Derry_county_football_team
Derry county football team
Gaelic football team
The Derry county football team represents Derry GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association, in the Gaelic sport of football.[2] The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Ulster Senior Football Championship and the National Football League.
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| Sport: | Football | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish: | Doire[1] | ||
| Nickname(s): | The Oak Leafers | ||
| County board: | Derry GAA | ||
| Manager: | Mickey Harte | ||
| Captain: | Conor Glass | ||
| Home venue(s): | Celtic Park, Derry[1] Owenbeg, Dungiven[1] | ||
| Recent competitive record | |||
| Current All-Ireland status: | Ulster (W) in 2023 | ||
| Last championship title: | 1993 | ||
| Current NFL Division: | 1 | ||
| Last league title: | 2008 | ||
| |||
Derry's home ground is Celtic Park. The team's manager is Rory Gallagher.
The team last won the Ulster Senior Championship in 2022, the All-Ireland Senior Championship in 1993 and the National League in 2008.
In 1947, Derry won the National Football League. The group leaders were invited to play in the League semi-finals because heavy snow had disrupted the competition. Francie Niblock scored one of the finest goals in League history in Croke Park as Derry beat Clare.
In 1958, the county won its first Ulster Senior Football Championship (SFC) and secured a surprise victory in that year's All-Ireland semi-final, beating Kerry thanks to a Sean O'Connell goal three minutes from the end. In the final, Derry scored a goal ten minutes into the second half through Owen Gribben, but Dublin secured victory with goals scored by Paddy Farnan and Johnny Joyce.
In 1965, the Derry minor team won the All-Ireland Minor Championship, and three years later, at under-21 level, the bulk of that team captured the All-Ireland Under 21 Championship. Derry won the Ulster Senior Championship three times in the 1970s (1970, 1975 and 1976), but failed to advance past the All-Ireland semi-final stage on each occasion. In 1973, Anthony McGurk became the first player from Derry to receive an All Star Award.
The 1980s saw the county win two further All-Ireland Minor Championships (1983 and 1989) and their fifth Ulster Senior Championship (1987).
The 1990s proved to be the county's most successful decade. They won the county's second National League title in 1992, before winning the Ulster Championship and a first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 1993. Derry won back-to-back National Leagues in 1995 and 1996, and the under-21 team won the 1997 All-Ireland Under-21 Championship. In 1998, Derry won another Ulster Senior Championship. In 2008, the Derry side of the 1990s was rated as one of the best of the previous twenty years and would have achieved more were it not for several unexpected defeats such as to Down in 1994, Tyrone in 1995 and Cavan in 1997.[6]
Derry won the 2000 National League and the county's minor team won their fourth All-Ireland Minor Championship in 2002. Derry won the 2008 National League, their sixth in all. Since then they have been overshadowed in the Ulster Senior Championship by the emergence of Tyrone and Donegal. Derry topped Division 2 of the NFL in 2013 and returned to Division 1 for the 2014 season.
Manager Damian Barton was banned after involving himself in an on-field fight in 2016.[7]
Derry were relegated to Division 4 in 2018.[8]
Joe Brolly wrote in August 2020 that Derry seriously debate whether to field a team in the Senior Football Championship as their presence in league and championship has been similar to that of Kilkenny, who concentrate on hurling instead.[9] Derry won the 2022 Ulster SFC, for the first time in 24 years, and progressed to a 2022 All-Ireland SFC semi-final for the first time in donkey's years. So much for Joe Brolly.[10][11]
Team as per Derry vs Armagh in the Ulster SFC Final, 14 May 2023
| Dates | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| ????–1946 | Unknown | |
| 1947 | John L. Fay | |
| 1948–1957 | Unknown | |
| 1958–1959 | Roddy Gribbin | |
| 1960–1967 | Unknown | |
| 1968–1971 | Jim McKeever | |
| 1971–1972 | Paddy O'Hara | |
| 1972–1974 | Harry Cassidy | |
| 1975–1979 | Frank Kearney | |
| 1980–1984 | Mickey Moran | Glen |
| 1985 | Tom Scullion | |
| 1986–1988 | Tom Scullion (2) | |
| Jim McKeever (2) | ||
| Phil Stuart | ||
| 1989–1990 | Tommy Diamond | |
| 1990 | Fr Seán Hegarty | |
| 1991–1994 | Eamonn Coleman | |
| 1995 | Mickey Moran (2) | Glen |
| 1996–1998 | Brian Mullins | |
| 1999 | Eamonn Coleman (2) | |
| Adrian McGuckian | ||
| 2000–2002 | Eamonn Coleman (3) | |
| 2003–2005 | Mickey Moran (3) | Glen |
| 2006–2008 | Paddy Crozier | |
| 2009–2010 | Damian Cassidy | Bellaghy |
| 2010–2012 | John Brennan | Lavey |
| 2013–2015[12][13] | Brian McIver | |
| 2016–2017[14][additional citation(s) needed] | Damian Barton | Newbridge |
| 2018–2019 | Damian McErlain | |
| 2019– | Rory Gallagher | |
Notable players
Records
- In 1993, Dermot McNicholl became the first former AFL player to win the Sam Maguire Cup. He was the last former AFL player from Ulster to do so until Conor McKenna won the 2021 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final with Tyrone.[15]
Cú Chulainn Awards
Since the 1960s there has been a tradition of annually selecting the best footballer in each position, to create a special team of the year. Between 1963 and 1967 these players received what were known as Cú Chulainn awards. Derry received one Cú Chulainn Award.
