Ulster’s All-Ireland SFC Club winners

Shaun Casey charts the Ulster clubs that have landed All-Ireland Senior Football Championship honours

Crossmaglen (6)

ULSTER’S most successful club at the top level, Crossmaglen, won six All-Ireland titles during a glorious 15-year period. Their first All-Ireland crown came in 1997, and they backed that up with a brace of titles in 1999 and 2000. The Andy Merrigan Cup once again visited the Rangers club in 2007, and Cross won another double in 2011 and 2012. While they haven’t got back to that peak in over a decade, the Armagh club remains the top dogs in terms of the provincial roll of honour having been crowned Ulster champions on 11 occasions, the last of which came in 2015.

Burren (2)

THE St Mary’s club dominated the Mourne County during the 80s and collected seven Down SFC titles inside eight years. They pushed on to win five Ulster crowns during those glory years and ended up capturing two All-Ireland titles along the way. Burren were the first Down team to be crowned All-Ireland champions in 1986 and were back two years later to repeat the feat once again. They are the second most successful Ulster club that have competed in the Senior All-Ireland championship and sit only behind Crossmaglen in the pecking order. Burren haven’t contested an Ulster final since 2011 and are leading the chasing pack in Down at the minute, hunting down Kilcoo.

Bellaghy (1)

BELLAGHY have the honour of claiming the first ever official Ulster Senior Championship titles way back in 1968 when they defeated St Joseph’s of Donegal in a low-scoring contest, with 0-8 to 0-5 being the final score. They went on to claim a second provincial title three years later and this time went all the way in the All-Ireland series, beating Cork’s UCC in the decider by the minimum of margins to become Ulster’s first ever All-Ireland Senior Club champions. The Derry men went on to compete in the 1995 All-Ireland final as well, but this time Kilmacud Crokes of Dublin proved too strong. Bellaghy did add a fourth Ulster title to their trophy cabinet in 2000.

Kilcoo (1)

KILCOO’S rise to the top has been well documented at this stage and having lost Ulster finals to Crossmaglen and Sleacht Néill in 2012 and 2016, they finally got over that hurdle in 2019, defeating Naomh Conaill of Donegal. They were back in 2021 (the competition was suspended in 2020 due to Covid) and regained the Seamus McFerran Cup before embarking on a historic run in the All-Ireland series. Kilcoo reached the clubs first ever All-Ireland final in 2021 and eventually saw off Dublin’s Kilmacud Crokes after extra time, with a Jerome Johnston goal proving the decisive score. Not only did the club get to climb the steps of the Hogan Stand for the first time ever, so did experienced manager Mickey Moran.

Glen (1)

THE Watty Graham’s club had a remarkable rise from outsiders to All-Ireland winners. Before Malachy O’Rourke took over in 2021, the Glen club had never tasted senior success inside their own county. Now, they have three county titles, two Ulster crowns, and All-Ireland medals in their back pockets. Glen won three in a row in Derry (2021-2023) and first scaled the provincial mountain in 2022. They went all the way to the All-Ireland decider, but controversially lost to Dublin’s Kilmacud Crokes. They would gain their revenge in the 2023 semi-final and finally landed the biggest prize of all against St Brigid’s of Roscommon, winning by one to put the years of hurt and pain behind them.

Lavey (1)

FOLLOWING in the footsteps of Bellaghy and Burren, Lavery were the third Ulster team to win an All-Ireland SFC club title. They had secured seven Derry titles before getting their hands on the provincial prize in 1990 and went all the way to claim All-Ireland gold that same season, beating Galway’s Salthill-Knocknacarra by five-points in the showpiece. While Lavey went on to win another two Derry titles and a second Ulster in 1992, that special moment in 1990 was their one shot at All-Ireland glory and they captured it with both hands.

St Gall’s (1)

DURING the noughties and into the 10s, St Gall’s were a force to be reckoned with in Antrim. In 14 years, from 2001-2014, St Gall’s won all but one county championship and went on to enjoy great success on the Ulster scene and the national stage as well. Having won Ulster way back in 1985, they gained the clubs second provincial crown in 2005 and competed in the All-Ireland final that same year, losing out to Galway’s Salthill-Knocknacarra. They returned to Croke Park in 2010, and this time got their hands on the Andy Merrigan Cup, beating Kilmurry-Ibrickane of Clare in the final.

Ballinderry (1)

DERRY have a magnificent record in the All-Ireland series at senior level and Ballinderry are one of four teams from the Oakleaf County to be crowned All-Ireland champions. Their big moment came in 2002, after claiming their second Ulster title, and first since 1981, the Derry men triumphed against Nemo Rangers of Cork to land the clubs first ever All-Ireland title. They did regain their Ulster crown once again in 2013, having lost both the 2006 and 2008 deciders, but never got back to the All-Ireland final and haven’t won a Derry SFC since then either.