Derry Senior Football Championship

The Derry Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football competition contested by the top sixteen Derry GAA clubs. The winners receive the John McLaughlin Cup and qualify to represent Derry in the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship.

Derry Senior Football Championship
Current season or competition:
2023 Derry Senior Football Championship
IrishCraobh Sinsear Peile Dhoire
Founded1907
TrophyJohn McLaughlin Cup
Title holdersGlen(3rd)
Most titlesBellaghy (21 titles)
SponsorsO'Neills

Glen are the title holders (2023) and have now won three in a row champions defeating Magherafelt in the Final to win their third title on the 29th of October 2023.

History edit

Bellaghy have won the competition more than any other club with 21 titles. Bellaghy's Tom Scullion has more senior football championship medals than anyone in Derry, winning 12 medals between 1956 and 1971.

Bellaghy and Slaughtneil are the only teams to have won four consecutive titles. As well as the four-in-a-row, Bellaghy have also won three consecutive titles on two other separate occasions. Ballinderry have also won three consecutive titles on two separate occasions.

Format edit

Current format edit

In 2016, the championship reverted to its traditional knock-out format. All fixtures are determined by open-draw and are played at neutral venues. The majority of games are played at Owenbeg, near Dungiven. The final is usually played at Celtic Park, Derry.[citation needed]

Historical formats edit

Before 1958, three regional tournaments were played to determine the Derry Senior Football Championship finalists - the South Derry Senior Football Championship, the North Derry Senior Football Championship and the Derry City Senior Football Championship. Of the three winners, one received a bye to the final (in alternating years) and the other two played a semi-final to determine who qualified for the Derry Senior Football Championship final.

From 1958 to 2006 the championship took the form of an open-draw knock-out.

From 2007 to 2008 the championship was altered to include a round-robin group stage with the 16 teams divided into four groups. Each club in a group played each other once with the top two in each group advancing to the quarter-finals. From the quarter-finals onwards the competition was knock-out.

In 2009 a "backdoor" system was introduced -

  • The 16 clubs all played in the first round.
  • In the second round winners section the eight winning teams from round one played against each other with the four winners going straight into the quarter-finals. In the second round losers section the eight beaten teams from round one played against each other.
  • In round three (also referred to as the quarter-final qualifiers) the four beaten teams from the round two winners section played the four winning teams from the round two losers section.
  • In the quarter-finals the four teams who won their first two matches in rounds one and two played the four winners of round three.
  • The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final were knock-out.

Trophies edit

The cup for the winners of the Derry Senior Football Championship is named after John McLaughlin, a former leading official in Derry GAA. He was a native of Inishowen in County Donegal, having been born in Fahan. He was for a long time chairman of the North Derry Board and he was elected chairman of the County Board in about 1943 or 1944 in succession to Paddy Larkin, a post he held until his death in 1961. The County Board decided to purchase a new cup and present it to the winners of the Senior Championship in the following year. In 1989 the cup was replaced, but it is still called the John McLaughlin Cup.

  • Since 1988 the player who has scored the most in that year's championship is presented with a trophy.
  • Since 1989 the man of the match in the final is also presented with a trophy.

