Damien McCusker

Last updated

Damien McCusker
Personal information
Irish name D. Mac Oscair
Sport Gaelic football
Position Goalkeeper
Born (1966-10-21) 21 October 1966 (age 56)
County Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Occupation Civil servant
Club(s)
YearsClub
1983-2007
 Glen
Inter-county(ies)
YearsCountyApps (scores)
1984-2000
 Derry 0-1
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles 2
All-Irelands 1
NFL 3

Damien McCusker (born 21 October 1966) is a Gaelic footballer who played for the Derry county team in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. He still plays club football with Watty Graham's GAC Glen. With the exception of the 1989 season, he played as goalkeeper for all his Derry career, while he has played the vast majority of his football out-field for Glen.

Contents

McCusker was part of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland Championship winning side, as well as the 1987, 1993 and 1998 Ulster Championship winning teams. The public voted him onto the All-Time Derry Team via an online poll in 2007. [1]

Early life

McCusker was born in Maghera and attended school at St Patricks College in the town. His brother Fergal was also in the 1993 Derry team that won the All-Ireland.[ citation needed ]

Career

School and college football

While at St Patrick's College school McCusker won Ulster Colleges Championship medals in 1982, 1983 and 1984. [2]

Inter-county

McCusker won an Ulster Minor Championship medal in 1984 as part of the successful Derry minor team. He joined the senior team during the 1984/1985 National Football League when 17 years old and made his Derry senior début in late 1984 against Sligo. Having won Ulster Football Championships in 1987 and 1993, he went on to play on Derry's 1993 All-Ireland winning team, which beat Cork in the final and added a third Ulster Championship medal in 1998.

He won National Football League medals with Derry in 1992, 1995, and 1996 and has also won Interprovincial Championship/Railway Cup medals with Ulster. McCusker initially retired from inter-county football in 1998, but returned in 1999, and again in 2000 after then-goalkeeper Eoin McCloskey was suspended. [3]

McCusker has also played on the Derry Masters (Over-40s) team. [4]

Club career

He was part of the Glen team that won the 1983 Derry Intermediate Championship. [5] McCusker won a Derry Senior League medal with Glen in 1987 [6] and claimed back-to-back Derry Junior Football Championships in 2004 [7] and 2005 [8] with Glen Thirds playing in midfield.

McCusker was in the United States for a short period the 1980s and while there played with St Columbkille's GFC, Boston. He along with fellow Glen man Enda Gormley helped the club win a Boston Senior Football Championship in 1986. [9]

He along with Eamonn Higgins is managing Glen for the 2008 season. [10]

Soccer

Damien McCusker also had a brief stint playing association football for Ballyclare Comrades F.C. He achieved a then club record of four consecutive clean sheets in 1997. [11] [12]

Honours

County

Club

Province

College

Individual

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

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derry GAA</span> Gaelic games governing body

The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. The county board is also responsible for the Derry county teams.

Anthony Tohill is an Irish former Gaelic footballer who played for the Derry county team in the 1990s and early 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lavey GAC</span> Derry-based Gaelic games club

Erin's Own GAC Lavey is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Catholic parish of Lavey, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA and currently caters for Gaelic football, hurling, camogie and ladies' Gaelic football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watty Graham's GAC, Glen</span> Derry-based Gaelic games club

Watty Graham's Gaelic Athletic Club, Glen, is a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club based outside Maghera in the south of County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. Players are drawn from Maghera and some surrounding townlands. The club competes in Gaelic football, ladies' Gaelic football and camogie.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Scullion</span>

Tony "The Tiger" Scullion is a former dual player of Gaelic games who played Gaelic football and hurling with Derry in the 1980s and 1990s. He is chiefly known as a footballer and was part of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland Championship winning side, also winning Ulster Senior Football Championships in 1987 and 1993. With Derry footballers he usually played in the full-back line and is regarded as one of the best full-backs of his generation. Scullion played club football and hurling with St Colm's GAC Ballinascreen.

Henry Downey is a former dual player of Gaelic games, who played as a Gaelic footballer at senior level for the Derry county team in the late 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, where he usually played in at centre half back. He was part of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland Championship winning side, where he was captain. He also won two Ulster Senior Football Championships and four National League medals with Derry. He also played hurling.

Eamonn Coleman was a Gaelic football manager who had previously played for the Ballymaguigan club and the Derry county team.

