Swatragh GAC
Encyclopedia
Michael Davitt's GAC Swatragh is a Gaelic Athletic Association
club based in Swatragh
, County Londonderry
, Ireland
. The club is a member of the Derry GAA
and currently cater for Gaelic football
, Hurling
and Camogie
. The club is named after Irish patriot and revoltuionary Michael Davitt
.
Swatragh fields Gaelic football teams at U8, U10, U12, U14, U16, Minor, Reserve, Thirds and Senior levels. There are also hurling and camogie teams across many age groups. Underage teams up to U-12's play in South Derry
league and championships, from U-14 upwards teams compete in All-Derry competitions. Current club chairman is Liam McQuillan.
The club's first major success came in 1952 when they won the South Derry Junior Football Championship and the South Derry Junior Football League. They regained the South Derry Junior Championship in 1955 and went on to win that year's Derry Junior Football Championship
. Davitt's added a further Derry Junior Championship in 1961. In 1972 Swatragh won their first Derry Intermediate Football Championship
and won it again seven years later. In 1988 the club won the Derry Minor Football Championship.
Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.
Camogie-
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 Swatragh
Swatragh
Swatragh is a small village and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Swatragh is on the main A29 road north of Maghera. The population was 435 in the 2001 Census....
, 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...
, Ireland
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...
. 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...
, 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...
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 is named after Irish patriot and revoltuionary Michael Davitt
Michael Davitt
Michael Davitt was an Irish republican and nationalist agrarian agitator, a social campaigner, labour leader, journalist, Home Rule constitutional politician and Member of Parliament , who founded the Irish National Land League.- Early years :Michael Davitt was born in Straide, County Mayo,...
.
Swatragh fields Gaelic football teams at U8, U10, U12, U14, U16, Minor, Reserve, Thirds and Senior levels. There are also hurling and camogie teams across many age groups. 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. Current club chairman is Liam McQuillan.
History
In 1946 John McCormack proposed the idea of forming a Gaelic football club in Swatragh. Other founder members included Patsy Collins, Jim McMullan, John Eddie Friel and James McGurk. They choose to name the club after Michael Davitt, because he had given Irish Land League speeches in Swatragh in the late 19th century. It also marked 100 years since Davitt's birth. The club colours were decided to be red and white. It wasn't until 1949 that they changed to green and white kits.The club's first major success came in 1952 when they won the South Derry Junior Football Championship and the South Derry Junior Football League. They regained the South Derry Junior Championship in 1955 and went on to win that year's 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...
. Davitt's added a further Derry Junior Championship in 1961. In 1972 Swatragh 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...
and won it again seven years later. In 1988 the club won the Derry Minor Football Championship.
Well known players
- Anthony TohillAnthony TohillAnthony Tohill is an Irish retired Gaelic footballer who played for Derry in the 1990s and early 2000s. He was part of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winning side, also winning two Ulster Championships and four National League titles with the county. Tohill won four All Star...
- Member of Derry's 1993 All-IrelandAll-Ireland Senior Football Championship 1993-All-Ireland Football Final:-Top championship scorer:...
winning team. Four-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...
winner. - Ruairi Convery - Derry hurler and former Derry footballer. Was part of the Derry Minor side that won the 2002 Ulster Minor 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...
and All-Ireland Minor ChampionshipAll-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...
. Finished runner-up in the 2008 All-Ireland Poc fada. - Liam Kearney - scored a goal after 30seconds in the 1st round of the derry club championship game against bitter rivals slaughtneil, and sent them on the way to a remarkable victory. After numerous rifts with former St. Patrick's College, MagheraSt. Patrick's College, MagheraSt. Patrick's College in Maghera, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, is a specialist secondary school for science....
coach, Paul Hughes, has agreed to work along side him as Maor Uisce when Hughes takes charge of Swatragh III's, with Grainne Hughes as physio. - Seamus Bradley - Shot to fame for being the son of Swatragh legend Jim B Bradley and is best known for being son of Swatragh legend Jim B Bradley.
- Mal Scullin - Former Derry hurler who famously challenged South Africa Rugby World Cup Winner Brian Habana to a sprint around Swatraghs "Big" pitch. Habana is reported to have refused the challenge claiming "i'd have no chance against Big Mal sur"
Senior
- Derry Intermediate Football ChampionshipDerry Intermediate Football ChampionshipThe Derry Intermediate Football Club Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition between the intermediate Derry clubs...
: 2- 1972, 1979
- Derry Junior Football ChampionshipDerry Junior Football ChampionshipThe Derry Junior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association club competition between the Junior Derry clubs...
: 2- 1955, 1961
- South Derry Junior Football Championship: 1
- 1952, 1955
- South Derry Junior Football League: 1
- 1952
- Graham Cup Champions: 1
- 2007
- McGlinchey Cup Champions: 1
- 2009
Minor
- Derry Minor Football Championship: 1
- 1988
- "South Derry Minor League and Championship Winners 1996
U-14
- Derry U-14 'B' Football Championship: 1
- 2007
- South Derry U-14 'B' Football Championship: 2
- 1997 2007
- South Derry U-14 'B' Football League: 1
- 2007
Senior
- Derry Intermediate Hurling Championship:
- 1997 & 1998
- Oireachtas Cup:
- 2006 & 2007
- Derry Senior Hurling League:
- 2008
- Ulster Hurling League Division 2:
- 2008
U-14
- Derry Féile na nGael: 1
- 2002
- Derry 'B' Féile na nGael: 1
- 2006
Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.
See also
- Derry Senior Football Championship
- Derry Senior Hurling Championship
- List of Gaelic Athletic Association clubs in Derry
Camogie-
- U-14 All Ireland féile champions 2008, ulster féile champions 2008