Finals listed by year edit

Ulster Finalists
Also won the Ulster Competition in the same season
Also won the Ulster and All-Ireland Competitions in the same season
Year Winner Score Runners-up Score Match report
(final)
Venue Referee Man of the match Winning captain Championship
top scorer
1907 Éire Óg, Derry Unknown
1908 No competition
1909 No competition
1910 No competition
1911 No competition
1912 No competition
1913 No competition
1914 Clann Chonail 1-04 Emmetts 1-02 Celtic Park
1915 No competition
1916 Sarsfield's Celtic Park
1917 St Patrick's beat Glenkeen Celtic Park
1918 Emmet's Celtic Park
1919 No competition
1920 No competition
1921 Derry Guilds 2-01 St Patrick's 0-02 Brandywell
1922 No competition
1923 No competition
1924 No competition
1925 No competition
1926 No competition
1927 Ballinderry 0-03 Glenullin 0-08 (Abandoned) Magherafelt J McKenna
1928 Glenullin
1929 No competition
1930 Buncrana 2-04 St Patrick's 0-05
1931 Burt 2-04 Wolfe Tones 0-01 Brandywell John Kavanagh
1932 No competition
1933 No competition
1934 Ballinascreen NO FINAL
1935 Ballinascreen NO FINAL
1936 An Lúb beat Park
1937 Newbridge beat St Patrick's Brandywell
1938 Lavey 1-03 Pearses 0-03 Dungiven
1939 Magherafelt 5-07 Dungiven 1-02 Ballinascreen George Nash
1940 Newbridge beat Glenullin
1941 Ballinascreen 2-05 O'Connor's Limavady 1-01
1942 Magherafelt w/o Glenullin Dungiven Paddy Larkin
1943 Lavey 3-07 Faughanvale 0-03 Magherafelt
1944 Lavey 1-05 Mitchels 0-00 Celtic Park
1945 Newbridge 3-06 Dungiven 0-03 Claudy Green
1946 Magherafelt 7-07 Dolans 2-06 Celtic Park Tommy Farran
1947 Dungiven 2-08 Lavey 2-03 Magherafelt
1948 Newbridge 1-06 Dungiven 0-07 Claudy Green
1949 Magherafelt 2-08 Eoghan Ruadh 0-06 Celtic Park Harry Owens
1950 Newbridge 3-06 Dungiven 0-06 Ballinascreen
1951 Dungiven 4-03 Bellaghy 1-09 Cashel Green
1952 Éire Óg, Derry 1-02 Desertmartin 1-00 Celtic Park
1953 Desertmartin 4-09 Ballerin 0-02 Magherafelt
1954 Lavey 1-10 Banagher 1-05 Dungiven Colm Mulholland
1955 Newbridge 2-09 Dolans 1-04 Celtic Park
1956 Bellaghy 2-09 Drum 1-01 Magherafelt
1957 Ballerin 3-08 Ballymaguigan 2-06 Dungiven Barry McFadden
1958 Bellaghy 3-06 Ballymaguigan 0-07 Ballinascreen Peter Kearney
1959 Bellaghy 3-04 Desertmartin 1-03 Ballinascreen Peter Kearney
1960 Bellaghy 1-05 Dungiven 2-01 Ballinascreen Gerry McCann
1961 Bellaghy w/o Ballymaguigan Gerry McCann
1962 Ballymaguigan 2-10

0-06

Castledawson 1-05

1-03*

Magherafelt Jim McGuigan / Jim Lynn Denis McKeever
1963 Bellaghy 2-12 Newbridge 2-08 Magherafelt Jim McGuigan Tom Scullion
1964 Bellaghy 2-09 Ballerin 0-10 Magherafelt Barry McFadden Tom Scullion
1965 Bellaghy 3-11 Ballerin 0-10 Dungiven Barry McFadden Tom Scullion
1966 Newbridge 2-10 Dungiven 0-03 Magherafelt Mickey Gribben
1967 Newbridge 0-11 Magherafelt 1-07 Ballinascreen Brian Devlin
1968 Bellaghy 2-03 Newbridge 0-07 Magherafelt Tom Scullion
1969 Bellaghy 1-09 Slaughtneil 0-08 Magherafelt Tom Quinn
1970 Newbridge 3-08 Bellaghy 0-13 Magherafelt Patsy McLarnon
1971 Bellaghy 2-12 Lavey 0-05 Magherafelt Larry Diamond
1972 Bellaghy 0-14 Ballerin 1-08 Dungiven Tom McFeely Larry Diamond
1973 Ballinascreen 2-14 Bellaghy 1-10 Magherafelt Dermot Mullan [1] Tommy McKenna
1974 Ballinderry 1-04 Banagher 1-03 Ballerin Willie Harkin Sean McGuckin
1975 Bellaghy 1-09

1-05

Magherafelt 0-03

0-08*

Ballinascreen Patsy Mulholland Frankie O'Loane
1976 Ballerin 0-09 Dungiven 0-03 Magherafelt Murty Higgins Eamon Moloney
1977 Lavey 1-18 Ballinderry Shamrocks 0-07 Magherafelt Seamus Mullan Niall Hurley
1978 Magherafelt 1-04 Banagher 1-03 Swatragh Louis Downey Gerry O'Loughlin
1979 Bellaghy 0-14