Enda Gormley is a Gaelic footballer who played for the Derry county team in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. He played club football with Maghera club Glen, and currently plays with Belfast club Bredagh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drumsurn GAC</span> Derry-based Gaelic games club

Saint Matthew's Gaelic Athletic Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Drumsurn, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is affiliated to Derry GAA and currently competes in gaelic football and camogie.

Fergal P. McCusker is a Gaelic footballer who played for the Derry county team in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. He played club football with Watty Graham's GAC Glen until retiring in 2007.

Brian McGilligan is an Irish former dual player of Gaelic games, who played Gaelic football at senior level for the Derry county team in the 1980s and 1990s, especially the 1993 team. He was part of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland Championship winning side and also won two Ulster Championships with the side. For his performances in the 1987 and 1993 Championships he won two All Star awards.

Dermot McNicholl is an Irish former Gaelic footballer who played for the Derry county team in the 1980s and 1990s. He was part of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland Championship winning side, also winning Ulster Senior Football Championships in 1987 and 1993. An All Star winner, he usually played in the half-forward line and was regarded as one of the best footballers in Ireland at a time.

Dermot Heaney is a former Gaelic footballer who played for the Derry county team in the 1990s and early 2000s. He part of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland Championship winning side, also winning Ulster Senior Football Championships in 1993 and 1998. He usually played in the half-forward line, although sometimes played in midfield. Heaney played club football with St Malachy's GAC Castledawson.

Niall McCusker is a Gaelic footballer who plays for the Derry county team, with whom he has won two National League titles. He is the current Derry vice-captain.

Damian Barton is a former Gaelic footballer who played for the Derry county team in the 1980s and 1990s. He has served as manager of Derry senior football team. He was part of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland Championship winning side, also winning Ulster Senior Football Championships in 1987 and 1993. He usually played in the half-forward line. Barton played club football with Seán O'Leary's GAC Newbridge, where he won a Derry Senior Football Championship in 1989. He also writes for The Irish News.

Damian Cassidy is a former Gaelic football manager and former player for the Derry county team in the 1980s and 1990s, who was part of the county's 1993 All-Ireland Championship winning side, starting at left half forward. He also won two Ulster Senior Championship medals, three National League titles, and a range of under-age inter-county medals with the county. Cassidy played his club football for Bellaghy Wolfe Tones and won five Derry Championships and the 1994 Ulster Senior Club Football Championships with the club. For both club and county he usually played as a forward. Cassidy was also a talented hurler.

Mickey Moran is a former Gaelic footballer and manager-coach, who has been manager of Kilcoo since 2019, with a background as an inter-county manager who most recently managed the Leitrim county team. He played at senior level for the Derry county team in the 1970s and early 1980s, and played his club football for Watty Graham's Glen. He is the first man to manage five different counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derry county football team</span> Gaelic football team

The Derry county football team represents Derry GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association, in the Gaelic sport of football. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Ulster Senior Football Championship and the National Football League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derry county hurling team</span> Hurling team

The Derry county hurling team represents Derry GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association, in the Gaelic sport of hurling. The team competes in the Christy Ring Cup and the National Hurling League.

References

  1. ↑ "All-Time Derry Senior Football Team" . Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  2. ↑ Corry, Eoghan (1993). Oakboys - Derry's Football Dream Come True. Dublin, Ireland: Torc Books Ltd. pp. 17–18. ISBN   1-898142-10-6.
  3. ↑ "Coleman delivers a new-look Derry". BBC News. 19 October 2000. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  4. ↑ "ALL-IRELAND MASTERS FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - QUARTER FINAL". Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  5. ↑ "Picture of 1983 Derry Intermediate Championship winning panel". Official Glen GAC website. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
  6. ↑ "A history of the Watty Graham Club by Eamonn Higgins". Archived from the original on 11 December 2007. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
  7. ↑ "McCusker helps Glen to junior title joy". Archived from the original on 22 January 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  8. ↑ "DERRY CREDIT UNION JFC ROUND UP By Seamus Mullan". Archived from the original on 30 April 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  9. ↑ "A Brief History of "The Killes"". Archived from the original on 8 July 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  10. ↑ [http:// "No hope for Glen in opener"]. Gaelic Life. 9 May 2008. Retrieved 8 June 2008.{{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)
  11. ↑ "Huxley shatters Comrades clean sheet record". Archived from the original on 1 May 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  12. ↑ "Derry Journal - We must not stand idly by . . " . Retrieved 21 January 2008.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.