The Derry county football team represents Derry GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association, in the Gaelic sport of football. 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.
Derry's home ground is Celtic Park. The team's manager is Ciarán Meenagh.
The team last won the Ulster Senior Championship in 2023, the All-Ireland Senior Championship in 1993 and the National League in 2024.
The team is nicknamed the Oak Leafers.
History
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 SFC 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.
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.Damian Barton: Derry football manager handed eight-week ban BBC
Derry were relegated to Division 4 in 2018.Derry relegated to Division 4 just four years after reaching Division 1 final The42.ie
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. 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. Gallagher had to move aside when his wife got a word in about what he was doing to her behind closed doors, or in other places behind the scenes where he could get at her. The Derry County Board did not come of it too well. Ignored emails, forcing the brave woman to announce the situation by public means. It is fair to say it had egg on its face, and all over its trousers. Gallagher then gave up the job as manager completely, leaving the Derry set-up in a tizzy of almighty proportions. Gallagher's dismissal would pave the way for a most unexpected decision: Derry to be managed by none other than Mickey Harte. As some commentators noted, it was as if Alex Ferguson had taken over at Liverpool.
Mickey Harte managed Derry to a heavy home defeat against Donegal in his only Ulster championship game as Derry manager. Donegal were able to carve out numerous goal opportunities due to Derry's tactics, but only managed to score four of them. The Irish Times described the game as a "classic". The newspaper also named Donegal's first goal, scored with a lob into an empty net as Derry goalkeeper Odhrán Lynch ran back up the pitch after vacating his goal, as its "Moment of the Year". Harte left at the end of the season.
Panel
Managerial history
DatesName????–19461947John L. Fay1948–19571958–1959Roddy Gribbin1960–19671968–1971Jim McKeever1971–1972Paddy O'Hara1972–1974Harry Cassidy1975–1979Frank Kearney1980–1984Mickey MoranGlen1985Tom Scullion1986–1988Tom Scullion (2)Jim McKeever (2)Phil Stuart1989–1990Tommy Diamond1990Fr Seán Hegarty1991–1994Eamonn Coleman1995Mickey Moran (2)Glen1996–1998Brian Mullins1999Eamonn Coleman (2)Adrian McGuckian2000–2002Eamonn Coleman (3)2003–2005Mickey Moran (3)Glen2006–2008Paddy Crozier2009–2010Damian CassidyBellaghy2010–2012John BrennanLavey2013–2015Brian McIver2016–2017 Damian BartonNewbridge2018–2019Damian McErlain2019–2023Rory Gallagher2023Ciarán Meenagh2023–2024Mickey Harte2025Paddy Tally
Players Notable players
Niall Bradley had a "fall from grace" after a brawl outside a kebab shop.
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.
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.
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 has chosen 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.
PlayerAppearancesYearsSeán Marty Lockhart161998 (2), 1999 (2), 2000 (2), 2001 (2), 2003 (2), 2004 (2), 2005 (2), 2006 (2)Anthony Tohill81998 (2), 1999 (2), 2000 (2), 2001 (2)Paddy Bradley22008 (2)Dermot McNicholl91984 (3), 1986 (3), 1987 (3)Brian McGilligan61986 (3) 1987 (3)Tony Scullion41987 (1) 1990 (3)
Player statistics Championship Championship top scorers End of 2019 championship 100+ points total PlayerDebutOppositionAppearancesGoalsPointsFinal gameOppositionTotal scorePaddy Bradley14/05/2000Cavan511720230/06/2012Longford253Sean O'Connell09/06/1957Antrim381212025/06/1976Cavan156Anthony Tohill30/06/1991Down52412828/06/2003Dublin140Enda Gormley01/06/1986Tyrone34211802/07/2000Antrim124 Mark Lynch24/07/2004Limerick54610109/06/2018Kildare119Enda Muldoon01/06/1997Monaghan54118423/07/2011Kildare117
