Steelstown GAC
Encyclopedia
Steelstown Brian Óg's GAC is a Gaelic Athletic Association
club based in Derry
, Northern Ireland
. The club is a member of the Derry GAA
and currently cater for Gaelic football
and Ladies' Gaelic football
.
The club's catchment area includes Steelestown and the Greater Shantallow
area at the edge of the city. Steelstown are one of the most successful Gaelic teams in the Cityside of Derry, with most of the county's footballers coming from rural areas. Underage teams up to U-12's play in North Derry GAA league and championships, from U-14 upwards teams compete in All-Derry competitions. The club play their home games at Páirc Brid.
Anthony McGurk
from Lavey
, his wife Mary, Philip and Marion Devlin from Drumsurn
and Mickey Doherty from Claudy
. The first team was an U-12 team and they were actually called Steelstown/Pennyburn, because they drew players from the two schools, and played at Templemore Sports Complex. The club gained access to the North Derry Board in 1996 and a Senior team was formed for the first time. With the recent explosion of popularity of Gaelic games
in Derry City, the club has gained a lot of members since the mid 1990s and Steelstown is probably making the best upwards strides of any club in the city. In recent years Steelstown have had numerous players represent Derry at Senior, U21 and Minor level.
Paul O'Hea and Marty Dunne were part of Derry's 2002 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship
winning side and in 2007 O'Hea became the first Steelstown player to play for Derry in the All-Ireland Championship
when he came on as a sub against Mayo
in Celtic Park
. 15 Steelstown players were part of the St Columb's team that won the McLarnon Cup in 2002. Stephen Cleary, Neil Forrester, Mickey McKinney all from the club were part of Derry's 2007 All-Ireland Minor Championship runners-up team. Martin Dunne was part of Damien Cassidy's 2010 intercounty squad and made a number of appearances in the NFL.
In 2003 the club's new home pitch was opened on the Ballyarnet Road. A new £600,000 development of club rooms and changing facilities was completed at Páirc Brid, and was opened in March 2007. Pairc Brid is the home of Steelstown Brian Óg’s GAC. It is named after former Chairperson , the late Brid Kelly-McElroy who taught in Pennburn Primary school and was hugely infulential in the formative years of Steelstown in the 1990′s. Opened in 2003, Pairc Bhird is a “Prunty Pitch”, with clubhouse facilities including 4 changing rooms, meeting room and sports hall.
by then GAA president, Sean Kelly. The facilities have helped continue the growth of the club at all age levels. In 2005 Steelstown lost out to Glen Thirds
in the final of the Derry Junior Football Championship
, however the Seniors achieved promotion to Intermediate Football
. Around this time the club also started a ladies' team. In 2008, Steelstown claimed their first ever senior title by defeating Limavady in the Dr Kerlin Cup finalin Claudy with unsung hero Conán Doherty leaping to fame with a heroic left footed effort to the back of the net. In 2008 young Steelstown star Brian Óg Mckeever was diagnosed with cancer and later lost his battle with it. Brian Óg represented Derry under 15's and under 16's and was called into the minor team before having to pull out due to illness. He captained the Steelstown teams up to minor level. Brian Óg had a huge influence upon every one who knew him. Steelstown decided to rename the club in honour of the committed footballer to Steelstown Brian Óg's GAC. Steelstown also retired the number 5 jersey in his honour.
In 2010 Steelstown were runners up to Castledawson in the Intermediate Championship final, losing out by a late point on the scoreline of 0-10 to 0-11.
Having finished top of Division 2, Steelstown lost to Craigbane in the 2011 league final by 3 points. With one final chance against Division 1 relegation candidates, Newbridge, Steelstown booked their place in Derry's top flight as the first city side to do so in over 30 years. An injury time wonder goal, courtesy of Stephen Cleary's left boot, was the eventual margin as Brian Óg's secured senior status for the first time.
Note: The above lists may be incomplete. 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 Derry
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"...
, 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 club is 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...
and 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...
.
The club's catchment area includes Steelestown and the Greater Shantallow
Shantallow
Shantallow is an ancient townland now almost totally with the City of Derry and lies in the Roman Catholic parish of Templemore, within the North-West Liberties of Derry....
area at the edge of the city. Steelstown are one of the most successful Gaelic teams in the Cityside of Derry, with most of the county's footballers coming from rural areas. Underage teams up to U-12's play in North Derry GAA league and championships, from U-14 upwards teams compete in All-Derry competitions. The club play their home games at Páirc Brid.
Gaelic football
Steelstown fields Gaelic football teams at U8, U10, U12, U14, U16, Minor, Reserve and Senior levels. They currently compete in the Derry Senior Championship and Division 1 of the Derry ACFL having won promotion for the first time in their short history in 2011.Ladies's Gaelic football
The club also field Ladies' football teams at various age-groups.History
Established in 1987, Steelstown GAC is one of the youngest clubs in the county. The founding members were mostly people from rural areas of the county who had moved to the city. They included twice All StarGAA All Stars Awards
The 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...