1967: Sean O'Connell
All Stars
In 1971 the Cú Chulainn Awards were formalised into the annual All Stars Awards.
Derry has 33 All Stars, as of 2023. 23 different players have won, as of 2023. No player has won more than four All Stars.
1973: Anthony McGurk
1975: Peter Stevenson, Anthony McGurk2nd, Gerry McElhinney
1984: Dermot McNicholl
1987: Tony Scullion, Brian McGilligan
1992: Tony Scullion2nd, Anthony Tohill, Enda Gormley
1993: Tony Scullion3rd, Johnny McGurk, Henry Downey, Gary Coleman, Anthony Tohill2nd, Brian McGilligan2nd, Enda Gormley2nd
1995: Tony Scullion4th, Anthony Tohill3rd
1996: Joe Brolly
1997: Joe Brolly2nd
1998: Seán Marty Lockhart
2000: Kieran McKeever, Anthony Tohill4th
2004: Enda Muldoon
2007: Kevin McCloy, Paddy Bradley
2022: Chrissy McKaigue, Conor Glass
2023: Conor McCluskey, Gareth McKinless, Brendan Rogers, Shane McGuigan
Footballer of the Year
Two Derry players have been awarded the Texaco Footballer of the Year award. Ballymaguigan's Jim McKeever won the inaugural award in 1958, while Henry Downey of the Lavey club received player of the year for his performances in helping Derry win the 1993 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.
1958: Jim McKeever
1993: Henry Downey
GPA Gaelic Football Team of the Year
From 2006 onwards, the Gaelic Players Association chose its own team of the year.
2007: Paddy Bradley
International rules representatives
A number of Derry players have been selected to play international rules football for the Ireland team against Australia; both in the test games (1984, 1986, 1987 and 1990) and since the commencement of the International Rules Series in 1998. Note that the table is incomplete.
| Player | Appearances | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Seán Marty Lockhart | 16 | 1998 (2), 1999 (2), 2000 (2), 2001 (2), 2003 (2), 2004 (2), 2005 (2), 2006 (2) |
| Anthony Tohill | 8 | 1998 (2), 1999 (2), 2000 (2), 2001 (2) |
| Paddy Bradley | 2 | 2008 (2) |
| Dermot McNicholl | 9 | 1984 (3), 1986 (3), 1987 (3) |
| Brian McGilligan | 6 | 1986 (3) 1987 (3) |
| Tony Scullion | 4 | 1987 (1) 1990 (3) |
Championship
Championship top scorers
- End of 2019 Championship
- 100+ Points Total
| Player | Debut | Opposition | Appearances | Goals | Points | Final Game | Opposition | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paddy Bradley | 14/05/2000 | Cavan | 51 | 17 | 202 | 30/06/2012 | Longford | 253 |
| Sean O'Connell | 09/06/1957 | Antrim | 38 | 12 | 120 | 25/06/1976 | Cavan | 156 |
| Anthony Tohill | 30/06/1991 | Down | 52 | 4 | 128 | 28/06/2003 | Dublin | 140 |
| Enda Gormley | 01/06/1986 | Tyrone | 34 | 2 | 118 | 02/07/2000 | Antrim | 124 |
| Mark Lynch | 24/07/2004 | Limerick | 54 | 6 | 101 | 09/06/2018 | Kildare | 119 |
| Enda Muldoon | 01/06/1997 | Monaghan | 54 | 11 | 84 | 23/07/2011 | Kildare | 117 |
Championship appearances
- End of 2019 Championship
- 50+ Appearances
| Player | Debut | Opposition | Appearances | Final Game | Opposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enda Muldoon | 01/06/1997 | Monaghan | 54 | 23/07/2011 | Kildare |
| Mark Lynch | 24/07/2004 | Limerick | 54 | 09/06/2018 | Kildare |
| Anthony Tohill | 30/06/1991 | Down | 52 | 28/06/2003 | Dublin |
| Paddy Bradley | 14/05/2000 | Cavan | 51 | 30/06/2012 | Longford |
| Seán Marty Lockhart | 02/06/1996 | Armagh | 50 | 18/07/2009 | Donegal |
Championship single score
- End of 2019 Championship
