Ballerin GAC
Encyclopedia
Ballerin Sarfields GAC is a Gaelic Athletic Association
club based in Ballerin
, County Londonderry
, Northern Ireland
. They are a member of the Derry GAA
and currently cater for Gaelic football
, Ladies' Gaelic football
and Camogie
. The club have also had Hurling
teams in various stages in their history.
Ballerin fields Gaelic football teams at U8, U10, U12, U14, U16, Minor, Reserve and Senior levels. Underage teams up to U-12's play in North Derry
league and championships, from U-14 upwards teams compete in All-Derry competitions. In addition to drawing players from Ballerin, the club's catchment area includes Ringsend
, Garvagh
, Aghadowey
, Macosquin
and parts of Limavady
.
The club's biggest success came in 1976 when they won the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
. They have also won the Derry Senior Football Championship twice. In recent decades the football team has been less successful and currently compete in the Derry Intermediate Football Championship
and Division 4 of the Derry ACFL.
A second floodlit pitch, costing £500,000 was officialy opened on Saturday 30 July 2011.
: Páirc Sheamróg) remains their pitch to this day. The club played their first ever match on the 25 March 1945 in Faughanvale
. The club's first home match was played a month later. Inside a few years, the club became a major force in Derry football and won the 1947 Derry Minor Championship
. The club's first ever Derry Senior Football Championship came in 1957 when they defeated Ballymaguigan
in the final. The club won a second Derry Senior Championship in 1976, this time at the expense of Dungiven
and went on to win that year's Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
, defeating Clan na Gael of Armagh
in the final. Sarfields went on to reach the 1977 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
final, but were defeated by Austin Stacks
of Kerry
.
Derry reached the 1958 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final. Brian Mullan, Sean O’Connell and Brendan Murray all of Ballerin played in that match. The club started work on redeveloping the pitch and adjoining hall in 1969 and was officially opened in August 1970. Between 1965 and 1975, the senior team played in eleven successive Dr. Kerlin Cup finals winning eight.
Ballerin won the 2002 Derry Junior Football Championship
before being beat in that year's Ulster Junior Club Football Championship
. The club were awarded North Derry Club of the Year award in 2002.
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
club based in Ballerin
Ballerin
Ballerin is a small village between Garvagh and Ringsend in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is located within Coleraine Borough Council. It includes Saint Columba's Catholic primary school and Saint Mary's Catholic church.-Name:...
, County Londonderry
County Londonderry
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. They are a member of the Derry GAA
Derry GAA
The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the GAA county of Derry, which covers virtually the same territory as the former administrative county of Londonderry...
and currently cater for Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
, Ladies' Gaelic football
Ladies' Gaelic football
Ladies' Gaelic football is a team sport for women, very similar to Gaelic football, and co-ordinated by the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association...
and Camogie
Camogie
Camogie is an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women; it is almost identical to the game of hurling played by men. Camogie is played by 100,000 women in Ireland and world wide, largely among Irish communities....
. The club have also had Hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
teams in various stages in their history.
Ballerin fields Gaelic football teams at U8, U10, U12, U14, U16, Minor, Reserve and Senior levels. Underage teams up to U-12's play in North Derry
Derry GAA
The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the GAA county of Derry, which covers virtually the same territory as the former administrative county of Londonderry...
league and championships, from U-14 upwards teams compete in All-Derry competitions. In addition to drawing players from Ballerin, the club's catchment area includes Ringsend
Ringsend, Coleraine
Ringsend is a small village in the borough of Coleraine, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The nearest city is Derry which is 25 miles away...
, Garvagh
Garvagh
Garvagh is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is on the banks of the Agivey River, south of Coleraine on the A29 route. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 1,288.-History:...
, Aghadowey
Aghadowey
Aghadowey is a village and townland in east County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies in Aghadowey civil parish, and is part of Coleraine Borough Council...
, Macosquin
Macosquin
Macosquin is a small village and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is south-west of Coleraine, on the road to Limavady. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 596 people...
and parts of Limavady
Limavady
Limavady is a market town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, with Binevenagh as a backdrop. It lies east of Derry and south west of Coleraine. It had a population of 12,135 people in the 2001 Census, an increase of some 17% compared to 1991...
.
The club's biggest success came in 1976 when they won the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
The Ulster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition played between the top clubs in Ulster. The trophy awarded to the winners is the Seamus McFerran Cup...
. They have also won the Derry Senior Football Championship twice. In recent decades the football team has been less successful and currently compete in the Derry Intermediate Football Championship
Derry Intermediate Football Championship
The Derry Intermediate Football Club Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition between the intermediate Derry clubs...
and Division 4 of the Derry ACFL.
Grounds
Shamrock Park is the club's pitch and has been since it was leased in 1945.A second floodlit pitch, costing £500,000 was officialy opened on Saturday 30 July 2011.
Gaelic football
Ballerin Sarsfields GAC was formed in 1944 under the guidance of Barney McNicholl, Paddy Deighan and Harry Mullan. In January 1945 the club leased the land for a pitch, Shamrock Park IrishIrish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
: Páirc Sheamróg) remains their pitch to this day. The club played their first ever match on the 25 March 1945 in Faughanvale
Faughanvale GAC
St. Mary's GAC Faughanvale is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Greysteel, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, in the parish of Faughanvale, nine miles from Derry City...
. The club's first home match was played a month later. Inside a few years, the club became a major force in Derry football and won the 1947 Derry Minor Championship
Derry Minor Football Championship
The Derry Minor Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition between the top Derry Minor clubs. The winners of the Derry Championship qualify to represent their county in the Ulster Minor Club Football Championship...
