Glen GAC
Encyclopedia
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 townland
s. They currently cater for Gaelic football
, Ladies' Gaelic football
and Camogie
.
Glen are also committed to Scor, and won the All-Ireland Scor na nOg dancing. We also won the Ulster Scor Sinsear dancing, again we wish to acknowledge the help of the Allen School of Dancing in this achievement.
Underage teams up to U-12's play in South Derry
league and championships, from U-14 upwards teams compete in All-Derry competitions.
Glen underage continue to dominate the Derry scene and in 2009 they won, U12 Indoor Meadowbank Tournament, U13 Championship, U14 League, U14 Championship, U14 7's, U14 Stephen Quinn Trophey, U14 Ulster Feile, U15 Derry Og Sport, U15 Ulster Og Sport and U16 League & U18 League Runners Up.
. The first game held there was an over-35s game, which was followed by an inter-county match between Derry and Armagh
. Celtic Park
in Derry City
is officially recognised as Derry's main county ground, but Watty Graham Park along with Dean McGlinchey Park in Ballinascreen
is regarded as one of two secondary stadia and has hosted a number of National League
and Dr. McKenna Cup games in recent years. Watty Graham Park can currently hold a capacity of about 6,000 people.
After the folding of the Pearse's club, Watty Graham's GAC Glen was officially formed in 1948. In the early 1950s they competed in a number of South Derry Finals and in 1953 they defeated St. John's Mullan (a townland of Ballinderry
) to win the South Derry Junior Championship. They won the same title six years later defeating The Loup in the final.
In 1964 they won the South Derry Junior and Derry Junior Football Championship
by beating Littlebridge (part of the modern day Ógra Colmcille
club) and Sarfield's respectively. The side repeated this feat in 1966 by beating The Loup in the South Derry Junior final before going on to win the Derry Junior final. The 1970s proved a barren decade for Watty Graham's and they have little apart from a McGlinchey Cup success in 1974 to show for it. Glen opened a new social club in Maghera in April 1976.
The club won their first Derry Intermediate Football Championship
in 1980. They overcame Drumsurn
in the final by 0-06 to 0-03. 13 June 1982 saw the opening of Watty Graham Park. GAA President
Paddy Buggy
opened the pitch and it was blessed local priest Fr McMenamin. Watty Graham Park's first game was an over 35s game, it was followed afterwards by a game between Derry and Armagh
. Glen won a second Intermediate Championship in 1983 defeating Drum
in the final.
In 1985 Watty Graham's won the All-Ireland Óg Sport title. They competed in county, provincial and All Ireland phases to come out winners. Two years later they won the Derry Minor Football Championship
with a success over Ballinascreen
. The same year Glen won the Larkin Cup and also the Senior Division 1 League. The side added another Larkin Cup in 1995. Glen won their fourth and fifth Junior Championship in 2004 and 2005, the competitions this time won by the Glen Thirds team. This same Thirds team went on to win three in a row by winning the Thirds Championship in 2006.
Note 1: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.
Note 2: Most of the Ladiess' honours are only updated as far as 2002. Please add any other honours you know of.
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 Maghera, 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...
. The team draws players from Maghera and some surrounding townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
s. They 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....
.
Glen are also committed to Scor, and won the All-Ireland Scor na nOg dancing. We also won the Ulster Scor Sinsear dancing, again we wish to acknowledge the help of the Allen School of Dancing in this achievement.
Underage teams up to U-12's play in South 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.
Gaelic football
Watty Grahams Glen continue to fulfil the mandate of the GAA and fields Gaelic football teams at U6, U8, U10, U12, U14, U16, Minor, Reserve and Senior levels. The Senior team competes in the Derry Senior Football Championship and Division 1 of the Derry ACFL.Glen underage continue to dominate the Derry scene and in 2009 they won, U12 Indoor Meadowbank Tournament, U13 Championship, U14 League, U14 Championship, U14 7's, U14 Stephen Quinn Trophey, U14 Ulster Feile, U15 Derry Og Sport, U15 Ulster Og Sport and U16 League & U18 League Runners Up.
Well known players
- Enda GormleyEnda GormleyEnda 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....
- Two-time 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 Derry GAA|Derry footballer. Part of Derry's 1993 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...
winning side. - Damien McCuskerDamien McCuskerDamien McCusker is an Irish Gaelic footballer who played with Derry in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. He still plays club football with Watty Graham's GAC Glen...
