St Mary's GAC Faughanvale was established in 1933. A camogie team was founded in 1946 and affiliated to the club, before folding in 1989. The club's first major success came in 1943 when they won the North Derry Senior Football Championship, before losing to
Lavey in the
All-Derry Senior Championship final. In 1975 Faughanvale won the Derry Junior Football Championship. Faughanvale lost the 1976 Intermediate Final to Greenlough. Three years later St Mary's won the
Derry Intermediate Football Championship and have won the competition a further four times since (1981, 1996, 1998, 1999) and got to the final a further four times (1989, 1990, 2017, 2024). Faughanvale was awarded "Irish News Rural Club of the Year 2005" by
The Irish News. In 2014, Faughanvale were relegated from the Intermediate league. In 2015, for the first time in 40 years, they competed at Junior Level. In 2015 Faughanvale won a treble of Neil Carlin Cup, Division 3 League, and their second Derry Junior Championship. After this Junior Championship win they were promoted to the
Intermediate Championship for the 2016 season. In the 2017, season they reached the Intermediate Championship final however they lost out to
Newbridge. In the subsequent years, Faughanvale were seen as a "nearly team" with a lot of youth coming through of the back of their U21 teams but never making that push to the final. Their closest run after 2017 came in 2019 where they took eventual champions
Foreglen to a replay but subsequently lost. After a relegation scare in 2023 where they played parish rivals
Slaughtmanus in a play-off final, new managers were brought in. In the 2024 season, they got promoted to the Senior league for the first time in over 30 years and got to the Intermediate final where they played
Ballinderry in the final. After an entertaining final which ended in a draw after a controversial decision, they lost to Ballinderry in the replay. They were promoted to the
Derry Senior Football Championship for 2025. They played
Steelstown in their first senior championship match in over 30 years which they lost. A win against
Drumsurn sequered their status for the 2026 championship however they lost to
Bellaghy in the next round. The club purchased its current grounds in 1982. Before this, football was played at the O'Neill family's field on the Clooney Road. When the new pitch opened in 1983, it was named after one of the founding club members and former chairman of the Derry County Board, John McLaughlin. In May 2007, the club began a £1.2million redevelopment of their playing facilities at John McLaughlin Park and opened the new grounds in May 2009. In 2008, the club took part in the
Celebrity Bainisteoir programme and were managed by journalist
Nell McCafferty. Notable club members include Paul Bradley who won an All-Ireland minor medal with Derry in 1983, captained Derry minors to Ulster success in 1984 and who won a Sigerson medal with St Mary's University College Belfast in 1989. Stephen Mulvenna won an All-Ireland senior medal with Derry in 1993. ==Teams==