# Derry Senior Football Championship

The Derry Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football competition contested by the top sixteen Derry GAA clubs. The winners receive the John McLaughlin Cup and qualify to represent Derry in the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship.
Newbridge are the title holders, having defeated Glen in the 2024 final.

## History

Bellaghy have won the competition more than any other club with 21 titles. Bellaghy's Tom Scullion has more senior football championship medals than anyone in Derry, winning 12 medals between 1956 and 1971.
Bellaghy and Slaughtneil are the only teams to have won four consecutive titles. As well as the four-in-a-row, Bellaghy have also won three consecutive titles on two other separate occasions. Ballinderry have also won three consecutive titles on two separate occasions.

## Format
### Current format

In 2016, the championship reverted to its traditional knock-out format. All fixtures are determined by open-draw and are played at neutral venues. The majority of games are played at Owenbeg, near Dungiven. The final is usually played at Celtic Park, Derry.

### Historical formats

Before 1958, three regional tournaments were played to determine the Derry Senior Football Championship finalists - the South Derry Senior Football Championship, the North Derry Senior Football Championship and the Derry City Senior Football Championship. Of the three winners, one received a bye to the final (in alternating years) and the other two played a semi-final to determine who qualified for the Derry Senior Football Championship final.
From 1958 to 2006 the championship took the form of an open-draw knock-out.
From 2007 to 2008 the championship was altered to include a round-robin group stage with the 16 teams divided into four groups. Each club in a group played each other once with the top two in each group advancing to the quarter-finals. From the quarter-finals onwards the competition was knock-out.
In 2009 a "backdoor" system was introduced -
* The 16 clubs all played in the first round.
* In the second round winners section the eight winning teams from round one played against each other with the four winners going straight into the quarter-finals. In the second round losers section the eight beaten teams from round one played against each other.
* In round three (also referred to as the quarter-final qualifiers) the four beaten teams from the round two winners section played the four winning teams from the round two losers section.
* In the quarter-finals the four teams who won their first two matches in rounds one and two played the four winners of round three.
* The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final were knock-out.

## Trophies

The cup for the winners of the Derry Senior Football Championship is named after John McLaughlin, a former leading official in Derry GAA. He was a native of Inishowen in County Donegal, having been born in Fahan. He was for a long time chairman of the North Derry Board and he was elected chairman of the County Board in about 1943 or 1944 in succession to Paddy Larkin, a post he held until his death in 1961. The County Board decided to purchase a new cup and present it to the winners of the Senior Championship in the following year. In 1989 the cup was replaced, but it is still called the John McLaughlin Cup.
* Since 1988 the player who has scored the most in that year's championship is presented with a trophy.
* Since 1989 the man of the match in the final is also presented with a trophy.

