Derry GAA
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Derry_GAA".

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2008)

For more information on Derry GAA see Derry Senior Football Championship and Derry Senior Hurling Championship.

For Derry's 2008 season see Derry football season 2008 and Derry hurling season 2008.

For current information on this topic, see Derry football season 2008

Derry GAA
Irish:	Doire
Province:	Ulster
Nickname(s):	The Oak Leafs
County colours:	Red and White
Ground(s):	Celtic Park, Derry
Dominant sport:	Gaelic football
NFL:	Division 1
NHL:	Division 2
Football Championship:	Sam Maguire Cup
Hurling Championship:	Christy Ring Cup
Ladies' Gaelic football:	Brendan Martin Cup
Camogie:	O'Duffy Cup
Standard colours

The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) (Irish: Cummann Lúthchleas Gael Coiste Contae Dhoire) or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The county board is also responsible for the Derry inter-county teams.

Derry were the last of the 32 counties to officially affiliate, after several false starts their county board was formed only in 1932, but they had been competing in the Ulster Football Championship since 1904.

Information

General

Derry play their home games at Celtic Park in Derry City. Home football games are also sometimes held in Glen and Dean McGlinchey Park, Ballinascreen. Hurling games are also held at Lavey or Fr. McNally Park, Banagher. The current senior football manager is Damian Cassidy of Bellaghy, while the position of Derry senior hurling manager is currently vacant.

Structure

The County is administrated by a County Committee with a representative from each GAA unit in the County, a Management Committee and 22 sub-committees.¹ The county administrative headquarters and centre of excellence is located at Owenbeg, Dungiven.¹

2008 County Committee

As of 2008, according to the official website.²

• Chairman: Séamus McCloy (Bellaghy)
• Vice Chairman: Joe McWilliams (Doire Trasna)
• Seceretary: ?
• Assistant Secretary: Noeleen Curran (Slaughtmanus)
• Treasurer: Michael Hasson (Banagher)
• Cultural Officer: Vincent Cassidey (Bellaghy)
• Youth Officer: Emma Murray (Glack)
• PRO: Sean Gunning (Glen)
• Development Officer: Charlie Bonner (Na Magha)
• Coaching Officer: Brian Smith (Desertmartin)
• Central Council Delegate: Séamus McCloy (Bellaghy)
• Council Delegates: Joe McWilliams (Doire Trasna) and Harry Gribbin (Newbridge)
• Primary Schools Representative: Peter Donnelly
• Post Primary Representative: ?
• Handball Committee Representative: Committee defunct
• Camogie Representative: Breige McGilligan
• Ladies’ Football Representative: John McEldowney

Publications

Books published about Gaelic games in Derry include Oakboys: Derry's Football Dream Come True by Eoghan Corry.

Gaelic football

For current information on this topic, see Derry football season 2008

The Derry starting 15 which finished runners-up to Dublin in the 1958 All-Ireland final

In 1947 Derry won the National League in bizarre circumstances. The group leaders were invited to play in the League semi-finals because heavy snow had disrupted the competition. Francie Niblock scoring one of the finest goals in League history in a near deserted Croke Park as Derry beat Clare. In the 1958 All Ireland semi-final they achieved a bigger breakthrough when a Seán O'Connell goal three minutes from the end defeated Kerry. In the final, Derry scored a goal ten minutes into the second half through Owen Gribben, but Dublin secured victory with Paddy Farnan and Johnny Joyce goals. Derry contested several more league finals before winning four titles in an eight year period in the 1990s. Bellaghy, Lavey and Ballinderry have won the All Ireland Club Championship, St Columbs and St Pats Maghera won the Hogan Cup, and Derry are one of only two counties to win back-to-back Ulster titles in the past three decades.

It all culminated in the 1993 All Ireland title. Damien Cassidy left the ball hanging in the air just long enough for Séamus Downey to fist a goal. Other important moments included McCusker's saves, Enda Gormley's curling free for the last point of the match, and the first time that Joe Brolly's shimmy had been seen on the big stage.

