Founded 1970–71 Trophy Tommy Moore Cup | Region Ireland (GAA) No. of teams 4 | |
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Irish Craobh Shinsear Iomáint Chlub na hÉireann Title holders Na Piarsaigh, Limerick (1st title) | ||
The All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and contested by the top senior clubs in Ireland. Regarded as the most prestigious club competition in hurling, the tournament has taken place every year since the 1970-71 season.
Contents
The final is usually held on St. Patrick's Day with the winner receiving the Tommy Moore Cup. The championship has always been played on a straight knockout basis whereby once a team loses they are eliminated from the series. In the present format, it begins in October with provincial championships held in Leinster, Munster and Ulster. The three provincial champions contest the All-Ireland semi-finals with the Galway champions who represent Connacht.
The 2015–16 champions were Na Piarsaigh from Limerick who secured their first title after defeating Cushendall of Antrim by 2-25 to 2-14 in the final.
Ballyhale Shamrocks is the most successful club in the competition's history, having won the championship six times. Galway clubs have accumulated the highest number of victories (13 wins), followed by Kilkenny (11 wins) and Cork (9 wins). The championship has been won by 24 different clubs, 10 of whom have won it more than once. Only four clubs —Sarsfields, Athenry, Birr and Portumna — have managed consecutive wins.
History
In the 1960s a number of new initiatives took place with regard to developments in Gaelic games competitions. Firstly the All-Ireland under-21 championships in hurling and Gaelic football were introduced in 1964 as a new grade of competition for young hurlers. Secondly, the Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship was established that same year as a competition for the champion clubs of the six counties of the southern province. Prior to this, however, tournaments and charity games involving clubs from different counties had taken place as far back as the thirties.
At the GAA's annual congress in 1969 Donegal, Galway and Wexford put down a motion for the introduction of All-Ireland club championships in both codes. The competition eventually began in 1970-71.
Qualification
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Club Championship features four teams in the final tournament. 16 teams contest the three provincial club championships with the three respective champions and the Galway champions, a team who face no competition in their own province, automatically qualifying for the All-Ireland series.
Structure
Each of Ireland's 32 counties play their own championship between all the hurling clubs in the county – depending on the county, it can be league, knockout, or a mixture of both. The 32 county champions play in the 4 provincial championships, with the four winners of these advancing to the All-Ireland Semi-Finals. Until the introduction of the Intermediate and Junior Championships one team usually played the London champions in a quarter-final. The London champions now play in the Intermediate Championship. The All-Ireland Final is played in Croke Park on St. Patrick's Day.
Schedule:
History
The club championship was first held in 1971, with Roscrea of Tipperary becoming the first champions. Ironically, given the county's initial opposition to the tournament, Cork clubs won seven All-Irelands in this decade. James Stephens of Kilkenny were the first Leinster team to win.
Castlegar won Connacht's first title in 1980. In 1983 Loughgiel Shamrocks became Ulster's first All-Ireland champions before winning again in 2012. Teams from the traditional hurling counties (Cork, Tipperary and Kilkenny) dominated for the rest of the 80s.
Since the 1990s Galway clubs have come to the fore, with Sarsfields, Athenry and Portumna managing to retain the title. Birr also enjoyed much success, winning four titles in nine seasons.
In defeating De La Salle of Waterford in the 2009 final, Portumna of Galway won a third title in four years, the first club to manage this feat.
Provincial Champions Listed By Year
All-Ireland winners are shaded gold, and counties are given in brackets.