The club was founded in 1944 and has won the Derry Senior Football Championship once. Ballymaguigan fields Gaelic football teams at U-8, U-10, U-12, U-14, U-16, Minor, Reserve and Senior levels. Teams up to U-12 level compete in South Derry league and championships and U-14 level teams and upwards compete in All-Derry competitions.
History
Gaelic games had been organised on the western shores of Lough Neagh for over 50 years before St Trea's GFC was formed. Before 1944 one team (Newbridge GAC) catered for the Ballymaguigan and Newbridge areas.[2] Both areas are part of Ardtrea North parish. The American Army built Toome airfield during World War II. This effectively split the parish in two, making it very difficult for the Ballymaguigan-based players to travel to the pitch.[2]
Paddy Bateson suggested a ball be bought so the Ballymaguigan players could train among themselves. Soon friendlies were arranged against established clubs. The first of these was against Castledawson. The first home fixture was against Greenlough. St Trea's GFC was soon formed on 23 April 1944. The name was in honour of Saint Trea who has many traditional associations with the area. The first chairman was John McCartney, with Paddy Bateson as vice-chairman.[2] Ballymaguigan is a very small rural community, consisting approximately of 1-square-mile (2.6km2) in area.
The club played in the Moneyglass 7-a-side tournament on 26 June 1944 and in a Ballinderry tournament on 6 July 1944. The clubs first ever full team game was away at Castledawson in early June 1944, their first home fixture was against Greenlough on 17 September 1944. The clubs first ever competition was the Winter League of 1944/45.[3] In 1949 the team were promoted to the senior division, they had a play off with Drumullan.[4]
In 1950, the club built a small meeting hall. The erection of "the hut" was never seen as anything other than a temporary measure and plans proceeded for more permanent premises. That year the team won 3 matches in Division 1, against Desertmartin, Castledawson and Loup but lost against Newbridge in the McGlinchey Cup. The club reached the Semi Final of the Junior Championship but lost to Kilrea.[4] In 1951 Ballymaguigan were awarded the South Derry Championship title, they beat Bellaghy II in the first round, Magherafelt in the second round and played Ballinderry in the final. The game was cancelled due to fighting and Ballinderry refused to play the replay because they accused a Ballymaguigan player of being ineligible.[5] Ballymmaguigan also won the All-County Junior Championship on 22 September 1951 by defeating Ervey in Magherafelt, the scoreline was 2-06 1-03. The club also won the Derry Junior League in 1951. They finished 6th place in the Winter League.[5] The club reached the semi-final of the South Derry Championship in 1952. They beat Magherafelt in the first round on a scoreline of 2-08 to 2-03 but lost to Lavey in the Semi-final.[6] The club finished 3rd place in the league in 1953.[6]
In December 1954, a farm came on the market and the club committee decided to purchase. The farm of approximately eight acres was acquired for £1,230. The task of converting this property into a playing area began immediately. Apart from hiring a bulldozer to level the ground, this work was carried out completely by voluntary labour. In 1956 the team beat Desertmartin in the championship first round on a scoreline of 3-10 to 2-06 but went on to lose to Bellaghy in the next round on a scoreline of 2-10 to 0.05[6]
An all-enclosed pitch, considered[by whom?] to be one of the best in the county, was officially opened in 1957 by the then GAA President Séamus McFerran.[2] Thus St Trea's were back playing on the grounds where the club had its beginnings in 1944. That year they defeated Slaughtneil, Newbridge and Ballinascreen in league games that season and they won the Coalisland Tournament beating Omagh by one point in the final.[7] On 6 October 1957 the club played Newbridge in the South Derry Championship Final, the game was played at Newbridge and Ballymaguigan won on a scoreline of 3-06 to 2-06.[8] On 13 October 1957 Ballymaguigan played Ballerin in the All-County final at Dungiven, they lost to a scoreline of 3-08 to 2-06. Ballymgauigan also finished 2nd in the league that year.[9] Ballymaguigan played Newbridge in the Semi-final of the championship on a Sunday in January 1958 at the Ballymaguigan field in front of 600 spectators. Ballymaguigan won on a scoreline of 1-04 to 0-06. The county championship final that year was against Bellaghy, Bellaghy won the game on a scoreline of 3-06 to 0-07.[8] In 1958 the Derry Championship changed to an open draw system so this meant that the old South Derry Championship wasn't played, the competition was replaced with the Sean Larkin Cup, Ballymaguigan won this cup in 1958, they beat Bellaghy in an early round, then Kilrea and they beat Ballinascreen in the final.[9] The club retained the Larkin Cup in December 1959 beating Ballinascreen in the final again, the scoreline was 1-04 to 1-02.[10]
In 1967, steel was purchased for building a hall and during the July holidays the foundations were laid. The hall was completed, again by voluntary labour, in 1969 and hall was officially opened at a variety concert, by GAA past President Alf Murray.[11]
Ballymaguigan is a hamlet and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is near the northwest shore of Lough Neagh, 6 kilometres (4 mi) east of Magherafelt. The hamlet forms one part of a parish named Ardtrea North. Ballymaguigan is part of the Mid-Ulster District.
