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Dungiven v Kilrea in the Derry final on 22nd September.

Derry captain this year is Brian Og McGilligan who has had his fare share of injury problems.

Story courtesy of derrygaa.ie

It's hard to describe just how resilient the human spirit can be. Often it's easier just to give examples. Consider then, Brian Óg McGilligan.

A young man on the launching pad of an adult career in Gaelic football in the summer of 2011, McGilligan suffered a horrific knee injury in a minor club championship game.

Having made his senior club championship debut at eighteen years of age just the week before, and having played midfield for Derry minors three months previous, McGilligan had the GAA world at his feet.

However, as he lay in a post operation hospital bed, thoughts of Gaelic games were temporarily pushed to one side as the extent of the injuries became clear. Complete kneecap reconstruction is potentially life quality affecting stuff.

"The consultant had told him not to have too much hope of playing again," explains Derry GAA chairperson John Keenan.

"I visited him in the Royal that summer and he told me he'd be happy enough to be able to walk un-assisted again as a first step. However, you could see the positive attitude the lad had even at that low point for him. It's served him well since.

"He would later receive all the assistance which was possible but it was clear that he was intent on taking full responsibility for his own injury and his recovery. He's a mature young lad and a fantastic role model to any young athlete, or indeed any person."

A dual star with club, county and school, the St Patrick's Maghera pupil went on to join the student body of St Mary's University College the following year.

Having just got back onto his feet, McGilligan tried out for the university freshers' football team under Paddy Tally, just as the Tyrone man joined Brian McIver and Paddy Crozier in the newly appointed Derry senior football setup.

"He just broke down," Crozier explains.

"It was hardly surprising but when I realised the full extent of the situation, I was very keen to see what could be done."

Integrated into McIver's set-up, and with Paddy Crozier as u21 manager, Brian Óg had full access to Derry's medical team to assist his rehabilation.

"The medical people worked tirelessly with him. It was a long, lonely road for him but he did absolutely everything that was asked, and to the last letter of instruction. Great credit must go to Maria McCullagh, Ann [Boylan] and Conan [Loughrey] and Dr Paul John McCormack. Along with Anthony Begley, who began to add the strength once the rehab work was underway, they got him back on track again."

With a tough encounter ahead of them in the Ulster U21 championship against Cavan, Crozier was in no doubt who he wanted to lead the team as captain, and why.

"Listen, for that lad to be even playing club football, never mind county football is a massive achievement for him. He has led by example and typifies the single-minded determination, which is necessary to succeed at this level. That's why he is captain.

"Our job is to give every young footballer who has the desire and ability to play at inter-county level every assistance to achieve their potential. With a bit of luck he has a long and successful career ahead of him," concludes Crozier.

In what is an inspirational story of resolve and determination, every supporter of Derry GAA will rejoice at the news of McGilligan's full recovery, and share Paddy Crozier's hopes for the future.

Welcome back Brian Óg

How many of the Maghera team played last year?

Ciaran McCloy, Oisin Hegerty, Cathal Mulholland, Peter Hagan, Conor Glass, Cormac O'Doherty, and Danny Tallon all started last years team.

How many games unbeaten at minor level are the Watty's?

Do Derry have a minor league?

2013
8 Minor League games- won 7 were given the points for 1
3 Championship games (Derry)
2 cup games
2 Championship games to date (Ulster)

2012
10 minor league games-won 10 (guess)
2 championship games (Derry)
3 cup games
3 championship games (ulster)

2011
Memory not that good especially as it's not my club. Can at least say they won all the championship games in Derry and Ulster

2012 would maybe be a bit of a guess. Number of teams in the A league vary from year to year. This year there were 9 teams. Last year there were 6 teams and it was a 2 way league. They got a bye to the semi final that year.

As someone mentioned in the Derry thread, he could potentially have 5 county minor medals by the time he hits 18.

Some of the Glen posters could confirm, but I don't think he was on the panel which won the first championship. I don't think he would even have been allowed to as there is, or at least was a rule, where an underage player can't play two grades above their age, i.e. an u12 could only go as far as u14, an u14 could only go as far as u16, and an u16 could only go as far as minor.

There was a row over Ryan Bell not being allowed to play for Ballinderry in 2008 as he was still U14, or was it the fact that he did play and an opposing team objected saying he shouldn't have been. Something along those lines.