The Derry side of the 1990s has been rated as one of the best of the last 20 years and would have acheived more only a couple of shock defeats such as Down in 1994, Tyrone in 1995 and Cavan in 1997.³ In recent years they have been unable to get out of Ulster because of the emergence of Tyrone and Armagh.

For Derry's 2008 season see Derry GAA season 2008.

Honours

• All-Ireland Senior Football Championships: 1
  • 1993 All-Ireland Championship

• National Football League Championships: 6
  • 1947, 1992, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2008

• Ulster Senior Football Championships: 7
  • 1958, 1970, 1975, 1976, 1987, 1993, 1998

• Dr Lagan Cups: 6
  • 1945, 1947, 1950, 1953, 1959, 1961

• Ulster Junior Football Championships: (7)
  • 1945, 1950, 1953, 1955, 1964, 1967, 1969

• All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championships: 2
  • 1968, 1997

• Ulster Under-21 Football Championships: 7
  • 1967, 1968, 1976, 1983, 1986, 1993, 1997

• [All-Ireland Vocational Schools Championships:3
  • 1979, 1980, 1981

• All-Ireland Minor Football Championships: 4
  • 1965, 1983, 1989, 2002

• Ulster Minor Football Championships: 14
  • 1965, 1969, 1970, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2002

Footballer of the Year: 2

1993 Henry Downey Lavey
1958 Jim McKeever Ballymaguigan

All-Stars: 27

1973: Anthony McGurk
1975: Peter Stevenson, Anthony McGurk, Gerry McElhinney
1984: Dermot McNicholl
1987: Tony Scullion, Brian McGilligan
1992: Tony Scullion, Anthony Tohill, Enda Gormley
1993: Tony Scullion, Johnny McGurk, Henry Downey, Gary Coleman, Anthony Tohill, Brian McGilligan, Enda Gormley
1995: Tony Scullion, Anthony Tohill
1996: Joe Brolly
1997: Joe Brolly
1998: Seán Marty Lockhart
2000: Kieran McKeever, Anthony Tohill
2004: Enda Muldoon
2007: Kevin McCloy, Paddy Bradley

Notable players (past and present)

2007 Allianz National Football League (Division 1B) Results

Derry Gaelic football Squad

2008 Ulster Championship panel, according to the official website.⁴

Manager: Paddy Crozier
Selectors: John McCloskey, Bernie Henry, Martin Heaney, Peter Doherty

As of Ulster Championship game 21 June 2008 against Fermanagh

Notes:

• Joe O'Kane,⁵ Shane McGuckin⁵ and Enda Lynn were called up to the panel ahead of the Fermanagh game.⁶
• Christopher McKaigue was called up to the panel ahead of the Monaghan game.⁷

Managerial History

Hurling

For current information on this topic, see Derry hurling season 2008

Michael Conway lifting the 2006 Nicky Rackard Cup

Derry City was a hotbed of early GAA activity and sent a hurling team to the 1902 All Ireland semi-final. Hurling teams won the 1986 and 1993 Ulster under-21 titles, but lost most of their players to football. After winning the Senior B championship in 1996, they pulled off a surprise win over Down in the 1998 Ulster championship, despite a dearth of senior clubs. Derry hurlers won the Ulster championship twice in 2000 and in 2001, to add to their other triumphs in 1903 and 1908. Derry won the 2006 Nicky Rackard Cup. The Under 21 hurlers have won the Ulster Under-21 Hurling Championship six times, including back to back successes in 2007 and 2008.⁸

Honours

• Nicky Rackard Cup: 1
  • 2006

• All-Ireland 'B' Senior Hurling Championships: 1
  • 1996

• Ulster Senior Hurling Championship: 4
  • 1902/3?, 1908, 2000, 2001.