- Part of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winning side. - Fergal McCuskerFergal McCuskerFergal 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....
- Part of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winning side. - Gary McGill - Part of Derry's National League Football winning side in the 90's.
- Séamus Lagan - Former Derry footballer. Won All-Ireland MinorAll-Ireland Minor Football ChampionshipThe All-Ireland Minor Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for under-18 competitors of the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland...
and All-Ireland U-21 Championships. Also won Hogan CupHogan CupThe Hogan Cup 1946-48 & 1957-) is the cup presented to the winners of the colleges All-Ireland "A" senior football championship, the top level Gaelic football championship for secondary schools in Ireland. The competition itself is regularly referred to by reference to the trophy's name.St...
with St Columb's College, DerryDerryDerry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
. - Conleth Murphy - All Ireland winning captain of St Pats Maghera in 1995.
- Stephen Murtagh - A club steward. Usually mentionded along with Jim McKeever and Tony scullion and other Derry Legends. Could play either defence or attack, he was a two footed genius. Has recently went into management and managed glen u-16 footballers to derry and ulster success
- John J McKenna - Club hero. At a 2009 Minor Championship quarter-final between Glen and Kilrea at Barry O'Kane Park, Castledawson, John J patrolled the line and after a bad call from the linesman, he put the shoulder in him and then put his toe up his backside in front of the Glen bench. This was followed by a rupturous applause from fans of both sides who witnessed it. The linesman never came past the bench after that.
Camogie
Glen fields Camogie teams at U12, U14, U16, Minor and Senior levels. The senior team competes in the Credit Union Derry Premier League.Ladies' football
Glen Ladies football club was formed in 1995. The club have won the Derry Senior Ladies' Football Championship 11 times and currently have won nine in a row.Watty Graham Park
The club's home ground is Watty Graham Park. It was opened 1982 by then GAA President Paddy BuggyPaddy Buggy
Paddy Buggy is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Slieverue and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1949 until 1960. Buggy later served as President of the Gaelic Athletic Association from 1982 until 1985.-Club:Buggy played his club hurling...
. The first game held there was an over-35s game, which was followed by an inter-county match between Derry and 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...
. Celtic Park
Celtic Park (Derry)
Celtic Park is a Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Derry, Northern Ireland. It is the main home of the Derry GAA's hurling and Gaelic football teams. The ground has a capacity of about 22,000....
in Derry City
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
is officially recognised as Derry's main county ground, but Watty Graham Park along with Dean McGlinchey Park in Ballinascreen
Ballinascreen GAC
St Colm's Ballinascreen GAC is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Ballinascreen, which includes the town of Draperstown, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA...
is regarded as one of two secondary stadia and has hosted a number of National 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...
and Dr. McKenna Cup games in recent years. Watty Graham Park can currently hold a capacity of about 6,000 people.
History
The Watty Graham club evolved from what was called the Pearse's club whose origins go back as early as 1933, when Fr Anthony Doherty among others arranged a South Derry league. The club reached the 1944 South Derry final and a few of their players represented Derry.After the folding of the Pearse's club, Watty Graham's GAC Glen was officially formed in 1948. In the early 1950s they competed in a number of South Derry Finals and in 1953 they defeated St. John's Mullan (a townland of Ballinderry
Ballinderry
Ballinderry is a small civil and ecclesiastical parish on both sides of the County Londonderry / County Tyrone border in Northern Ireland. It is a rural parish of about 350 houses and lies on the western shores of Lough Neagh....
) to win the South Derry Junior Championship. They won the same title six years later defeating The Loup in the final.
In 1964 they won the South Derry Junior and 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...
by beating Littlebridge (part of the modern day Ógra Colmcille
CLG Ogra Colmcille
CLG Ógra Colmcille is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Drummullan, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA and currently cater for Gaelic football.The club have won the Derry Junior Football Championship once...
club) and Sarfield's respectively. The side repeated this feat in 1966 by beating The Loup in the South Derry Junior final before going on to win the Derry Junior final. The 1970s proved a barren decade for Watty Graham's and they have little apart from a McGlinchey Cup success in 1974 to show for it. Glen opened a new social club in Maghera in April 1976.