## Finals listed by year

* Ulster Finalists
* Also won the Ulster Competition in the same season
* Also won the Ulster and All-Ireland Competitions in the same season
| Year | Winner | Score | Runners-up | Score | Match report (final) | Venue | Referee | Man of the match | Winning captain | Championship top scorer |
| 1907 | Éire Óg, Derry | | | | | Unknown | | | | |
| 1908 | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition |
| 1909 | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition |
| 1910 | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition |
| 1911 | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition |
| 1912 | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition |
| 1913 | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition |
| 1914 | Clann Chonail | 1-04 | Emmetts | 1-02 | | Celtic Park | | | | |
| 1915 | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition |
| 1916 | Sarsfield's | | | | | Celtic Park | | | | |
| 1917 | St Patrick's | beat | Glenkeen | | | Celtic Park | | | | |
| 1918 | Emmet's | | | | | Celtic Park | | | | |
| 1919 | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition |
| 1920 | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition |
| 1921 | Derry Guilds | 2-01 | St Patrick's | 0-02 | | Brandywell | | | | |
| 1922 | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition |
| 1923 | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition |
| 1924 | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition |
| 1925 | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition |
| 1926 | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition |
| 1927 | Ballinderry | 0-03 | Glenullin | 0-08 | (Abandoned) | Magherafelt | J McKenna | | | |
| 1928 | Glenullin | | | | | | | | | |
| 1929 | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition |
| 1930 | Buncrana | 2-04 | St Patrick's | 0-05 | | | | | | |
| 1931 | Burt | 2-04 | Wolfe Tones | 0-01 | | Brandywell | | | John Kavanagh | |
| 1932 | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition |
| 1933 | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition | No competition |
| 1934 | Ballinascreen | | | | NO FINAL | | | | | |
| 1935 | Ballinascreen | | | | NO FINAL | | | | | |
| 1936 | An Lúb | beat | Park | | | | | | | |
| 1937 | Newbridge | beat | St Patrick's | | | Brandywell | | | | |
| 1938 | Lavey | 1-03 | Pearses | 0-03 | | Dungiven | | | | |
| 1939 | Magherafelt | 5-07 | Dungiven | 1-02 | | Ballinascreen | George Nash | | | |
| 1940 | Newbridge | beat | Glenullin | | | | | | | |
| 1941 | Ballinascreen | 2-05 | O'Connor's Limavady | 1-01 | | | | | | |
| 1942 | Magherafelt | w/o | Glenullin | | | Dungiven | Paddy Larkin | | | |
| 1943 | Lavey | 3-07 | Faughanvale | 0-03 | | Magherafelt | | | | |
| 1944 | Lavey | 1-05 | Mitchels | 0-00 | | Celtic Park | | | | |
| 1945 | Newbridge | 3-06 | Dungiven | 0-03 | | Claudy Green | | | | |
| 1946 | Magherafelt | 7-07 | Dolans | 2-06 | | Celtic Park | Tommy Farran | | | |
| 1947 | Dungiven | 2-08 | Lavey | 2-03 | | Magherafelt | | | | |
| 1948 | Newbridge | 1-06 | Dungiven | 0-07 | | Claudy Green | | | | |
| 1949 | Magherafelt | 2-08 | Eoghan Ruadh | 0-06 | | Celtic Park | Harry Owens | | | |
| 1950 | Newbridge | 3-06 | Dungiven | 0-06 | | Ballinascreen | | | | |
| 1951 | Dungiven | 4-03 | Bellaghy | 1-09 | | Cashel Green | | | | |
| 1952 | Éire Óg, Derry | 1-02 | Desertmartin | 1-00 | | Celtic Park | | | | |
| 1953 | Desertmartin | 4-09 | Ballerin | 0-02 | | Magherafelt | | | | |
| 1954 | Lavey | 1-10 | Banagher | 1-05 | | Dungiven | | | Colm Mulholland | |
| 1955 | Newbridge | 2-09 | Dolans | 1-04 | | Celtic Park | | | | |
| 1956 | Bellaghy | 2-09 | Drum | 1-01 | | Magherafelt | | | | |
| 1957 | Ballerin | 3-08 | Ballymaguigan | 2-06 | | Dungiven | Barry McFadden | | | |
| 1958 | Bellaghy | 3-06 | Ballymaguigan | 0-07 | | Ballinascreen | | | Peter Kearney | |