Anthony McGurk
Anthony McGurk
Anthony 'Tony' McGurk is a two-time All Star winning former Irish Gaelic footballer who played for Derry in the 1970s and 1980s. He won three Ulster Championships with the side...
from Lavey
Lavey
Lavey is a Roman Catholic parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Lavey is bordered by the parishes of Castledawson, Maghera, Bellaghy, Greenlough and Kilrea. The parish contains no particularly large settlements, although it accommodates a number of small villages and hamlets, in order of...
, his wife Mary, Philip and Marion Devlin from 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...
and Mickey Doherty from Claudy
Claudy
Claudy is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies southeast of Derry, where the River Glenrandal joins the River Faughan. Claudy is located in the Faughan Valley....
. The first team was an U-12 team and they were actually called Steelstown/Pennyburn, because they drew players from the two schools, and played at Templemore Sports Complex. The club gained access to the North Derry Board in 1996 and a Senior team was formed for the first time. With the recent explosion of popularity of Gaelic games
Gaelic games
Gaelic games are sports played in Ireland under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The two main games are Gaelic football and hurling...
in Derry City, the club has gained a lot of members since the mid 1990s and Steelstown is probably making the best upwards strides of any club in the city. In recent years Steelstown have had numerous players represent Derry at Senior, U21 and Minor level.
Paul O'Hea and Marty Dunne were part of Derry's 2002 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship
All-Ireland Minor Football Championship
The All-Ireland Minor Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for under-18 competitors of the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland...
winning side and in 2007 O'Hea became the first Steelstown player to play for Derry in the All-Ireland Championship
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The 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...
when he came on as a sub against Mayo
Mayo GAA
The Mayo County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Mayo GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Mayo and the Mayo inter-county teams.-History:...
in 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....
. 15 Steelstown players were part of the St Columb's team that won the McLarnon Cup in 2002. Stephen Cleary, Neil Forrester, Mickey McKinney all from the club were part of Derry's 2007 All-Ireland Minor Championship runners-up team. Martin Dunne was part of Damien Cassidy's 2010 intercounty squad and made a number of appearances in the NFL.
In 2003 the club's new home pitch was opened on the Ballyarnet Road. A new £600,000 development of club rooms and changing facilities was completed at Páirc Brid, and was opened in March 2007. Pairc Brid is the home of Steelstown Brian Óg’s GAC. It is named after former Chairperson , the late Brid Kelly-McElroy who taught in Pennburn Primary school and was hugely infulential in the formative years of Steelstown in the 1990′s. Opened in 2003, Pairc Bhird is a “Prunty Pitch”, with clubhouse facilities including 4 changing rooms, meeting room and sports hall.
by then GAA president, Sean Kelly. The facilities have helped continue the growth of the club at all age levels. In 2005 Steelstown lost out to Glen Thirds
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,...
in the final of the 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...
, however the Seniors achieved promotion to Intermediate Football
Derry Intermediate Football Championship
The Derry Intermediate Football Club Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition between the intermediate Derry clubs...
. Around this time the club also started a ladies' team. In 2008, Steelstown claimed their first ever senior title by defeating Limavady in the Dr Kerlin Cup finalin Claudy with unsung hero Conán Doherty leaping to fame with a heroic left footed effort to the back of the net. In 2008 young Steelstown star Brian Óg Mckeever was diagnosed with cancer and later lost his battle with it. Brian Óg represented Derry under 15's and under 16's and was called into the minor team before having to pull out due to illness. He captained the Steelstown teams up to minor level. Brian Óg had a huge influence upon every one who knew him. Steelstown decided to rename the club in honour of the committed footballer to Steelstown Brian Óg's GAC. Steelstown also retired the number 5 jersey in his honour.
In 2010 Steelstown were runners up to Castledawson in the Intermediate Championship final, losing out by a late point on the scoreline of 0-10 to 0-11.
Having finished top of Division 2, Steelstown lost to Craigbane in the 2011 league final by 3 points. With one final chance against Division 1 relegation candidates, Newbridge, Steelstown booked their place in Derry's top flight as the first city side to do so in over 30 years. An injury time wonder goal, courtesy of Stephen Cleary's left boot, was the eventual margin as Brian Óg's secured senior status for the first time.
Senior
- Promotion/Relegation Play-off winners (Promoted to Division 1) 1
- 2011
- Dr Kerlin Cup (North Derry 13-a-Side) 1
- 2008
Minor
- Tommy O'Neill Cup (Derry Minor 'A' Football Championship) 1
- 2005
- North Derry Minor 'A' Football Championship: 1
- 2005
U-16
- North Derry U-16 Football Championship: 1
- 2005
- North Derry U-16 'B' Football Championship: 1
- 2003
U-14
- North Derry U-14 Football Championship: 1
- 2003
Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.
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 in Derry