By Niall Gartland CORMAC O’Doherty had the honour of accepting the Christy Ring Cup on a Saturday afternoon that will go down in the annals of Derry hurling, but he knows as well as anyone that it wasn’t exactly plain-sailing to get to that point. The Derry captain was involved in four previous defeats on […]
Derry hurling manager McGarvey savours special day
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June 3, 2026
By Niall Gartland SOMETIMES there is no dream ending. Sometimes there’s just a sequence of hard-luck stories and a profound sense of incompleteness. But happily for Derry hurlers and their manager Johnny McGarvey, redemption finally arrived on a historic day at Croke Park. Having lost five previous Christy Ring Cup finals – including successive defeats […]
Derry’s prize for persistence
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June 2, 2026
By Michael McMullan SOMETIMES it’s not about how hard you knock on the door but how often you keep banging. Welcome to the world of Derry hurlers who eventually got their hands on the Christy Ring Cup. They lost a first final to Kerry in 2015 and to an Offaly team six years later, who […]
Report: Derry save best for last to land first Christy Ring Cup
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May 31, 2026
Christy Ring Cup final Derry 3-24 Kerry 3-19 By Michael McMullan IT seems impossible until it’s done. The words of Nelson Mandela fits the story of Derry hurlers perfectly, winning a first ever Christy Ring Cup title on Saturday at Croke Park. Advertisement It came 11 years after they lost their first final, ironically, a […]
Report: Derry shoot their way to winning start in the Christy Ring Cup
April 12, 2026
Derry 1-22 Roscommon 1-10 By Michael McMullan DERRY manager Johnny McGarvey was pleased his side got their Christy Ring Cup campaign off to a winning start. A controlled second half, playing into the wind, helped them to victory over Roscommon on Sunday afternoon at Find Insurance Celtic Park. Advertisement The home side led by five […]
Derry unchanged ahead to Saturday’s Croke Park showdown
May 30, 2025
By Michael McMullan DERRY have named their team for Saturday evening’s Christy Ring Cup final against London in Croke Park (5pm). It’s an unchanged team since their win over Wicklow booked Saturday’s spot at HQ. Derry are in their fourth final in five years and their fifth in all, hoping this is the year they […]
O’Doherty and Derry back challenging for an elusive first
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May 28, 2025
Derry captain Cormac O’Doherty has played in three Christy Ring Cup final defeats but persistence takes him back to Croke Park on Saturday. Michael McMullan went to meet him… BETWEEN club, school and county, Cormac O’Doherty has stood in the firing line enough times to know the difference between winning and losing a crunch game […]
Derry face into crucial Wicklow clash to book final spot
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May 16, 2025
By Niall Gartland CORMAC O’Doherty would dearly love to pocket a Christy Ring Cup medal this year– but the free-scoring Derry forward senses that won’t be happening unless they overcome Wicklow down in Celtic Park this Saturday afternoon. It’s their fifth and final group stage match and they sit second in the table, but O’Doherty expects that […]
McGarvey’s eyes fixed on another Royal Rumble
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April 25, 2025
By Michael McMullan DERRY have won their last four games but manager Johnny McGarvey only has Meath in his sights ahead of Saturday’s Christy Ring Cup clash at Celtic Park. The Oakleafers came from behind to beat London on Sunday in Ruislip thanks to two goals from Cormac O’Doherty. “To be fair for 45 minutes […]
Derry hurlers must regroup ahead of Kingdom trip
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February 6, 2025
By Michael McMullan AS weeks go, this will be as tough as it gets in the Derry hurling camp. Out of the frying pan and into the fire as the Oaks prepare to face Kerry on Sunday in Tralee. Manager Johnny McGarvey didn’t mince his words after their 19-point defeat at home to Down. It […]