| 1959 | Bellaghy | 3-04 | Desertmartin | 1-03 | | Ballinascreen | | | Peter Kearney | |
| 1960 | Bellaghy | 1-05 | Dungiven | 2-01 | | Ballinascreen | | | Gerry McCann | |
| 1961 | Bellaghy | w/o | Ballymaguigan | | | | | | Gerry McCann | |
| 1962 | Ballymaguigan | 2-10 0-06 | Castledawson | 1-05 1-03* | | Magherafelt | Jim McGuigan / Jim Lynn | | Denis McKeever | |
| 1963 | Bellaghy | 2-12 | Newbridge | 2-08 | | Magherafelt | Jim McGuigan | | Tom Scullion | |
| 1964 | Bellaghy | 2-09 | Ballerin | 0-10 | | Magherafelt | Barry McFadden | | Tom Scullion | |
| 1965 | Bellaghy | 3-11 | Ballerin | 0-10 | | Dungiven | Barry McFadden | | Tom Scullion | |
| 1966 | Newbridge | 2-10 | Dungiven | 0-03 | | Magherafelt | | | Mickey Gribben | |
| 1967 | Newbridge | 0-11 | Magherafelt | 1-07 | | Ballinascreen | | | Brian Devlin | |
| 1968 | Bellaghy | 2-03 | Newbridge | 0-07 | | Magherafelt | | | Tom Scullion | |
| 1969 | Bellaghy | 1-09 | Slaughtneil | 0-08 | | Magherafelt | | | Tom Quinn | |
| 1970 | Newbridge | 3-08 | Bellaghy | 0-13 | | Magherafelt | | | Patsy McLarnon | |
| 1971 | Bellaghy | 2-12 | Lavey | 0-05 | | Magherafelt | | | Larry Diamond | |
| 1972 | Bellaghy | 0-14 | Ballerin | 1-08 | | Dungiven | Tom McFeely | | Larry Diamond | |
| 1973 | Ballinascreen | 2-14 | Bellaghy | 1-10 | | Magherafelt | Dermot Mullan | | Tommy McKenna | |
| 1974 | Ballinderry | 1-04 | Banagher | 1-03 | | Ballerin | Willie Harkin | | Sean McGuckin | |
| 1975 | Bellaghy | 1-09 1-05 | Magherafelt | 0-03 0-08* | | Ballinascreen | Patsy Mulholland | | Frankie O'Loane | |
| 1976 | Ballerin | 0-09 | Dungiven | 0-03 | | Magherafelt | Murty Higgins | | Eamon Moloney | |
| 1977 | Lavey | 1-18 | Ballinderry Shamrocks | 0-07 | | Magherafelt | Seamus Mullan | | Niall Hurley | |
| 1978 | Magherafelt | 1-04 | Banagher | 1-03 | | Swatragh | Louis Downey | | Gerry O'Loughlin | |
| 1979 | Bellaghy | 0-14 1-05 | Magherafelt | 0-03 0-08* | | Ballinascreen | Bobby Mullan | | Hugh McGoldrick | |
| 1980 | Ballinderry | 0-07 0-11 | Lavey | 0-04 1-08* | | Magherafelt / Ballinascreen | Patsy Mulholland | | Sean McIvor | |
| 1981 | Ballinderry | 0-07 | Banagher | 0-05 | | Ballerin | Murty Higgins | | Pat McGuckin | |
| 1982 | Ballinderry | 0-07 | Dungiven | 0-05 | | Swatragh | Patsy Mulholland | | Dessie Rocks | |
| 1983 | Dungiven | 1-04 | Magherafelt | 1-03 | | Ballinascreen | Sean Bradley | | Colm McGuigan | |
| 1984 | Dungiven | 0-09 | Castledawson | 0-08 | | Greenlough | Murty Higgins | | Plunkett Murphy | |
| 1985 | Glenullin | 1-09 | Ballinderry Shamrocks | 1-05 | | Ballinascreen | John Diamond | | Dermot McNicholl | |
| 1986 | Bellaghy | 3-05 | Ballinderry | 1-06 | | Ballinascreen | Anthony O'Neill | | Tommy Doherty | |
| 1987 | Dungiven | | | | NO FINAL | | | | Liam McElhinney | |
| 1988 | Lavey | 0-11 | Newbridge | 0-06 | | Glen | Kevin Cassidy | | Henry Downey | Hugh Martin McGurk (1-19) |
| 1989 | Newbridge | 3-04 | Castledawson | 0-09 | | Ballinascreen | Billy McKeever | Liam Devlin | Damian Barton | Fergal Kearney (1-14) |
| 1990 | Lavey | 3-14 | Ballinascreen | 1-07 | | Magherafelt | F. Connolly | Brian McCormick | Johnny McGurk | Eamonn Burns (0-24) |
| 1991 | Dungiven | 3-05 | Newbridge | 0-04 | | Ballinascreen | Noel McGurk | Shane Heavern | Plunkett Murphy | Damian Cassidy (4-6) |
| 1992 | Lavey | 2-06 | Ballinascreen | 0-09 | | Bellaghy | Owen Roe O'Neill | Seamus Downey | Anthony Scullion | Éamonn Burns (2-17) |
| 1993 | Lavey | 3-05 | Swatragh | 0-08 | | Glenullin | Matt Armstrong | Colm McGurk | Anthony Scullion | Anthony Tohill (2-26) |
| 1994 | Bellaghy | 2-10 | Ballinascreen | 0-08 | | Swatragh | Phonsey Guyler | Damian Cassidy | Danny Quinn | Karl Diamond (0-24) |
| 1995 | Ballinderry | 1-08 | Bellaghy | 0-08 | | Glen | Anthony O'Neill | Gerard Cassidy & Adrian McGuckin | Raymond Bell | Karl Diamond (1-18) |
