Michael Davitt's GAC Swatragh ( ga, CLG Míceal Mhic Dhaíbheid Suaitreach) is a
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include t ...
club based in the village of
Swatragh
Swatragh () is a small village and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Swatragh is on the main A29 road north of Maghera, and is situated within Mid-Ulster District. The population was 438 in the 2011 Census.
The village has three ...
. 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 caters for
Gaelic football,
hurling and
camogie. The club is named after
republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
patriot and revolutionary
Michael Davitt
Michael Davitt (25 March 184630 May 1906) was an Irish republican activist for a variety of causes, especially Home Rule and land reform. Following an eviction when he was four years old, Davitt's family migrated to England. He began his caree ...
.
Swatragh fields Gaelic football and hurling teams at U8, U10, U12, U14, U16,
Minor, Reserve, Thirds and
Senior levels. There are also camogie teams across similar age groups. The current club chairman is Cormac McCormack.
2019 Championship Football
2018 Championship Football
2017 Championship Football
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
The Irish National Land League ( Irish: ''Conradh na Talún'') was an Irish political organisation of the late 19th century which sought to help poor tenant farmers. Its primary aim was to abolish landlordism in Ireland and enable tenant farme ...
speeches in Swatragh in the late 19th century.
It also marked 100 years since Davitt's birth. The club colours were initially red and white, but in 1949 the present green and white colours were adopted.
The club's first major success came in 1952 when it won the South Derry Junior Football Championship and the South Derry Junior Football League. Swatragh regained the South Derry Junior Championship in 1955 and went on to win that year's
Derry Junior Football Championship
The Derry Junior Football Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Premier Electrics Derry Junior Football Championship) is an annual Gaelic football competition contested by lower-tier Derry clubs.
The competition receives coverage in ...
. Davitt's added a further Derry Junior Championship in 1961. In 1972 Swatragh won its first
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 ...
and won it again seven years later. In 1988 the club won the Derry Minor Football Championship.
In 1993 the club reached the
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 Champi ...
final for the only time in their history, but were defeated by
Lavey GAC on Boxing Day (the fixture was moved back by a few months due to the senior county team winning the
1993 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship)
Hurling began in the club in 1976, under the stewardship of Patsy Quigg. Since then, the club has, at one stage or another, collected every underage title available. They have appeared in three
Derry Senior Hurling Championship
The Derry Senior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition contested by top-tier Derry GAA clubs. The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association has organised it since 1887.
Slaughtneil are the title holders (2022) de ...
finals. They lost out to Kevin Lynch's of Dungiven in 2008 and to Robert Emmet's Slaughtneil in 2015 but secured the club's only (male) Senior title to date when they defeated St Mary's Banagher in the 2012 decider in Celtic Park.
Honours
Football
Senior
*
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 ...
: 3
**1972, 1979, 2012
*
Derry Junior Football Championship
The Derry Junior Football Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Premier Electrics Derry Junior Football Championship) is an annual Gaelic football competition contested by lower-tier Derry clubs.
The competition receives coverage in ...
: 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: 1
** 1996
Under-14
* Derry Under-14 'B' Football Championship: 1
** 2007
* South Derry Under-14 'B' Football Championship: 2
** 1997 2007
* South Derry Under-14 'B' Football League: 1
** 2007
Hurling
Senior
*
Derry Senior Hurling Championship
The Derry Senior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition contested by top-tier Derry GAA clubs. The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association has organised it since 1887.
Slaughtneil are the title holders (2022) de ...
: 1
** 2012
* Derry Intermediate Hurling Championship: 4
** 1997, 1998, 2018, 2020
* Oireachtas Cup: 3
** 2006, 2007, 2009
*Derry Senior Hurling League: 2
** 2008, 2011
*Ulster Hurling League Division 2: 1
** 2008
Minor
*Derry Minor Hurling Championship: 1
**2004
Under-16
* Derry Under-16 Hurling Championship: 3
** 2000, 2011. 2012
Under-14
* Derry Féile na nGael: 1
** 2002
* Derry 'B' Féile na nGael: 1
** 2006
** 2019
Camogie
*U-14 All Ireland Féile champions 2008, Ulster Féile champions 2008
Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.
Well known players
*
Anthony Tohill
Anthony Tohill (born 2 August 1971) is an Irish former Gaelic footballer who played for the Derry county team in the 1990s and early 2000s.
He is a former chief executive of the Mid Ulster District Council.
Early life and family
Tohill was b ...
– member of Derry's
1993 All-Ireland winning team. Four-time
All Star winner.
*
Anton Tohill
*Ruairi Convery – Derry hurler and former Derry footballer. Was part of the Derry
Minor side that won the 2002
Ulster Minor Championship and
All-Ireland Minor Championship.
See also
*
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 Champi ...
*
Derry Senior Hurling Championship
The Derry Senior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition contested by top-tier Derry GAA clubs. The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association has organised it since 1887.
Slaughtneil are the title holders (2022) de ...
*
List of Gaelic games clubs in Derry
*
Enda McGinley
Enda McGinley (born 1981) is an Irish Gaelic football manager and former player for the Errigal Ciarán club and the Tyrone county team. He managed the Antrim county team between 2020 and 2022.
McGinley was part of Tyrone's All-Ireland-win ...
, manager with the club
References
External links
Swatragh GAC
{{Derry clubs
Gaelic games clubs in County Londonderry
Gaelic football clubs in County Londonderry
Hurling clubs in County Londonderry