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.
Ballinderry Shamrocks GAC is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Ballinderry, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA and caters for gaelic football and camogie.
John Mitchel's GAC Glenullin is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Glenullin, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA. They currently cater for both Gaelic football and camogie.
The Derry Intermediate Football Championship is an annual competition between the mid-tier Gaelic football clubs affiliated to Derry GAA.
St Colm's Ballinascreen GAC is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Ballinascreen, which includes the town of Draperstown, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA. It currently caters for Gaelic football, hurling, camogie and ladies' Gaelic football and have 25 teams across the four sports.
Ardtrea North is the official name of Newbridge parish, the first parish (geographically) in the Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland diocese of Armagh. The Parish also incorporates the breakaway community of Ballymaguigan.
St Canice's GAC Dungiven is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Dungiven, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is part of Derry GAA. It currently caters for Gaelic football and Ladies' Gaelic football. The hurling club in the town is Kevin Lynch's.
Eamonn Coleman was a Gaelic football manager who had previously played for the Ballymaguigan club and the Derry county team.
Seán O'Leary's GAC Newbridge is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Newbridge, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of Derry GAA and currently caters for Gaelic football and camogie. Newbridge has won the Derry Senior Football Championship on eleven occasions.
James McKeever was a Northern Irish Gaelic footballer who played for the Derry county team in the late 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s and played club football for St Trea's GFC Ballymaguigan and Seán O'Leary's GAC Newbridge. He was captain of the Derry side that finished runners-up to Dublin in the 1958 All-Ireland Championship.
Gary Coleman is a Gaelic footballer who played for the Derry county team in the 1990s and early 2000s. He still plays club football with St Trea's GFC Ballymaguigan.
The following are club Gaelic football competitions run by the Derry County Board.
Paddy Crozier is an Irish Gaelic football manager and former player who managed the Derry county team between 2006 and 2008, guiding the county to a National League title. He has also managed a number of club teams and Derry underage teams. Crozier currently manages Omagh St Enda's. He was a distant relation of former Derry manager Eamonn Coleman.
The NMF Properties Derry Senior Football Championship 2009 is the 2009 installment of the annual Derry Senior Football Championship run by the Derry GAA. Ballinderry are the current holders - beating Slaughtneil in the 2008 final at Celtic Park. The winners were awarded the John McLaughlin Cup and went on to represent Derry in the 2009 Ulster Senior Club Football Championship.
Newbridge is a small townland in south County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Stretching from Toomebridge in County Antrim, to Bellaghy, Castledawson, Magherafelt, and Ballymaguigan, it latter which shares the parish of Ardtrea North, St. Trea's.
The Derry Minor Football Championship is an annual gaelic football competition between the top Derry GAA clubs. The winners qualify to represent Derry in the Ulster Minor Club Football Championship.
The 2020 Derry Senior Football Championship was the 97th edition of Derry GAA's premier gaelic football tournament for the top clubs. The sixteen teams who qualified for the 2020 senior championship are explained in the 'Competition Format' section below.
The 2021 Derry Senior Football Championship was the 98th edition of Derry GAA's premier gaelic football tournament for the top clubs. The sixteen teams who qualified for the 2021 senior championship are explained in the 'Competition Format' section below.
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