So, 8 Ulster games and 12 Derry games? (4 games to win it in Derry?)

3 games to win Derry this year. Bellaghy, Ballinascreen and Slaughtneil.
2 games last year I think. Bellaghy and Slaughtneil as there were only 6 teams in minor A league last year and they got a bye into semi-final (open to correction on that).
Not sure how many games they would have had in 2011.

Bound to be just turned 16 as he was the U16 captain this year.

Very much so in Derry.

Dungiven won a championship in 97 following a minor win in 90.
Bellaghy won 6 in 94, 96, 98-00 and 05 as well as a couple of Ulster clubs following minor wins in 91 and 94.
Loup won 2 senior championships in 03 and 09 following minor wins in 93 and 95.
Ballinderry won seniors in 95, 01, 02, 06, 08, 11 & 12 going on to win the All-Ireland in 02 following minor wins in 96, 97, 01 & 08.
Slaughtneil won a championship in 04 following their 98 minor win and were also beat in the 99 minor final.
Kilrea have been close in recent years without getting over the line.
Glenullin & Coleraine have been the only team in Derry to win a senior championships without any major underage success recently.

I'm starting a masters in Sept which involves a certain amount of programming (mainly Java, C, C++).

Is that the Masters conversion course in Queen's in Belfast by any chance?

I have a young cousin over from San Fran playing, can anyone let me know how they are getting on? Div 5

San Francisco are staying in Castledawson and are in division 5B. They won today by 3-14 to 1-4. They play Moneymore (Derry) and Thomastown (Kilkenny) tomorrow.

How many Maghera players will be on the Derry minor team this summer?

From what I know numbers 1 2 3 4 5 7 12 13 14 and 15 are all minor this year as well as a number of the subs.

Full list of all-stars as posted on the Ulster colleges Twitter

Football All-stars :
1 S Fox (Omagh),
2 J Cosgrove (Bessbrook),
3 S Heffron (Lurgan),
4 A Beattie (Abbey),
5 R Wells (Dpatrick)
6 C Carville (Maghera),
7 D McKeever (Aquinas),
8 J Kearney (Maghera),
9 O Lenahan (Lurgan),
10 T O'Brien (St Mary's M'felt - 2nd award)
11 R McGlone (Academy),
12 S McGonigle (Knock),
13 L Brennan (Enniskillen),
14 S O'Hara (Maghera),
15 F McMahon (St Macartan's)

All-star hurlers -
1 D Doran (D'patrick)
2 C Costello (Aquinas)
3 T O Ciarain (St mary's)
4 D Quinn (St Mary's)
5 D Nugent (La Salle)
6 R Devlin (Academy)
7 R McCambridge (CPC)
8 L McMullan (Knock)
9 C Egan ((Knock)
10 C Johnston (St Mary's)
11 C O'Neill (D'patrick)
12 E Kearns (St Killian's)
13 E Sands (D'patrick)
14 G Bradley (Maghera)
15 S McCaughan (CPC)

Update on Ulster colleges scene:

Rannafast 1/4 finals
Magherafelt v Abbey
Letterkenny v Inis Eoghain
Omagh v Armagh
Dungannon v Caven

Herald cup quarter finals
Rathmore v Ballyshannon
St Michaels Lurgan v Downpatrick or Crossmaglen
Keady v Bessbrook
Derry v St Malachys

Mageean Cup Final is St Mary's Belfast v An Dun

McNamee final is Maghera v St Mary's Belfast

Also MacRory has started with Bessbrook more than holding their own with wins over Enniskellin and Colman's.

Anyone able to help me with a problem I'm having.

Got BT infinity installed. Works great for laptops, iPhones , iPads picking up decent signal where ever I'm at in the house. PC on the other hand seems to be struggling. It can pick up the wireless signal but no where near the down load speed of the other devices and the signal will drop off eventually.

I originally had to install a wireless card in order to make the PC wireless in the first place so my first theory is that the wireless card (Ralink RT61 Turbo Wireless LAN card) is just not good enough for infinity.

Any thoughts would be appreciated?

Derry beating Monaghan 2-7 to 0-1. Nearly half time. Latest scores from @Doiregaa.

last time i trust second hand information. congrats dungannon.