Derry Coaching & Games Update – Spring/Summer 2026

U12.5 Football Development League

Our first official U12.5 Football Development League was a huge success, with 25 teams from across the county taking part.

The competition was played in a group-stage format, guaranteeing every team five group games before progressing to a knockout stage, with finalists earning the opportunity to compete at the Festival of Football in Owenbeg.

In total, 82 matches were played, with approximately 300 young players participating. The league has successfully bridged the gap between U11 and U14 football, providing valuable developmental opportunities for players.

The next stage of this pathway will be the U13 Tournament, which will take place in the autumn following the U14 Championship.

U11.5 Hurling Development Competition

During the same period, and in conjunction with Lavey GAC, we successfully delivered our U11.5 Hurling Development Competition, culminating in a Festival of Hurling and finals in Owenbeg.

The competition involved 13 clubs and over 300 players, demonstrating the continued growth and enthusiasm for underage hurling across the county.

Youth Games

Our Youth Leagues are approaching their conclusion, with league fixtures finishing in mid-July before attention turns to the upcoming Championship season.

Féile Peil na nÓg

Congratulations to our Féile Committee, Event Management Team and Coaching & Games staff for delivering another outstanding Féile Peil na nÓg.

A sincere thank you to all of our host clubs for the fantastic hospitality shown to our visiting teams throughout the weekend.

Congratulations to our Féile winners:

• 🏆 Steelstown
• 🏆 Ballinascreen
• 🏆 Bellaghy
• 🏆 Magherafelt

Development Squads & County Minors

U15 Hibernia Cup

Our Under 15 Hurlers’ season came to an end on Sunday 14th June at the Hibernia Cup Finals Day in Monaghan COE.

The eagerly anticipated semi-final against Laois proved to be a titanic battle, going all the way to extra time. In a brilliant game of hurling, a last-minute free from Laois forced the game into extra time and, with the match looking destined for penalties, Laois broke away and secured the victory with a last-minute goal.

It was a disappointing end to the semi-final, but also a real reflection of the high level of hurling these boys can produce. Despite conceding two penalties during the game, they were within touching distance of victory, but it wasn’t to be.

The boys had to dust themselves down and reset for the playoff game against Meath. Another outstanding performance followed, and despite playing the majority of the game with 14 men, they produced a determined display to secure a 10-point victory.It has been a brilliant season for this talented group of hurlers, playing 11 games and suffering just one defeat. A strong campaign has laid the foundations for a bright future, and there is no doubt that this squad has plenty more to achieve.

Thanks to players and management for their hard work and a great campaign.

Celtic Challenge & County Minors

Congratulations to our Celtic Challenge panel on their success this season.

Our Minor Footballers also enjoyed an excellent campaign, reaching the Ulster Final, with nine of the starting twelve progressing through our development pathway. They also reached the All-Ireland Semi-Final, narrowly losing to eventual champions Cork.

U15 Football

The U15 Footballers have played three games to date:

• Wins over Cavan and Monaghan.
• Defeat to Armagh.

They now face Tyrone in the Brian McLernon Cup Semi-Final on Saturday 18th July, at 12.30pm in Garvaghy.

U16 Football

The U16 Footballers have also played three games:

• Wins over Monaghan and Dublin.
• Defeat to Down.

They meet Mayo in the Buncrana Cup Semi-Final on Saturday 18th July at 1.00pm in Owenbeg.

GAA for All Programme

Our GAA for All programme continues to grow across the county.

Summer Camp

📍 Owenbeg
📅 21st–23rd July
🕝 2.30pm–4.30pm

Other initiatives include:

• Sensory kits available at games in Owenbeg and Celtic Park.
• Communication boards to support children, adults and their families.

Our clubs are:

• Derry GAA for ALL
• Foyle All Stars
• Oakleaf Lions

New members are always welcome.

City Oaks U14 Development Squad

We recently launched coaching sessions for an U14 City Oaks Development Squad, bringing together players from clubs across Derry City and the surrounding council area.

The group has trained on several occasions and will continue training until Development Squad trials begin in Autumn 2026.

Sessions are held at Celtic Park and currently involve approximately 24 players from eight clubs.

Primary School Hurling & Football

Our Coaching & Games team once again worked alongside Cumann na mBunscol to deliver another successful year of Skills Tests, half-time games and school tournaments.

Finals Day took place in Owenbeg at the end of June, where schools competed for the Francis Lagan Memorial Cups.

It is fantastic to see our schools enjoying opportunities to play at club venues throughout the county, as well as our county grounds at Owenbeg and Celtic Park.

Primary & Secondary School Coaching

We have completed another successful year of coaching in schools across the county.

Currently, our coaches work with approximately:

• 60 primary schools
• 10 secondary schools

Our aim is to continue expanding this programme so that every school in the county benefits from coaching support.

We are currently recruiting part-time Primary School Coaches for the new school term beginning in September. If you are interested, please get in touch for further information.

Coach Education

Another successful Coach Education programme has been delivered across clubs, schools and Owenbeg.

This year included:

• Introduction to Coaching Gaelic Games (ICGG) courses for beginner coaches.
• Courses for sixth-form students.
• Training for young Cúl Camp coaches.
• Award 1 coaching courses.
• Award 2 coach qualifications.
• Ongoing coach education workshops delivered within clubs.

Upcoming Courses

• Award 2 Course – Owenbeg (November 2026)
• Athletic Development Course – August 2026

We are also seeking new Coach Education Tutors. Anyone interested in becoming a tutor can apply from September 2026.

A pilot Award 1 Child Course is currently being delivered in Limavady. Thank you to Limavady GAC for volunteering as our pilot club for this exciting new programme, which will be rolled out county-wide in October 2026.

Cúl Camps – Summer 2026

Our Cúl Camps got underway on Monday 6th July.

Ahead of the camps, our Coaching & Games team delivered coach education workshops to prepare this year’s coaching teams.

Each summer we provide coaching opportunities for approximately 50 young coaches, helping to develop future coaching leaders through our schools programme.

This summer we are delivering camps in:

• 18 clubs
• Owenbeg Regional Camp
• GAA for All Camp in Owenbeg

Camp Details:

• Monday to Friday
• 10.00am–2.00pm
• Ages 6–13 years

Referee Development

June saw 12 new referees successfully complete their referee training and begin officiating across the county.

We also hosted development workshops for existing referees as part of our ongoing support programme.

Anyone interested in becoming a referee is encouraged to come forward.

Go Games

Our Football and Hurling Go Games programme continues throughout the summer.

Teams participate in approximately 12 rounds of games against clubs from across the county.

Competitions are provided at:

• U7.5
• U9.5
• U11.5