Irish Craobh Iomána Uladh Trophy Liam Harvey Cup Title holders Antrim (56th title) Number of teams 4 | Founded 1900 No. of teams 4 Most titles Antrim (56 titles) Region Ulster | |
Ulster senior hurling championship final 2016 antrim v armagh
The Ulster Senior Hurling Championship is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Ulster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is one of the three provincial hurling tournaments in Ireland and the most prestigious inter-county hurling competition in Ulster. The championship has been awarded every year since 1901.
Contents
- Ulster senior hurling championship final 2016 antrim v armagh
- Armagh v down preview ulster senior hurling championship semi final 2016
- Standing of the Ulster Championship
- Format
- 2008 competition
- 2009 competition
- 2016
- Top winners
- Ulster Championship moments
- By decade
- Biggest wins
- Successful defending
- Gaps
- Longest undefeated run
- List of Ulster finals
- References
The final, usually held on the second Sunday in July, serves as the culmination of a series of games played during the summer months, and the results determine which county's team receives the Liam Harvey Cup. The championship has always been played on a straight knockout basis whereby once a team loses they are eliminated from the championship.
The Ulster Championship was formerly an integral part of the wider GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship. In 2005 Antrim entered the All-Ireland competition directly.
In 2016, a two-tier format began. Four teams compete in the Ulster Senior Hurling Championship, and four in the Ulster Senior Hurling Shield.
The title has been won at least once by five Ulster counties, all of which have won the title more than once. The all-time record-holders Antrim, who have won the competition 55 times. Antrim are also the current champions.
Armagh v down preview ulster senior hurling championship semi final 2016
Standing of the Ulster Championship
While the Munster Hurling Championship and the Leinster Hurling Championship are generally held in very high regard, and have produced the vast majority of recent All-Ireland Hurling Champions, the Ulster Championship has not been regarded historically as of a similar standard, and the Ulster champions have entered the All-Ireland Hurling Championship at an earlier round than the Munster and Leinster champions.
This is due to a number of factors, one of which is the dominance of Gaelic football in eight of the nine counties of Ulster. An Ulster team has never won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, although Antrim were finalists in 1943 and 1989. Antrim have dominated the Ulster Championship throughout its existence, winning the title 55 times to date.
While below the standard of Leinster and Munster hurling, the Ulster championship has been generally of a higher standard than the now discontinued Connacht Senior Hurling Championship. However Galway, by far the strongest team in Connacht, have historically performed much better than any Ulster team, with several All-Ireland titles, and generally recognised as one of the major powers in the sport.
Format
The Ulster Hurling Championship is run on a knock-out basis in which once a team loses they are eliminated from the competition.
2008 competition
2008 marked the first tournament since the resumption of the championship to feature all the Ulster counties, with the addition of London bringing the total to ten. The stronger teams (Antrim, Down, Derry, Armagh) have received byes to the later stages to prevent mismatches. Ulster was the only one of the four provinces where all counties entered the Senior Hurling Championship.
2009 competition
In October 2008, Westmeath, made an application for admission to the 2009 Ulster Senior Hurling Championship. This followed the acceptance of Antrim and Galway into the 2009 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship a few weeks early. Westmeath County Hurling Board chairman Billy Foley explained the reason for applying to enter the Ulster Championship were the fact that Westmeath aren't allowed entry to the Leinster Championship at present and having won the Christy Ring Cup twice, found it "extremely difficult to motivate our players" for that particular competition any more. The Ulster Council confirmed their CCCC would discuss the proposal at a meeting on 18 October. However despite early optimism that they would be allowed entry, their application was turned down as the 2009 draw had already been made. The Ulster Council however said they would consider granting Westmeath entry in 2010, if they make a formal application.
2016
2016 saw the introduction of a two-tier contest, with four counties playing in the Championship and three in the Shield.
Top winners
The following teams have featured in Ulster Senior Hurling Championship finals, but have yet to record a victory.
Antrim's historic domination (only 3 finals have not featured the county; 1908, 1934 and 2001) has led over time to periods of uncompetitive competitions, and the championship was not played at all between 1950 and 1988. However, there have been periods when this domination has made way for periods of intense rivalry, notably between Antrim and Monaghan in the 1910s, between Antrim and Down in the 1990s, and between Antrim and Derry in the early 2000s
The 2001 Championship was unique in terms of being the only final since the reactivation of the Championship in 1988 which did not feature Antrim, as Derry defeated Down at Casement Park. Equally of note, Antrim have won every final since (albeit one on replay), their longest period of continuous success since 1988.
Ulster Championship moments
By decade
The most successful team of each decade, judged by number of Ulster Senior Hurling Championship titles, is as follows:
Biggest wins
The most one sided Ulster finals:
Successful defending
3 teams of the 4 who have won the Ulster championship have ever successfully defended the title. These are:
Gaps
Longest gaps between successive Ulster titles:
Longest undefeated run
The record for the longest unbeaten run stands at 24 games held by Antrim. It began with a 5-19 to 2-11 win against New York in the semi-final of the 2002 championship and will continue into the 2016 championship.