Damien McCusker
Encyclopedia
Damien McCusker is an Irish
Gaelic football
er who played with Derry
in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. He still plays club football with Watty Graham's GAC Glen
. With the exception of the 1989 season, he played as goalkeeper for all his Derry career, while he has played the vast majority of his football out-field for Glen.
McCusker was part of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland Championship
winning side, as well as the 1987, 1993 and 1998 Ulster Championship
winning teams. The public voted him onto the All-Time Derry Team via an online poll in 2007
was also in the 1993 Derry team that won the All-Ireland.
medal in 1984 as part of the successful Derry minor team. He joined the senior team during the 1984/1985 National Football League
when 17 years old and made his Derry senior début in late 1984 against Sligo
. Having won Ulster Football Championships
in 1987 and 1993, he went on to play on Derry's 1993 All-Ireland winning team, which beat Cork in the final and added a third Ulster Championship medal in 1998.
He won National Football League
medals with Derry in 1992, 1995, 1996 and 2000?? and has also won Interprovincial Championship/Railway Cup
medals with Ulster
. McCusker initially retired from inter-county football in 1998, but returned in 1999, and again in 2000 after then-goalkeeper Eoin McCloskey was suspended.
McCusker has also played on the Derry Masters (Over-40's) team.
. McCusker won a Derry Senior League medal with Glen in 1987 and claimed back-to-back Derry Junior Football Championship
s in 2004 and 2005 with Glen Thirds playing in midfield.
McCusker was in the United States
for a short period the 1980s and while there played with St. Columbkille's GFC, Boston. He along with fellow Glen man Enda Gormley
helped the club win a Boston Senior Football Championship
in 1986.
He along with Eamonn Higgins is managing Glen for the 2008 season.
. He achieved a then club record of four consecutive clean sheets in 1997, but didn't enjoy his time with the club describing "the whole experience as depressing".
Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
er who played with 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...
in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. He still plays club football with Watty Graham's GAC Glen
Glen GAC
Watty Graham's GAC Glen is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Maghera, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The team draws players from Maghera and some surrounding townlands. They currently cater for Gaelic football, Ladies' Gaelic football and Camogie.Glen are also committed to Scor,...
. With the exception of the 1989 season, he played as goalkeeper for all his Derry career, while he has played the vast majority of his football out-field for Glen.
McCusker was part of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland Championship
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 1993
-All-Ireland Football Final:-Top championship scorer:...
winning side, as well as the 1987, 1993 and 1998 Ulster Championship
Ulster Senior Football Championship
For 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...
winning teams. The public voted him onto the All-Time Derry Team via an online poll in 2007
Personal life
McCusker was born in Maghera and attended school at St Patricks College in the town. His brother FergalFergal McCusker
Fergal P. McCusker is a Gaelic footballer who played with Derry in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. He played club football with Watty Graham's GAC Glen until retiring in 2007....
was also in the 1993 Derry team that won the All-Ireland.
School and college football
While at St Patrick's College school McCusker won Ulster Colleges Championship medals in 1982, 1983 and 1984.Inter-county
McCusker won an Ulster Minor ChampionshipUlster Minor Football Championship
The Ulster Minor Football Championship is the Minor "knockout" competition in the game of Gaelic football played in the province of Ulster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Ulster Council. The trophy for the winning side is The Liam Murray Cup. The competition began in 1930, with...
medal in 1984 as part of the successful Derry minor team. He joined the senior team during the 1984/1985 National Football League
National Football League (Ireland)
The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...
when 17 years old and made his Derry senior début in late 1984 against Sligo
Sligo GAA
The Sligo County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Sligo GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Sligo...
. Having won Ulster Football Championships
Ulster Senior Football Championship
For 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...
in 1987 and 1993, he went on to play on Derry's 1993 All-Ireland winning team, which beat Cork in the final and added a third Ulster Championship medal in 1998.
