North-west Derby (Ireland)
The North-west Derby is the name of the association football match played between Finn Harps and Derry City. It has been hotly contested on a season-to-season basis since Derry's inception into the League of Ireland in 1985, with the rival West Ulster clubs often meeting on a number of occasions during the one season. History The derby has existed since Derry City's entry into the League of Ireland in 1985 as a result of the close proximity of the club's respective homes to the other's. The city of Derry is located about 30 miles from the town of Ballybofey in County Donegal, where Finn Harps play. The rivalry between the teams is fuelled by quite a substantial gulf in success and a rural-urban divide between the two. Derry's support comes largely from the city of Derry, although there is strong support for the club in Inishowen and The Laggan district of East Donegal. Finn Harps, who have been less successful historically, play in a small regional market-town in East Donegal and take their support from large parts of County Donegal. Even though they have quite a large support-base in Letterkenny, a sizable proportion of their support is derived from those