| 1996 | Bellaghy | 2-11 | Dungiven | 0-07 | The Irish News | Celtic Park | PJ Cassidy | David O'Neill | Gareth Doherty | Éamonn Burns (2-24) |
| 1997 | Dungiven | 2-09 | Castledawson | 0-09 | | Celtic Park | Dessie Kearney | Joe Brolly | Emmett McKeever | Joe Brolly (1-25) |
| 1998 | Bellaghy | 1-13 | Lavey | 2-04 | | Celtic Park | Anthony O'Neill | Gavin Diamond | Kevin O'Neill | Gavin Diamond (1-21) |
| 1999 | Bellaghy | 1-11 | Ballinderry | 0-11 | | Ballinascreen | Dessie Kearney | Damian Cassidy | Karl Diamond | Gerard Cassidy (3-22) |
| 2000 | Bellaghy | 0-09 | Ballinderry | 0-08 | | Ballinascreen | Aidan McAlynn | Gareth Doherty | Ciaran McNally | Seanie McGuckin (2-28) |
| 2001 | Ballinderry | 1-09 | Bellaghy | 0-11 | | Ballinascreen | Declan O'Connor | Gerard Cassidy | Adrian McGuckin | Gerard Cassidy & Gavin Diamond (1-26) |
| 2002 | Ballinderry | 1-11 | An Lúb | 0-06 | | Celtic Park | | Conleith Gilligan | Gerard Cassidy | Gerard Cassidy (0-26) |
| 2003 | An Lúb | 0-11 | Ballinderry | 0-07 | | Celtic Park | | Padraig O'Kane | Johnny McBride | Jim Kelly (1-15) |
| 2004 | Slaughtneil | 1-08 | Bellaghy | 0-09 | | Glen | T O'Kane | Padrig Kelly | Shane Kelly | Jim Kelly (3-12) |
| 2005 | Bellaghy | 2-07 | An Lúb | 1-06 | | Celtic Park | S McGuigan | Joe Diver | Joe Cassidy | Joe Cassidy (0-21) |
| 2006 | Ballinderry | 2-11 | An Lúb | 0-09 | | Celtic Park | JJ Cleary | Conleith Gilligan | Conleith Gilligan | Conleith Gilligan & Paddy Bradley (0-18) |
| 2007 | Glenullin | 0-10 1-09 | Bellaghy | 1-06 1-09* | | Celtic Park Celtic Park | B Toland D O'Connor | Gerard O'Kane | Paddy Bradley | Conleith Gilligan (1-26) |
| 2008 | Ballinderry | 0-10 | Slaughtneil | 0-08 | BBC Sport Irish Independent | Celtic Park | B Toland | Raymond Wilkinson | Enda Muldoon | Paul Bradley |
| 2009 | An Lúb | 1-08 | Dungiven | 0-10 | | Celtic Park | B Toland | Joe O'Kane | Joe O'Kane | Cathal Grieve |
| 2010 | Eoghan Rua, Coleraine | 2-11 | Ballinderry | 0-15 | | Celtic Park | B Cassidy | Declan Mullan | Richard Carey | Cailen O'Boyle |
| 2011 | Ballinderry | 2-05 | Kilrea | 0-06 | BBC Sport, | Celtic Park | D Loughrey | Martin Harney | Kevin McGuckin | James Kielt |
| 2012 | Ballinderry | 1-10 | Slaughtneil | 0-10 | | Celtic Park | S Hamill | Enda Muldoon | Ryan Scott | Christopher Bradley |
| 2013 | Ballinderry | 3-10 | Ballinascreen | 2-07 | | Celtic Park | B Cassidy | Coilin Devlin | Conor Nevin | Benny Heron |
| 2014 | Slaughtneil | 1-08 | Ballinderry | 0-09 | | Celtic Park | A Campbell | Patsy Bradley | Francis McEldowney | |
| 2015 | Slaughtneil | 1-07 | Eoghan Rua, Coleraine | 0-09 | | Celtic Park | D O'Neill | Paul Bradley | Francis McEldowney | |
| 2016 | Slaughtneil | 2-11 | An Lúb | 0-06 | | Celtic Park | Benny Quinn | Padraig Cassidy | Francis McEldowney | Shane McGuigan (2-15) |
| 2017 | Slaughtneil | 4-12 | Ballinascreen | 1-11 | | Celtic Park | Dan Mullan | Shane McGuigan | Patsy Bradley | Shane McGuigan (3-15) |
| 2018 | Eoghan Rua, Coleraine | 1-12 | Lavey | 0-12 | Highlights | Celtic Park | Damien Harkin | Liam McGoldrick | Colm McGoldrick | Colm McGoldrick |
| 2019 | Magherafelt | 0-12 | Glen | 0-11 | BBC Derry Now | Celtic Park | JJ Cleary | Emmett McGuckin | Danny Heavron | Shane Heavron (0-20) |
| 2020 | Slaughtneil | 0-11 | Magherafelt | 1-04 | BBC | Bellaghy | Barry Cassidy | Chrissy McKaigue | Karl McKaigue / Shane McGuigan | Shane McGuigan (4-47) |
| 2021 | Glen | 1-13 | Slaughtneil | 0-07 | BBC | Celtic Park | S Curran | Ciaran McFaul | Conor Carville | Shane McGuigan |
| 2022 | Glen | 1-12 | Slaughtneil | 0-07 | RTE | Celtic Park | G Hegarty | | Conor Carville | Shane McGuigan |
| 2023 | Glen | 1-13 | Magherafelt | 0-07 | | Celtic Park | Benny Quinn | | Conor Carville | |
| 2024 | Newbridge | 1-12 | Glen | 2-08 | | Celtic Park | Martin McErlean | Conor Doherty | Conor McAteer | Oisin Doherty (0-33) & Shane McGuigan (2-27) |

