Faughanvale GAC

Infobox GAA club
club gaa = St. Mary's GAC Faughanvale
crest = Faughanvale.png irish = CLG Naomh Muire Nuachongbháil
nickname = "Vale"
county = Derry
province = Ulster
grounds = John McLaughlin Park
(Páirc An Seán Mac Louhlainn)
colours = Green and White
founded = 1933

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St. Mary's GAC Faughanvale ( _ga. CLG Naomh Muire Nuachongbháil) is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Greysteel, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, in the parish of Faughanvale, nine miles from Derry City. The club is a member of the Derry GAA and currently cater for Gaelic football, Ladies' Gaelic football, Hurling and Camogie.

Faughanvale have won the Derry Intermediate Football Championship five times and the Derry Junior Football Championship once. The club's catchment area includes Greysteel, Eglinton, Ballykelly, Enagh, Highlands and parts of Glack. Underage teams up to U-12's play in North Derry league and championships, from U-14 upwards teams compete in All-Derry competitions.

Gaelic football

Faughanvale fields Gaelic football teams at U8, U10, U12, U14, U16, Minor, Reserve and Senior levels. They currently compete in the Derry Intermediate Championship. Having won Division 4 of the Derry ACFL in 2007, they will compete in Division 3 in 2008.

Ladies' Gaelic football

As well as Minor and Senior Ladies' football teams, St. Mary's fields U12, U14 and U16 teams.

Hurling and Camogie

The Camogie and Hurling teams ceased playing in 1989, however both have recently been re-established at U-10 level. [cite web |url=http://www.faughanvalegac.com/ |title=Home > Download Section > Club Development Plan|accessdate=2007-09-18 |format= |work= ]

History

St. Mary's GAC Faughanvale was established in 1933 by a group of local farmers and labourers. A Camogie team was founded in 1946 and affiliated to the club, before folding in 1989. The club's first major success came in 1943 when they won the North Derry Senior Football Championship, before losing to Lavey in the All-Derry Senior Championship final. In 1975 Faughanvale won the Derry Junior Football Championship. Three years later St. Mary's won the Derry Intermediate Football Championship and have won the competition a further four times since (1981, 1996, 1998, 1999). Faughanvale was awarded "Irish News Rural Club of the Year 2005" by The Irish News.

The Club purchased its current grounds in 1982. When the new pitch opened in 1983 it was named after one of the founding club members and former Chairman of the Derry County Board John McLaughlin. In May 2007 the club began a £1.2million re-development of their playing facilities at John McLaughlin Park. In 2008 the club took part in the Celebrity Bainisteoir programme and were managed by journalist Nell McCafferty. [cite web |url=http://www.rte.ie/tv/celebritybainisteoir/clubs.html |title=Celebrity Bainisteoir - The Clubs |accessdate=2008-04-11 |format= |work= ] [cite news |first=Conor |last=McMorrow |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=New RTÉ show gives GAA managers the celebrity treatment |url=http://www.tribune.ie/article.tvt?_scope=Tribune/News/Home%20News&id=85893&SUBCAT=Tribune/News&SUBCATNAME=News |work=Sunday Tribune |publisher= |date=2008-03-30 |accessdate=2008-04-11 ]

Honours

Gaelic football

enior

*North Derry Senior Football Championship: 1
**1943

*Derry Intermediate Football Championship: 5
**1978, 1981, 1996, 1998, 1999

*Derry Junior Football Championship: 1
**1975

*Dr. Kerlin Cup 3
**1943, 1947, 1950 (shared with Dungiven

Minor

*Derry City Minor Football Championship: 1
**1959

U-16

*North Derry U-16 'B' Football Championship: 1
**1999

*North Derry U-16 'B' Football League: 1
**2006

*** All county A Championship Winners 1 1984

U-14

*North? Derry U-14 'B' Football Championship: ?
**1998, 2001, 2002

*North? Derry U-14 'B' Football League: ?
**2002

U-12

*Limavady Blitz 1
**2005

*Drumsurn Blitz 1
**2005

Ladies' football

enior

*Derry Ladies' Football Championship: 1
**2006

Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.

ee also

*Derry Intermediate Football Championship
*List of Gaelic Athletic Association clubs in Derry

External links

* [http://www.faughanvalegac.com/ St. Mary's GAC website]
* [http://www.derrygaa.ie Official Derry GAA website]
* [http://www.clubgaa.ie/derry/index.htm Derry Club GAA]
* [http://www.thevalecentre.com/ The Vale Centre]

References