• Ulster Intermediate Hurling Championships: (1)
  • 1997

• All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championships: (2)
  • 1975, 1982

• Ulster Junior Hurling Championships: (4)
  • 1974, 1975, 1984, 1997

• Ulster Under 21 Hurling Championships: 6
  • 1986, 1987, 1993, 1997, 2007, 2008

Mark Craig lifting the trophy for the 2008 Ulster Under-21 Hurling Championship

• Ulster Minor Hurling Championships: 9
  • 1973/4?, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1990, 1991, 2001.

Derry Club Scene

For more details on this topic, see Derry GAA club football competitions.

Derry has 40 affiliated clubs; 32 football, 2 hurling and 6 dual.¹ Many, or even most Derry GAA followers taken a keener interest in the club scene than the inter-county scene,⁹ which can adversely effect attendances at Derry senior matches. The Derry Senior Football Championship is an annual club competition between the top Derry clubs. It is recognised as one of the hardest club championships to get out of successfully in Ireland, as there are so many teams like, Ballinderry, Bellaghy, An Lúb, Slaughtneil, and Glenullin who have a realistic chance of success each year. Attendances at matches are particularly high, with many neutrals from County Tyrone also going to matches, as many view it as the highest standard of club football in Ulster. The winners of the Derry Championship qualify to represent their county in the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship and if they win, go on to the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship. The current (2007) Derry County Champions are Glenullin.

The Derry Senior Club Hurling Championship is the hurling equivalent, with Kevin Lynch's the defending champions (2007).

Click here for a list of Gaelic Athletic Association clubs in Derry.

International Rules (past and present)

Ladies' Gaelic football

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (October 2008)

History

Honours

Camogie

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (October 2008)

History

As early 1934, there were 10 camogie clubs in Derry.¹⁰ Derry drew with Antrim in the Maguire Cup in 1954, and built on this progress to beat Antrim in that year's Ulster Senior Camogie Championship final by 5-02 to 2-02 - the county's first Ulster Senior Camogie Championship title.¹⁰ They went on to defeat Mayo and London on route to the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship final.¹⁰ However they were beaten by an impressive Dublin side, who had not lost a competitive match since 1947, on a scoreline of 10-04 to 4-02.¹⁰ While Theresa Halferty, Carrie Rankin, Patsy McCloskey and Pat O'Brien from this team were chosen on the Ulster team for the inaugural Gael-Linn inter-provincial series, Derry's appearance in the 1954 All-Ireland decider did little to further the game in the county.¹⁰ Derry won further Ulster Senior Camogie Championships in 1989, 1990, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2006.¹¹ The county have also won Ulster Junior Camogie Championships 1960, 1967, 1969, 1978, 1986, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006 and 2007.¹² The minor camogie side have won the Ulster Minor Championship on nine occasions (1990, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003).¹³ Aisling Diamond of the _______ club won Derry's first camogie All Star in 2007.¹⁴ Other Derry players who've been nominated since the awards were introduced in 2004 include Grainne McGoldrick (2006¹⁵ and 2008¹⁴) and ??others??

Honours

• Ulster Senior Camogie Championships: 8
  • 1954, 1989, 1990, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006

• Ulster Junior Camogie Championships: 12
  • 1960, 1967, 1969, 1978, 1986, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007

• Ulster Minor Camogie Championships: 9
  • 1990, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003

Notes:

• The team listed for winning the 1954 Ulster Championship is actually the team that played Dublin in the 1954 All-Ireland final, it is likely the same or very similar to the team that beat Antrim in that year's Ulster final.
• Source for the team lineups: ¹⁰

All-Stars: 1

2007: Aisling Diamond

Handball

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (October 2008)

See also

• Derry Senior Club Football Championship
• Derry Senior Club Hurling Championship
• List of Gaelic Athletic Association clubs in Derry

References

External links

• Derry GAA site
• Derry on Hoganstand.com
• National and provincial titles won by Derry teams
• Club championship winners
• Derry Club Championships Roll of Honour