He won National Football League
National Football League (Ireland)
The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...
medals with Derry in 1992, 1995, 1996 and 2000?? and has also won Interprovincial Championship/Railway Cup
Interprovincial Championship
The Interprovincial Championship or Railway Cup is the name of two annual Gaelic football and hurling competetitions held between the provinces of Ireland. The Munster, Leinster, Connacht and Ulster teams are composed of the best players from the various counties in the province...
medals with Ulster
Ulster GAA
The 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....
. McCusker initially retired from inter-county football in 1998, but returned in 1999, and again in 2000 after then-goalkeeper Eoin McCloskey was suspended.
McCusker has also played on the Derry Masters (Over-40's) team.
Club career
He was part of the Glen team that won the 1983 Derry Intermediate ChampionshipDerry Intermediate Football Championship
The Derry Intermediate Football Club Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition between the intermediate Derry clubs...
. McCusker won a Derry Senior League medal with Glen in 1987 and claimed back-to-back 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...
s in 2004 and 2005 with Glen Thirds playing in midfield.
McCusker was in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for a short period the 1980s and while there played with St. Columbkille's GFC, Boston. He along with fellow Glen man Enda Gormley
Enda Gormley
Enda Gormley is an Irish Gaelic footballer who played with Derry in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. He played club football with Glen, and currently plays with Belfast club Bredagh....
helped the club win a Boston Senior Football Championship
Boston Senior Football Championship
The Boston Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football competition, played in the Boston region of America. The competition is organised by the Northeast Division Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The games are played at the Irish Cultural Center, in Canton, Massachusetts. The...
in 1986.
He along with Eamonn Higgins is managing Glen for the 2008 season.
Soccer
Damien McCusker also had a brief stint playing soccer for Ballyclare Comrades F.C.Ballyclare Comrades F.C.
Ballyclare Comrades is an intermediate, Northern Irish football club playing in IFA Championship 2. The club was founded in 1919 by veterans of the 1914–18 War, most of them from "C" Company of the 12th Royal Irish Rifles - a battalion made up entirely of East Antrim men, who fought at the Somme...
. He achieved a then club record of four consecutive clean sheets in 1997, but didn't enjoy his time with the club describing "the whole experience as depressing".
County
- 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 (1): 1993 - National Football LeagueNational Football League (Ireland)The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...
- Winner (3/4): 1992, 1995, 1996, 2000? - National Football LeagueNational Football League (Ireland)The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...
- Runner up?: 1998? - Ulster Senior Football 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...
- Winner (2/3?): 1987, 1993, 1998? - Ulster Senior Football 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...
- Runner up: 1992, 1997?, 2000 - Dr. McKenna Cup - Winner (1/2?): 1993, 1999?
- Ulster Minor Football ChampionshipUlster Minor Football ChampionshipThe Ulster Minor Football Championship is the Minor "knockout" competition in the game of Gaelic football played in the province of Ulster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Ulster Council. The trophy for the winning side is The Liam Murray Cup. The competition began in 1930, with...
- Winner (1): 1984
Club
- Derry Senior Football League - Winner (1): 1987
- Derry Intermediate Football ChampionshipDerry Intermediate Football ChampionshipThe Derry Intermediate Football Club Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition between the intermediate Derry clubs...
- Winner (1): 1983 - Derry Junior Football ChampionshipDerry Junior Football ChampionshipThe Derry Junior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association club competition between the Junior Derry clubs...
- Winner (2): 2004, 2005 - Boston Senior Football ChampionshipBoston Senior Football ChampionshipThe Boston Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football competition, played in the Boston region of America. The competition is organised by the Northeast Division Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The games are played at the Irish Cultural Center, in Canton, Massachusetts. The...
- Winner (1): 1986
Individual
- 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...
- Nominated (runner up)?: ???? - Captain Glen Derry Junior Football ChampionshipDerry Junior Football ChampionshipThe Derry Junior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association club competition between the Junior Derry clubs...
winning sides: 2004, 2005
Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.