Championship appearances End of 2019 championship 50+ appearances PlayerDebutOppositionAppearancesFinal gameOppositionEnda Muldoon01/06/1997Monaghan5423/07/2011Kildare Mark Lynch24/07/2004Limerick5409/06/2018KildareAnthony Tohill30/06/1991Down5228/06/2003DublinPaddy Bradley14/05/2000Cavan5130/06/2012LongfordSeán Marty Lockhart02/06/1996Armagh5018/07/2009Donegal
Championship single score End of 2019 Championship 10+ Points Total PlayerDateOppositionGoalsPOintsTotalPaddy Bradley05/06/2005Monaghan11013Paddy Bradley15/07/2006Longford2713Brendan Kelly19/06/1977Tyrone2511Paddy Bradley12/06/2004Wicklow1811Micky Niblock25/07/1971Down2410
Championship season score End of 2019 championship 30+ points total PlayerFirst gameOppositionAppearancesGoalsPointsFinal gameOppositionTotal scorePaddy Bradley09/05/2004Tyrone723829/08/2004Kerry44Paddy Bradley05/06/2005Monaghan522906/08/2005Laois35Enda Muldoon19/05/2004Tyrone732429/08/2004Kerry33
National League NFL top scorers End of 2019 National League 100+ points total PlayerDebutOppositionAppearancesGoalsPointsFinal gameOppositionTotal scorePaddy Bradley31/10/1999Mayo851432408/04/12Westmeath366Sean O'Connell15/09/1957Antrim842524202/05/1976Dublin317Anthony Tohill27/10/1991Meath721415531/03/2002Down197Enda Gormley13/10/1985Antrim62716415/04/201Fermanagh185Joe Brolly07/10/1990Cavan631213811/04/1999Cork174Mark Lynch06/02/2005Meath 80814525/03/2018Sligo169James Kielt01/02/2009Mayo54512525/03/2018Sligo140Conleith Gilligan20/05/2000Meath 54610625/03/2012Louth124Eoin Bradley02/06/2005Meath56410603/04/2016Armagh118Brendan Kelly20/10/1674Tyrone3758902/05/1976Dublin 104JE Mullan17/03/1940Sligo39184613/05/1955Armagh100
NFL appearances End of 2019 NFL 80+ appearances PlayerDebutOppositionAppearancesFinal gameOppositionTony Scullion13/02/1983Armagh9505/05/1996DonegalKieran McKeever31/01/1988Monaghan8908/04/2001CavanPaddy Bradley31/10/1999Mayo8508/04/2012WestmeathSean O'Connell15/09/1957Mayo8402/05/1976DublinMark Lynch06/02/2005Meath8025/03/2018Sligo
NFL single score End of 2019 League 10+ Points Total PlayerDateOppositionGoalsPointsTotalPaddy Bradley07/03/2004Waterford3918Paddy Bradley03/04/2005Tipperary11316Matt Regan29/10/1939Tyrone5015Sean O'Connell12/03/1967Armagh4315JE Mullan16/09/1951Fermanagh2511Paddy Bradley23/02/2003Monaghan3211Mark Lynch16/03/2014Dublin1811Emmett Bradley18/02/2018Offaly1811Shane McGuigan16/03/2019Leitrim2511Sean O'Connell05/02/1967Down3110Shane McGuigan23/02/2020Louth1710
NFL season score End of 2019 National League 50+ points total PlayerFirst gameOppositionAppearancesGoalsPointsFinal gameOppositionTotal scorePaddy Bradley06/02/2005Meath824424/04/2005Monaghan50Mark Lynch01/02/2014Tyrone824427/04/2014Dublin50
Management team Manager: Ciarán Meenagh Coach: Gavin Devlin Selectors: Enda Muldoon, Paul McFlynn, Murtagh O'Brien Lead Athletic Development Coach: Matthew Godfrey
Honours Official honours, with additions noted. For more details on this topic including team line-ups, see here
National All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Winners (1): 1993 Runners-up (1): 1958 National Football League Winners (7): 1946–47, 1991–92, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1999–2000, 2008, 2024 Runners-up (6): 1958–59, 1960–61, 1975–76, 1997–98, 2009, 2014 All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship Winners (2): 1968, 1997 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship Winners (7): 1965, 1983, 1989, 2002, 2020, 2023, 2024 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,Dr McKenna Cup: Thrilling final that was worth the wait Belfast Telegraph 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