Dermot McNicholl

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Dermot McNicholl
Personal information
Sport Gaelic football
Irish Name Diarmuid Mac Niocail
Date of birth November 6, 1965 (1965-11-06) (age 42)
Place of birth County Londonderry , Northern Ireland
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Nickname(s) Spoofer
Occupation Teacher
Club information
Club Glenullin
Position Half forward
Club(s)*
Club Years Apps (scores)
Glenullin ?-? ?
Club Titles
Derry Titles 1
Inter-County
County Derry
Position Half forward
Inter-County(ies)**
County Years Apps (scores)
Derry 1983-? ?
Senior Inter-County Titles
Ulster Titles 2
All-Ireland 1
NFL 3
All Stars 1

* club appearances and scores
correct as of .
**Inter County team apps and scores correct
as of .

Dermot McNicholl (Irish: Diarmuid Mac Niocail; born 6 November 1965) is an All Star winning former Irish Gaelic footballer who played for Derry in the 1980s and 1990s. He 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 was regarded as one of the best footballers in Ireland at a time. McNicholl played club football with John Mitchel's GAC Glenullin, where he won a Derry Senior Football Championship in 1985.

Contents

[edit] Football career

[edit] Inter-county career

McNicholl was known as one of Derry's best ever underage players. He played Minor football for Derry for four years from 1980 (when he was 14) to 1983. He won three Ulster Minor Football Championships (1980, 1981 and 1983) and played in All-Ireland Minor Championship finals in those years, winning in 1983, where he was captain.[1] He also won three Ulster Under-21 Football Championships in 1983, 1985 and 1986 and was runner-up in 1983 and 1985 in the All-Ireland Under-21 Championships.

McNicholl made his Senior debut against Louth in the National League in October, 1983, while still a Minor.[2] He won an All Star for his performances in the 1984 Championship, while still at school.

He won an Ulster Senior Championship in 1987, but was badly affected by injury in the All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Meath. He missed the 1989 and 1990 campaigns due to being in Australia playing professional Australian rules. He was part of Derry's National League winning team in 1992. McNicholl added a second Ulster Senior Championship medal in 1993, before going on to win the 1993 All-Ireland Championship after a semi-final victory over Dublin and final defeat of Cork. Injury prevented him from starting these two games, but came on as a substitute in both.

He won a further two National League medals in 1995 and 1996. He was plagued by injury in the latter years of his career, often preventing him from starting matches and was forced to retire soon after.

[edit] Club career

Despite being only 19 at the time, McNicholl captained Glenullin to their 1985 Derry Senior Football Championship success. Prior to this he had won two Derry Minor Football Championships with the club in 1981 and 1982. In 2007 he was awarded a Northern Bank Ulster Minor Club Football All Star, being recognised as one of the best players to ever have competed in the Ulster Minor Club Football Championship, in the competition's 25th year.[3] He also won U-14 and U-16 Derry Championships with Glenullin.[2]

McNicholl was in the United States for a short period the early 1990s and while there played with St. Columbkille's GFC, Boston. He along with fellow Derry man Éamonn Burns helped the club win a Boston Senior Football Championship in 1991.[4].

[edit] School/college career

McNicholl attended school at St. Pat's Maghera. He played in five consecutive MacRory Cup finals (1980-1984), winning four of them.[5] He was only in third year when playing on his first MacRory team. In 1980 and 1984 he was runner-up in the Hogan Cup to Carmelite College, Moate and St. Jarlath's College, Tuam respectively. At university he won three Sigerson Cup and two Ryan Cup medals with UUJ.

[edit] International and Australian rules career

Dermot McNicholl represented Ireland in three International Rules Series.[6] He was so impressive during the 1987 series that Australian rules football side St Kilda drafted him in 1988 when he was 22. After a stint with Prahran in 1989, McNicholl tore his groin during St Kilda's pre-season in 1990. The injury forced him to miss the first half of the season, after which he recovered and made his senior debut. He played three senior games before returning home because his university refused to let him defer his course any longer.[7]

[edit] Management career

McNicholl teaches at St. Pat's Maghera and has managed many St. Pat's teams at different age levels since 1994, including leading them to four MacRory and three Hogan Cups successes.[5] He has also managed Slaughtneil Minors to Derry Minor Championships and an Ulster Minor Club Championship.[5]

[edit] Honours

[edit] County

[edit] Club

[edit] Province

[edit] College

[edit] Individual

  • All Star - Winner (1): 1984
  • All Star - Nominated (runner up): ?
  • Captain Derry Minor Ulster and All-Ireland winning side: 1983
  • Captain Glenullin Derry Championship winning side: 1985
  • Represented Ireland in three International Rules series: 1984, other years?

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

[edit] References

  1. ^ Corry, Eoghan (1993). Oakboys - Derry's Football Dream Come True. Dublin, Ireland: Torc Books Ltd., 32. ISBN 1-898142-10-6. 
  2. ^ a b “Player Focus - Dermot McNicholl (Derry)”, 1992 Ulster Championship Final Programme (R. & S. Printers, Monaghan), 1992 
  3. ^ "Northern Bank Ulster Minor Club Football All Stars 1982-2006", St. Paul's GAC. Retrieved on 15-03-2008. 
  4. ^ A Brief History of “The Killes”. Retrieved on 2008-01-21.
  5. ^ a b c “St. Patrick's Maghera - Team coaches - Dermot McNicholl”, 2003 MacRory Cup Final Programme (IED Design & Marketing), 17 March 2003 
  6. ^ “Derry Pen Pics”, 1994 Ulster Championship Quarter Final Programme, 29th May 1994 
  7. ^ Paul Daffey. "The 10 best smokies in the national draft", Australian Rules. Retrieved on 15-03-2008. 

[edit] External links


v • d • e
Derry Panel: 1993 All-Ireland Final

1 D McCusker | 2 K McKeever | 3 T Scullion | 4 F McCusker | 5 J McGurk | 6 H Downey | 7 G Coleman | 8 A Tohill | 9 B McGilligan | 10 D Heaney | 11 D Barton | 12 D Cassidy | 13 J Brolly | 14 S Downey  | 15 E Gormley |
Subs: D McNicholl for D Cassidy | É Burns for S Downey
Manager:É Coleman 
(Team as of September 1993 versus Cork)