Steelstown Brian Óg's GAC ( ga, CLG Bhriain Óig Baile Stíl) is a

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...

club based in

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...

, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the

Derry GAA The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) ( ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Coiste Chontae Dhoire) or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in County Londonderry ...

and currently cater for

Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...

and

Ladies' Gaelic football Ladies' Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach na mBan) is a women's team sport. It is the women's equivalent of Gaelic football. Ladies' football is organised by the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association. Two teams of 15 players kick or hand-pass a ...

. The club's catchment area includes Steelstown and the wider

Shantallow Shantallow (Shantallow
- Placenamesni.org) is a

Minor Minor may refer to: * Minor (law), a person under the age of certain legal activities. ** A person who has not reached the age of majority * Academic minor, a secondary field of study in undergraduate education Music theory *Minor chord ** Barb ...

, Reserve, and

Senior Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...

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' Gaelic football

The club also field Ladies' football teams at various age-groups. The senior ladies won county Junior B title in 2012. The minor ladies also won their county championship in 2012.

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 Star

Anthony McGurk Anthony 'Tony' McGurk is a former Gaelic footballer who played for the Derry county team in the 1970s and 1980s. He won three Ulster Championships with the side (1970, 1975 and 1976). McGurk played club football with Erin's Own GAC Lavey, wh ...

from Lavey, his wife Mary, Philip and Marion Devlin from

Drumsurn Drumsurn () is a small village and townland in 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. Drumsurn ha ...

and Mickey Doherty from

Claudy Claudy () is a village and townland (of 1,154 acres) in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies in the Faughan Valley, southeast of Derry, where the River Glenrandal joins the River Faughan. It is situated in the civil parish of Cumber Upp ...

. 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 ( ga, Cluichí Gaelacha) are a set of sports played worldwide, though they are particularly popular in Ireland, where they originated. They include Gaelic football, hurling, Gaelic handball and rounders. Football and hurling, the ...

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 The Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Football Championship is the premier under-17 "knockout" competition in Gaelic football played in Ireland. 2017 was the final year of the minor under 18 football championship as it were replaced by an under ...

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 Mayo often refers to: * Mayonnaise, often shortened to "mayo" * Mayo Clinic, a medical center in Rochester, Minnesota, United States Mayo may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Mayo Peak, Marie Byrd Land Australia * Division of Mayo, an Aust ...

Celtic Park Celtic Park is the home stadium of Celtic Football Club, in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, Scotland. With a capacity of 60,832, it is the largest football stadium in Scotland, and the eighth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom. It is also ...

. 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 influential in the formative years of Steelstown in the 1990s. 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 final in 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, later died of 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.

Honours

Senior

All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship The All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship is an annual gaelic football competition which began in 2003. The winners of the Intermediate Club Championship from each county enter the competition. Finals by year Winners by County S ...

: 1 ** 2021–22 *

Ulster Intermediate Club Football Championship The Ulster Intermediate Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament played between the hundreds of intermediate football clubs in Ulster. There are nine county championships between the nine counties of Ulster. The nine winn ...

: 1 **2021 *

Derry Intermediate Football Championship The Derry Intermediate Football Championship (currently also known for sponsorship reasons as the ''M&L Contracts Derry Intermediate Football Championship'') is an annual competition between the mid-tier Gaelic football clubs affiliated to Der ...

: 1 **2021 *Dr Kerlin Cup (North Derry 13-a-Side) 1 **2008

Senior Reserves

* Intermediate Football Championship Winners 3 ** 2016, 2018, 2020 * Intermediate Football League 1 ** 2011

Ladies

*Derry Senior Football Championship 3 **2020, 2021, 2022 *Derry Intermediate Football Championship 1 **2016 *Ulster Junior Championship 1 **2016 *Junior B Championship 1 **2012 *Minor County championship 1 **2012 *Minor League title 1 **2012 * Under 16 county shield 1 **2011

Minor

*Tommy O'Neill Cup (Derry Minor 'A' Football Championship) 1 **2005 *North Derry Minor 'A' Football Championship: 1 **2005

Under-16

* North Derry Under-16 Football Championship: 1 ** 2005 * North Derry Under-16 'B' Football Championship: 2 ** 2003, 2014

Under-14

* North Derry Under-14 Football Championship: 1 ** 2003 * County Derry Under-14 Football A League: 1 ** 2014 Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.

External links

Steelstown GAC Website

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steelstown Gac Gaelic games clubs in County Londonderry Gaelic football clubs in County Londonderry 1987 establishments in Northern Ireland