1-05

Magherafelt 0-03

0-08*

Ballinascreen Bobby Mullan Hugh McGoldrick
1980 Ballinderry 0-07

0-11

Lavey 0-04

1-08*

Magherafelt / Ballinascreen Patsy Mulholland Sean McIvor
1981 Ballinderry 0-07 Banagher 0-05 Ballerin Murty Higgins Pat McGuckin
1982 Ballinderry 0-07 Dungiven 0-05 Swatragh Patsy Mulholland Dessie Rocks
1983 Dungiven 1-04 Magherafelt 1-03 Ballinascreen Sean Bradley Colm McGuigan
1984 Dungiven 0-09 Castledawson 0-08 Greenlough Murty Higgins Plunkett Murphy
1985 Glenullin 1-09 Ballinderry Shamrocks 1-05 Ballinascreen John Diamond Dermot McNicholl
1986 Bellaghy 3-05 Ballinderry 1-06 Ballinascreen Anthony O'Neill Tommy Doherty
1987 Dungiven NO FINAL Liam McElhinney
1988 Lavey 0-11 Newbridge 0-06 Glen Kevin Cassidy Henry Downey Hugh Martin McGurk (1-19)
1989 Newbridge 3-04 Castledawson 0-09 Ballinascreen Billy McKeever Liam Devlin Damian Barton Fergal Kearney (1-14)
1990 Lavey 3-14 Ballinascreen 1-07 Magherafelt F. Connolly Brian McCormick Johnny McGurk Eamonn Burns (0-24)
1991 Dungiven 3-05 Newbridge 0-04 Ballinascreen Noel McGurk Shane Heavern Plunkett Murphy Damian Cassidy (4-6)
1992 Lavey 2-06 Ballinascreen 0-09 Bellaghy Owen Roe O'Neill Seamus Downey Anthony Scullion Éamonn Burns (2-17)
1993 Lavey 3-05 Swatragh 0-08 Glenullin Matt Armstrong Colm McGurk Anthony Scullion Anthony Tohill (2-26)
1994 Bellaghy 2-10 Ballinascreen 0-08 Swatragh Phonsey Guyler Damian Cassidy Danny Quinn Karl Diamond (0-24)
1995 Ballinderry 1-08 Bellaghy 0-08 Glen Anthony O'Neill Gerard Cassidy & Adrian McGuckin Raymond Bell Karl Diamond (1-18)
1996 Bellaghy 2-11 Dungiven 0-07 The Irish News Celtic Park PJ Cassidy David O'Neill Gareth Doherty Éamonn Burns (2-24)
1997 Dungiven 2-09 Castledawson 0-09 Celtic Park Dessie Kearney Joe Brolly Emmett McKeever Joe Brolly (1-25)
1998 Bellaghy 1-13 Lavey 2-04 Celtic Park Anthony O'Neill Gavin Diamond Kevin O'Neill Gavin Diamond (1-21)
1999 Bellaghy 1-11 Ballinderry 0-11 Ballinascreen Dessie Kearney Damian Cassidy Karl Diamond Gerard Cassidy (3-22)
2000 Bellaghy 0-09 Ballinderry 0-08 Ballinascreen Aidan McAlynn Gareth Doherty Ciaran McNally Seanie McGuckin (2-28)
2001 Ballinderry 1-09 Bellaghy 0-11 Ballinascreen Declan O'Connor Gerard Cassidy Adrian McGuckin Gerard Cassidy & Gavin Diamond (1-26)
2002 Ballinderry 1-11 An Lúb 0-06 Celtic Park Conleith Gilligan Gerard Cassidy Gerard Cassidy (0-26)
2003 An Lúb 0-11 Ballinderry 0-07 Celtic Park Padraig O'Kane Johnny McBride Jim Kelly (1-15)
2004 Slaughtneil 1-08 Bellaghy 0-09 Glen T O'Kane Padrig Kelly[clarification needed] Shane Kelly Jim Kelly (3-12)
2005 Bellaghy 2-07 An Lúb 1-06 Celtic Park S McGuigan Joe Diver Joe Cassidy Joe Cassidy (0-21)
2006 Ballinderry 2-11 An Lúb 0-09 Celtic Park JJ Cleary Conleith Gilligan Conleith Gilligan Conleith Gilligan & Paddy Bradley (0-18)
2007 Glenullin 0-10

1-09

Bellaghy 1-06

1-09*

Celtic Park

Celtic Park

B Toland

D O'Connor

Gerard O'Kane Paddy Bradley Conleith Gilligan (1-26)
2008 Ballinderry 0-10 Slaughtneil 0-08 BBC Sport Irish Independent Celtic Park B Toland Raymond Wilkinson Enda Muldoon Paul Bradley
2009 An Lúb 1-08 Dungiven 0-10 Celtic Park B Toland Joe O'Kane Joe O'Kane Cathal Grieve
2010 Eoghan Rua, Coleraine 2-11 Ballinderry 0-15 Celtic Park B Cassidy[clarification needed] Declan Mullan Richard Carey Cailen O'Boyle
2011 Ballinderry 2-05 Kilrea 0-06 BBC Sport[permanent dead link], Celtic Park D Loughrey Martin Harney Kevin McGuckin James Kielt
2012 Ballinderry 1-10 Slaughtneil 0-10 [2] Celtic Park S Hamill Enda Muldoon Ryan Scott Christopher Bradley
2013 Ballinderry 3-10 Ballinascreen 2-07 [3] Celtic Park B Cassidy[clarification needed] Coilin Devlin Conor Nevin Benny Heron
2014 Slaughtneil 1-08 Ballinderry 0-09 [4] Celtic Park A Campbell Patsy Bradley Francis McEldowney
2015 Slaughtneil 1-07 Eoghan Rua, Coleraine 0-09 [5] Celtic Park D O'Neill Paul Bradley Francis McEldowney
2016 Slaughtneil 2-11 An Lúb 0-06 [6] Celtic Park Benny Quinn Padraig Cassidy Francis McEldowney Shane McGuigan (2-15)
2017 Slaughtneil 4-12 Ballinascreen 1-11 [7] Celtic Park Dan Mullan Shane McGuigan Patsy Bradley Shane McGuigan (3-15)
2018 Eoghan Rua, Coleraine 1-12 Lavey 0-12 [8] Highlights Celtic Park Damien Harkin Liam McGoldrick Colm McGoldrick Colm McGoldrick
2019 Magherafelt 0-12 Glen 0-11 [9] BBC