The club won their first 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...
in 1980. They overcame Drumsurn
Drumsurn
Drumsurn is a small village and townland in the Limavady Borough Council area of County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is southeast of Limavady and northeast of Dungiven. It lies in the Roe Valley, at the foot of Donald's Hill and at the edge of the Sperrins...
in the final by 0-06 to 0-03. 13 June 1982 saw the opening of Watty Graham Park. GAA President
Presidents of the Gaelic Athletic Association
The role of President of Gaelic Athletic Association has existed since the foundation of the GAA . The current president of the GAA is Christy Cooney. The role of President involves representing the GAA in Ireland and across the world...
Paddy Buggy
Paddy Buggy
Paddy Buggy is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Slieverue and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1949 until 1960. Buggy later served as President of the Gaelic Athletic Association from 1982 until 1985.-Club:Buggy played his club hurling...
opened the pitch and it was blessed local priest Fr McMenamin. Watty Graham Park's first game was an over 35s game, it was followed afterwards by a game between Derry and 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...
. Glen won a second Intermediate Championship in 1983 defeating Drum
Drum GAC
St. Colm's GAC Drum is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Drum, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA and currently cater for Gaelic football and Camogie and up to recently also played Hurling....
in the final.
In 1985 Watty Graham's won the All-Ireland Óg Sport title. They competed in county, provincial and All Ireland phases to come out winners. Two years later they won the Derry Minor Football 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...
with a success over Ballinascreen
Ballinascreen GAC
St Colm's Ballinascreen GAC is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Ballinascreen, which includes the town of Draperstown, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA...
. The same year Glen won the Larkin Cup and also the Senior Division 1 League. The side added another Larkin Cup in 1995. Glen won their fourth and fifth Junior Championship in 2004 and 2005, the competitions this time won by the Glen Thirds team. This same Thirds team went on to win three in a row by winning the Thirds Championship in 2006.
Senior
- Derry Senior Football League: 1
- 1987
- Derry Senior Reserve Football Trophy: 1
- 2008
- Derry Intermediate Football Championship: 2
- 1980, 1983
- Derry Intermediate Football League: 1
- 2004
- Derry Junior Football Championship: 5
- 1959, 1964, 1966, 2004 (won by Glen Thirds team), 2005 (won by Glen Thirds team)
- South Derry Junior Football Championship: 4
- 1953, 1959, 1964, 1966
- Derry Thirds Football Championship: ?
- 2006
- Larkin Cup 3
- 1987, 1995, 2005
- McGlinchey Cup 1
- 1974
Minor
- Derry Minor Football Championship: 2
- 1987, 2011
- Derry Minor Football League: 1
- 2011
U-16
- Ulster U-16 Football Championship:1
- 2010
- Derry U-16 Football Championship:2
- 2010, 2011
- Derry U-16 Football League:1
- 2011
- South Derry U-16 Football Championship: 1
- 1984
- South Derry U-16 'B' Football Championship: 1
- 2002, 2005
- South Derry U-16 'B' Football League: 2
- 2004, 2006
U-15
- All-Ireland Óg Sport: 1
- 1985
- Ulster Óg Sport: 2
- 1985, 2009, 2010
- Derry Óg Sport: 2
- 1985, 2009, 2010
U-14
- Ulster Féile na nÓg: 1
- 2009
- Derry Féile na nÓg: 3
- 1994, 2008, 2011
- Derry U-14 Football Championship: 4
- 1984, 2008, 2009, 2010
- Derry U-14 Football League: 4
- 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
- South Derry U-14 Football Championship: 1
- 1982
- South Derry U-14 'B' Football Championship: 2
- 1998, 2004
- South Derry U-14 'B' Football League: 1
- 1998
Ladies' Gaelic football
- Derry Football Championship: 11
- 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
- Derry Football League: ?
- 1999, 2000, 2001
- Ulster Intermediate Football Championship: 2
- 2003, 2007
- All Ireland Intermediate Sevens: 1
- 2007
- Powerscreen Sevens: 1
- 2000
- Antrim 7-a-side Shield: 1
- 2002
- U14 Derry Féile na nÓg: 2
- 2010, 2011
Note 1: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.
Note 2: Most of the Ladiess' honours are only updated as far as 2002. Please add any other honours you know of.