### Notes

* 1907 - Éire Óg club is now defunct.
* 1938 - Pearse's was a Derry City club, now defunct.
* 1944 - Mitchel's was a Derry City club, now defunct.

## Wins listed by club

| # | Club | Wins | Years won |
| 1 | Bellaghy | 21 | 1956 1958 1959 1960 1961 1963 1964 1965 1968 1969 1971 1972 1975 1979 1986 1994 1996 1998 1999 2000 2005 |
| 2 | Ballinderry | 13 | 1927, 1974, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1995 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008 2011, 2012, 2013 |
| 3 | Newbridge | 11 | 1937 1940 1945 1948 1950 1955 1966 1967 1970 1989 2024 |
| 4 | Lavey | 9 | 1938, 1943, 1944, 1954, 1977, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993 |
| 5 | Dungiven | 7 | 1947 1951 1983 1984 1987 1991 1997 |
| 6 | Magherafelt | 6 | 1939, 1942, 1946, 1949, 1978, 2019 |
| 6 | Slaughtneil | 6 | 2004, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020 |
| 8 | Ballinascreen | 4 | 1934, 1935, 1941, 1973 |
| 9 | Glen | 3 | 2021, 2022, 2023 |
| 9 | Glenullin | 3 | 1928, 1985, 2007 |
| 9 | An Lúb | 3 | 1936, 2003, 2009 |
| 12 | Ballerin | 2 | 1957, 1976 |
| 12 | Eoghan Rua, Coleraine | 2 | 2010, 2018 |
| 12 | Éire Óg | 2 | 1907, 1952 |
| 15 | Ballymaguigan | 1 | 1962 |
| 15 | Desertmartin | 1 | 1953 |
| 15 | Clan Chonail | 1 | 1914 |
| 15 | Sarsfield’s* | 1 | 1916 |
| 15 | St Patrick’s | 1 | 1917 |
| 15 | Emmett’s | 1 | 1918 |
| 15 | Derry Guilds | 1 | 1921 |
| 15 | Buncrana | 1 | 1930 |
| 15 | Burt | 1 | 1931 |

### Notes

* 1914 Clan Chonail are a Donegal team.
* 1916 Sarsfield's are now defunct. They were a Derry City club, a fore-runner to the modern-day Doire Colmcille club.
* 1930 Buncrana are a Donegal team.
* 1931 Burt are a Donegal team.