- 10+ Points Total
| Player | Date | Opposition | Goals | POints | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paddy Bradley | 05/06/2005 | Monaghan | 1 | 10 | 13 |
| Paddy Bradley | 15/07/2006 | Longford | 2 | 7 | 13 |
| Brendan Kelly | 19/06/1977 | Tyrone | 2 | 5 | 11 |
| Paddy Bradley | 12/06/2004 | Wicklow | 1 | 8 | 11 |
| Micky Niblock | 25/07/1971 | Down | 2 | 4 | 10 |
Championship season score
- End of 2019 Championship
- 30+ Points Total
| Player | First Game | Opposition | Appearances | Goals | Points | Final Game | Opposition | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paddy Bradley | 09/05/2004 | Tyrone | 7 | 2 | 38 | 29/08/2004 | Kerry | 44 |
| Paddy Bradley | 05/06/2005 | Monaghan | 5 | 2 | 29 | 06/08/2005 | Laois | 35 |
| Enda Muldoon | 19/05/2004 | Tyrone | 7 | 3 | 24 | 29/08/2004 | Kerry | 33 |
National League
NFL top scorers
- End of 2019 National League
- 100+ Points Total
| Player | Debut | Opposition | Appearances | Goals | Points | Final Game | Opposition | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paddy Bradley | 31/10/1999 | Mayo | 85 | 14 | 324 | 08/04/12 | Westmeath | 366 |
| Sean O'Connell | 15/09/1957 | Antrim | 84 | 25 | 242 | 02/05/1976 | Dublin | 317 |
| Anthony Tohill | 27/10/1991 | Meath | 72 | 14 | 155 | 31/03/2002 | Down | 197 |
| Enda Gormley | 13/10/1985 | Antrim | 62 | 7 | 164 | 15/04/201 | Fermanagh | 185 |
| Joe Brolly | 07/10/1990 | Cavan | 63 | 12 | 138 | 11/04/1999 | Cork | 174 |
| Mark Lynch | 06/02/2005 | Meath | 80 | 8 | 145 | 25/03/2018 | Sligo | 169 |
| James Kielt | 01/02/2009 | Mayo | 54 | 5 | 125 | 25/03/2018 | Sligo | 140 |
| Conleith Gilligan | 20/05/2000 | Meath | 54 | 6 | 106 | 25/03/2012 | Louth | 124 |
| Eoin Bradley | 02/06/2005 | Meath | 56 | 4 | 106 | 03/04/2016 | Armagh | 118 |
| Brendan Kelly | 20/10/1674 | Tyrone | 37 | 5 | 89 | 02/05/1976 | Dublin | 104 |
| JE Mullan | 17/03/1940 | Sligo | 39 | 18 | 46 | 13/05/1955 | Armagh | 100 |
NFL appearances
- End of 2019 NFL
- 80+ Appearances
| Player | Debut | Opposition | Appearances | Final Game | Opposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Scullion | 13/02/1983 | Armagh | 95 | 05/05/1996 | Donegal |
| Kieran McKeever | 31/01/1988 | Monaghan | 89 | 08/04/2001 | Cavan |
| Paddy Bradley | 31/10/1999 | Mayo | 85 | 08/04/2012 | Westmeath |
| Sean O'Connell | 15/09/1957 | Mayo | 84 | 02/05/1976 | Dublin |
| Mark Lynch | 06/02/2005 | Meath | 80 | 25/03/2018 | Sligo |
NFL single score
- End of 2019 League
- 10+ Points Total
| Player | Date | Opposition | Goals | Points | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paddy Bradley | 07/03/2004 | Waterford | 3 | 9 | 18 |
| Paddy Bradley | 03/04/2005 | Tipperary | 1 | 13 | 16 |
| Matt Regan | 29/10/1939 | Tyrone | 5 | 0 | 15 |
| Sean O'Connell | 12/03/1967 | Armagh | 4 | 3 | 15 |
| JE Mullan | 16/09/1951 | Fermanagh | 2 | 5 | 11 |
| Paddy Bradley | 23/02/2003 | Monaghan | 3 | 2 | 11 |
| Mark Lynch | 16/03/2014 | Dublin | 1 | 8 | 11 |
| Emmett Bradley | 18/02/2018 | Offaly | 1 | 8 | 11 |
| Shane McGuigan | 16/03/2019 | Leitrim | 2 | 5 | 11 |
| Sean O'Connell | 05/02/1967 | Down | 3 | 1 | 10 |
| Shane McGuigan | 23/02/2020 | Louth | 1 | 7 | 10 |
NFL season score
- End of 2019 National League
- 50+ Points Total
| Player | First Game | Opposition | Appearances | Goals | Points | Final Game | Opposition | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paddy Bradley | 06/02/2005 | Meath | 8 | 2 | 44 | 24/04/2005 | Monaghan | 50 |
