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.

Newbridge retained their title, having defeated Magherafelt in the 2025 final.

History 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

Current format

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.

Historical formats

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 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

Ulster FinalistsAlso won the Ulster Competition in the same seasonAlso 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 Championshiptop 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 1968Bellaghy 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 1971Bellaghy 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 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 1976Ballerin 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 1981Ballinderry 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) 1990Lavey 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) 1992Lavey 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) 1994Bellaghy 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) 1997Dungiven 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) 2000Bellaghy 0-09 Ballinderry 0-08 Ballinascreen Aidan McAlynn Gareth Doherty Ciaran McNally Seanie McGuckin (2-28) 2001Ballinderry 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) 2003An 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 Shane Kelly Jim Kelly (3-12) 2005Bellaghy 2-07 An Lúb 1-06 Celtic Park S McGuigan Joe Diver Joe Cassidy Joe Cassidy (0-21) 2006Ballinderry 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) 2008Ballinderry 0-10 Slaughtneil 0-08 BBC Sport Irish Independent Celtic Park B Toland Raymond Wilkinson Enda Muldoon Paul Bradley 2009An 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 Declan Mullan Richard Carey Cailen O'Boyle 2011 Ballinderry 2-05 Kilrea 0-06 BBC Sport, Celtic Park D Loughrey Martin Harney Kevin McGuckin James Kielt 2012 Ballinderry 1-10 Slaughtneil 0-10 Celtic Park S Hamill Enda Muldoon Ryan Scott Christopher Bradley 2013Ballinderry 3-10 Ballinascreen 2-07 Celtic Park B Cassidy Coilin Devlin Conor Nevin Benny Heron 2014Slaughtneil 1-08 Ballinderry 0-09 Celtic Park A Campbell Patsy Bradley Francis McEldowney 2015 Slaughtneil 1-07 Eoghan Rua, Coleraine 0-09 Celtic Park D O'Neill Paul Bradley Francis McEldowney 2016 Slaughtneil 2-11 An Lúb 0-06 Celtic Park Benny Quinn Padraig Cassidy Francis McEldowney Shane McGuigan (2-15) 2017 Slaughtneil 4-12 Ballinascreen 1-11 Celtic Park Dan Mullan Shane McGuigan Patsy Bradley Shane McGuigan (3-15) 2018 Eoghan Rua, Coleraine 1-12 Lavey 0-12 Highlights Celtic Park Damien Harkin Liam McGoldrick Colm McGoldrick Colm McGoldrick 2019 Magherafelt 0-12 Glen 0-11 BBC