. The club's first ever Derry Senior Football Championship came in 1957 when they defeated Ballymaguigan
Ballymaguigan GAC
St. Trea's Ballymaguigan GFC is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Ballymaguigan, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. They play in the Derry league and championships. They currently cater for both Gaelic football and Ladies' Gaelic football....
in the final. The club won a second Derry Senior Championship in 1976, this time at the expense of Dungiven
Dungiven GAC
St. Canice's GAC Dungiven is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Dungiven, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. They currently cater for Gaelic football and Ladies' Gaelic football. The hurling club in the town is Kevin Lynch's....
and went on to win that year's Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
The Ulster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition played between the top clubs in Ulster. The trophy awarded to the winners is the Seamus McFerran Cup...
, defeating Clan na Gael of Armagh
Armagh GAA
The Armagh County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Armagh GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Armagh...
in the final. Sarfields went on to reach the 1977 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament run since 1971, played between the thousands of senior football clubs in Ireland. The current champions are Crossmaglen Rangers of Armagh, who defeated St. Brigid's of Roscommon on March 17, 2011 to win their...
final, but were defeated by Austin Stacks
Austin Stacks
Austin Stacks is a hurling and Gaelic football club based in Tralee in County Kerry, Ireland. It has more All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medals and GAA All-Stars than any other GAA club in Ireland...
of Kerry
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
.
Derry reached the 1958 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final. Brian Mullan, Sean O’Connell and Brendan Murray all of Ballerin played in that match. The club started work on redeveloping the pitch and adjoining hall in 1969 and was officially opened in August 1970. Between 1965 and 1975, the senior team played in eleven successive Dr. Kerlin Cup finals winning eight.
Ballerin won the 2002 Derry Junior Football Championship
Derry Junior Football Championship
The Derry Junior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association club competition between the Junior Derry clubs...
before being beat in that year's Ulster Junior Club Football Championship
Ulster Junior Club Football Championship
The Ulster Junior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament played between the hundreds of junior football clubs in Ulster. There are nine county championships between the nine counties of Ulster. The nine winners go on to play each other in the Ulster Club Championship in...
. The club were awarded North Derry Club of the Year award in 2002.
Camogie
An interest was shown in Ballerin for Camogie, so in 1944 a team was set up. The club only lasted four years before folding. After another short stint in the 1950s, the club permanently reformed in 1971. The club won the Derry Intermediate Camogie Championship in 1989. They also won the Intermediate League that year and again in 2006. Three Ballerin players have been awarded Ulster Colleges All Star Awards.Well known players
- Sean O'ConnellSean O'ConnellSean O'Connell was an Irish Gaelic footballer and manager. He played for Derry in the late 1950s, 1960s and 1970s and was on the Derry side that finished runners-up to Dublin in the 1958 All-Ireland Championship - winning an Ulster Championship with the county that year, and three more in 1970,...
- Former Derry footballer. Twice finished highest scorer in the All-Ireland Senior Football ChampionshipAll-Ireland Senior Football ChampionshipThe All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
. Winner of four Ulster ChampionshipUlster Senior Football ChampionshipFor information on this years competition, see Ulster Senior Football Championship 2011-2010 Draw:-2009 Draw:-2008 Draw:-Top winners:* All-Ireland winning years in bold.-Roll of honour:Notes:* 1907 No final result in records...
medals with Derry and five Railway Cup medals with UlsterUlster GAAThe Ulster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, and handball in the province of Ulster. The headquarters of the Ulster GAA is based in Armagh City....
. Won a Cú Chulainn awardGAA All Stars AwardsThe All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
in 1967. - Peter StevensonPeter StevensonPeter Stevenson is an All Star winning former Irish Gaelic footballer who played for Derry in the 1970s and 1980. Described as a "tower of strength", he won the Ulster Senior Football Championships on two/three? occasions. Stevenson played club football with a number of clubs throughout his career...
- All StarGAA All Stars AwardsThe All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
winning DerryDerry GAAThe Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the GAA county of Derry, which covers virtually the same territory as the former administrative county of Londonderry...
footballer. - Malachy McAfee - Former Derry footballer. Also played for Ulster.
- James McAfee - Former Derry footballer. Also played for Ulster.
- Anthony Mullan - Former Derry minor footballer, successfully managed the Ballerin U14 side, taking them to 3 All Ireland Feile Na nOg's, winning 2 Derry County Feile's, runner's up in the League 2010 & 2011, Championship finalists 2010.
Senior
- Ulster Senior Club Football ChampionshipUlster Senior Club Football ChampionshipThe Ulster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition played between the top clubs in Ulster. The trophy awarded to the winners is the Seamus McFerran Cup...
: 1- 1976
- Derry Senior Football Championship: 2
- 1957, 1976
- Derry Junior Football ChampionshipDerry Junior Football ChampionshipThe Derry Junior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association club competition between the Junior Derry clubs...
: 1- 2002
- Dr. Kerlin Cup 10
- 1952, 1960, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974
Senior
- Derry Intermediate Camogie Championship: 1
- 1989
- Derry Intermediate Camogie League: 2
- 1989, 2006
- Ulster Gael Linn Representatives: 3
- 2004, 2005, 2006
- Na Magha Cup: 2
- 2005, 2006
See also
- Derry Intermediate Football ChampionshipDerry Intermediate Football ChampionshipThe Derry Intermediate Football Club Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition between the intermediate Derry clubs...
- List of Gaelic Athletic Association clubs