[10] Derry Now

Celtic Park JJ Cleary Emmett McGuckin Danny Heavron Shane Heavron (0-20)
2020 Slaughtneil 0-11 Magherafelt 1-04 BBC [11] Bellaghy Barry Cassidy Chrissy McKaigue Karl McKaigue / Shane McGuigan Shane McGuigan (4-47)
2021 Glen 1-13 Slaughtneil 0-07 BBC [12] Celtic Park S Curran Ciaran McFaul Conor Carville Shane McGuigan
2022 Glen 1-12 Slaughtneil 0-07 RTE [13] Celtic Park G Hegarty Conor Carville Shane McGuigan
2023

Glen

1-13 Magherafelt 0-07 Celtic Park Benny Quinn Conor Carville
Notes
  • 1907 - Éire Óg club is now defunct.
  • 1938 - Pearse's was a Derry City club, now defunct.
  • 1944 - Mitchel's was a Derry City club, now defunct.

Wins listed by club edit

# Club Wins Years won
1 Bellaghy 21 1956 1958 1959 1960 1961 1963 1964 1965 1968 1969
1971 1972 1975 1979 1986 1994 1996 1998 1999 2000
2005
2 Ballinderry 13 1927, 1974, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1995 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008
2011, 2012, 2013
3 Newbridge 10 1937 1940 1945 1948 1950 1955 1966 1967 1970 1989
4 Lavey 9 1938, 1943, 1944, 1954, 1977, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993
5 Dungiven 7 1947 1951 1983 1984 1987 1991 1997
6 Magherafelt 6 1939, 1942, 1946, 1949, 1978, 2019
Slaughtneil 2004, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020
8 Ballinascreen 4 1934, 1935, 1941, 1973
9 Glen 3 2021, 2022, 2023
Glenullin 1928, 1985, 2007
An Lúb 1936, 2003, 2009
12 Ballerin 2 1957, 1976
Eoghan Rua, Coleraine 2010, 2018
Éire Óg 1907, 1952
15 Ballymaguigan 1 1962
Desertmartin 1953
Clan Chonail 1914
Sarsfield’s* 1916
St Patrick’s 1917
Emmett’s 1918
Derry Guilds 1921
Buncrana 1930
Burt 1931
Notes
  • 1914 Clan Chonail are a Donegal team.
  • 1916 Sarsfield's are now defunct. They were a Derry City club, a fore-runner to the modern-day Doire Colmcille club.
  • 1930 Buncrana are a Donegal team.
  • 1931 Burt are a Donegal team.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Gunning for glory".
  2. ^ "Derry SFC final: Devlin's goal sinks Slaughtneil". Hogan Stand. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  3. ^ "Ballinderry repeat hat-trick". Irish Examiner. 7 October 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  4. ^ "Last-gasp Bradley goal secures title for Slaughtneil". Irish Examiner. 20 October 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  5. ^ "Derry SFC final: Slaughtneil do the 'double double'". Hogan Stand. 4 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  6. ^ "Derry SFC final: Slaughtneil ease to 'treble treble'". Hogan Stand. 17 October 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  7. ^ "Derry SFC final: Slaughtneil complete four in-a-row in style". Hogan Stand. 24 September 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  8. ^ "Coleraine overcome Lavey in Derry". BBC Sport.
  9. ^ "Magherafelt win first title since 1978". BBC Sport.
  10. ^ "Glory days as Magherafelt land the ultimate prize".
  11. ^ "Slaughtneil regain Derry football title". BBC Sport.
  12. ^ "Watch: Glen defeat champions Slaughtneil to lift first Derry SFC title". BBC Sport.
  13. ^ "Glen ease past Slaughtneil in battle of Derry titans". RTE.ie. 23 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.

External links edit