and what he was about. It's good for them to know as well.”