| Mark Lynch | 01/02/2014 | Tyrone | 8 | 2 | 44 | 27/04/2014 | Dublin | 50 |
- Official honours, with additions noted.[1]
For more details on this topic including team line-ups, see here
National
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
- National Football League
- All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship
Winners (2): 1968, 1997
- All-Ireland Minor Football Championship
- Winners (6): 1965, 1983, 1989, 2002, 2020, 2023
- All-Ireland Vocational Schools Championship:
- Winners (3): 1979, 1980, 1981
Provincial
- Ulster Senior Football Championship
- Winners (9): 1958, 1970, 1975, 1976, 1987, 1993, 1998, 2022, 2023
Runners-up (10): 1921, 1955, 1957, 1971, 1977, 1985, 1992, 1997, 2000, 2011
- Dr McKenna Cup
- Winners (13): 1947, 1954, 1958, 1960, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1993, 1999, 2011,[16] 2023, 2024
- Dr Lagan Cup
- Winners (5): 1945, 1947, 1950, 1953, 1959
- Ulster Junior Football Championship
- Winners (7): 1945, 1950, 1953, 1955, 1964, 1967, 1969
- Ulster Under-21 Football Championship
- Winners (7): 1967, 1968, 1976, 1983, 1986, 1993, 1997
- Ulster Minor Football Championship
- Winners (16): 1965, 1969, 1970, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2015, 2017,[17] 2020, 2023
- Ulster Vocational Schools Championship: ?
- ?
- "Derry — Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Uladh". Ulster GAA. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- Barry, Stephen (30 January 2018). "'It will not happen again': BBC apologise for Londonderry GAA reference". Irish Examiner.
- "Derry football boss anticipates mid-March League start". 27 January 2021.
If the Oak Leafers fail to get out of Division Three and don't clinch an unlikely Ulster Championship triumph...
- "'If we're going to compete we need to iron out the flaws' - McKaigue". 30 May 2021.
The Oak Leafers saw off the Breffinimen 1-16 to 2-11 at Kingspan Breffni Park on Saturday.
- "Tribesmen win with ease on the road against Derry in Division 2". RTÉ. 28 February 2016.
The Oak Leafers had manager Damian Barton serving a touchline suspension and suffered badly in a game they rarely looked like making a contest out of.
- Rodgers, Alan (10 October 2008). "Experts say Tyrone rank among the best". Gaelic Life. pp. 20–21.
- Brolly, Joe (23 August 2020). "The possibility of not entering a senior team in the championship may sound radical, but it is the inevitable". Sunday Independent. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
In Derry, the board is currently in serious discussions about whether to enter a senior team into next year's championship… if Derry had not fielded a team in league or championship over the last five years, our absence would have been as memorable as Kilkenny's footballers…
- Keane, Paul (25 June 2022). "All Ireland SFC QF: Impressive Derry cruise to victory".
- "Brian McIver is appointed as the new Derry football boss". BBC. 6 September 2012.
- "Brian McIver lambasts referee as he quits Derry after Galway defeat". BBC. 18 July 2015.
- "Damian Barton named as new Derry football manager". BBC. 22 September 2015.
- "Tyrone's Conor McKenna on verge of making history in All-Ireland decider". 11 September 2021.
- "Ulster MFC: Well drilled Derry capture title in style". Hogan Stand. 16 July 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
