Shaun Casey looks at the players who have had the pleasure of lifting the Andy Merrigan Cup Connor Carville (Glen, 2023/24) CARVILLE led the Watty Graham’s club throughout the most successful period in their history, culminating in the 2024 All-Ireland Senior Championship title. Glen won three Derry Championships in a row (2021, ‘22 and ‘23) and […]
Christmas means St Paul’s in Belfast for the top minor football teams across Ulster. Michael McMullan looks at the leading clubs across the competition’s history Ballinderry 4 1996, 1997, 2001, 2008 THE Shamrocks are one of the two Derry clubs to have won the title on four occasions, with three different teams. Gerard Cassidy was […]
Shaun Casey charts the Ulster clubs that have landed All-Ireland Senior Football Championship honours Crossmaglen (6) ULSTER’S most successful club at the top level, Crossmaglen, won six All-Ireland titles during a glorious 15-year period. Their first All-Ireland crown came in 1997, and they backed that up with a brace of titles in 1999 and 2000. […]
By Michael McMullan NIALL Conway had a hunch Swatragh’s Derry Senior Football Championship progress could go all the way to Sunday’s final group game against Bellaghy. The Davitt’s need a draw to join Glen, Sleacht Néill and Dungiven in the quarter-finals whereas Bellaghy need to win. It all points to the first real ‘championship’ game […]
By Niall Gartland BELLAGHY are set to take on All-Ireland kingpins Glen in their second group stage match of the campaign this weekend, but it doesn’t quite get the hair standing on the back of the neck like a true knock-out championship game. Damian Cassidy’s side got off to a winning start with victory […]
By Michael McMullan TRIBUTES have been made in memory of Maura McCloy, a giant of camogie, who passed away on Tuesday evening. McCloy was at the forefront of the game especially in her native Bellaghy and Derry where she served in many different capacities. The presence of Gaels from across Derry and beyond at Maura’s […]
By Michael McMullan IT’S the height of the playing season but Bellaghy open their doors to the world on Saturday afternoon (2pm) for a drug awareness talk from Dublin All-Ireland medal winner Philly McMahon. The Ballymun Kickhams man lost his brother after a battle with drug addiction and he will lift the lid on the […]
By Michael McMullan ONE glance at Tom Quinn’s list of achievements tells you the stature of the man in footballing circles. Tom passed away recently and will go down as one of the all-time Bellaghy and Derry greats. With St Columb’s Derry, he won a Hogan Cup in 1965. A minor All-Ireland title followed in […]
Fifty years ago, Ballinascreen were Derry senior champions. Former Derry star Brendan Kelly was a key member of their winning team. Michael McMullan went to meet him… BRENDAN Kelly’s facial expression says it all. He just loves talking football. As a back-to-back Ulster winner with Derry in the mid-seventies, the game has treated him well. There […]
By Michael McMullan WHEN Swatragh interim manager John Kearney emerged from the team huddle after victory over Bellaghy on Saturday evening, he had two concise messages. The players deserved all the credit for digging out the result and they’d have to repeat the performance in Lavey on Sunday (3.30pm) in their final group game. The […]
