All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship 1974

1974 All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship
Country  Ireland
 England
Teams 9
Champions Kildare
Runners-up Antrim
Matches played 9

The All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship of 1974 was the inaugural staging of Ireland's secondary hurling knock-out competition. Kildare won the championship, beating Antrim 1-26 to 3-13 in the final at Croke Park, Dublin.

Teams

Leinster Munster Ulster Britain

Format

First round: (4 matches) These are four matches between the eight native participating teams. Four teams are eliminated at this stage. Two winning teams automatically qualify for the semi-final stage. Two other winning teams play off in a lone quarter-final.

Quarter-final: (1 match) This is a single match between two first round winners. One team is eliminated at this stage while the winners advance to the semi-final.

Semi-finals: (2 matches) The two winners of the first round join the winners of the lone quarter-final and British representatives Herfordshire to make up the semi-final pairings. Two teams are eliminated at this stage while the winners advance to the final.

Final: (1 match) The winners of the two semi-finals contest this game. One team is eliminated at this stage while the winners are allowed to participate in a preliminary round for the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.

Results

All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship

May 12
First Round
Down 2-6 – 2-7 Westmeath
B. Gilmore (1-3), C. O'Flynn (1-1), J. Hughes (0-1), M. O'Flynn (0-1). E. Clarke (0-5), M. Fagan (1-0), N. Fitzsimons (1-0), P. Curran (0-2).
McKenna Park, Ballycran

May 12
First Round
Wicklow 1-4 – 2-5 Antrim
T. McCarthy (1-0), M. Lalor (0-2), M. Jordan (0-1), S. O'Brien (0-1). E. Donnelly (2-1), A. Hamill (0-1), B. Patterson (0-1), A. McCallin (0-1), S. Collins (0-1).
O'Byrne Park, Aughrim
Referee: B. Lowth (Dublin)

May 12
First Round
Meath 3-10 – 2-9 Carlow
R. Melia (1-4), V. Guy (1-0), T. J. O'Reilly (1-0), S. Kearney (0-3), Cyril Maguire (0-2), F. McCann (0-1). P. Quirke (0-7), T. Byrne (1-0), P. Keogh (1-0), T. Collier (0-1), P. McNally (0-1).
St. Loman's Park, Trim
Referee: S. Harkin (Laois)

May 12
First Round
Kerry 1-9 – 3-4 Kildare
P. Moriarty (1-0), J. McGrath (0-4), T. Kenny (0-3), P. Nolan (0-2). J. O'Connell (1-2), N. Walshe (1-1), F. Deering (1-0), J. Walshe (0-1).
Austin Stack Park, Tralee
Referee: M. Slattery (Clare)

May 26
Quarter-Final
Kildare 3-18 – 2-8 Meath
M. Deely (2-2), J. Walshe (0-6), F. Deering (0-4), M. Dunne (1-0), T. Carew (0-2), N. Walshe (0-2), B. Burke (0-1), J. Wall (0-1). P. J. O'Reilly (1-1), N. O'Riordan (1-0), V. Guy (0-2), R. Melia (0-2), C. Maguire (0-1), G. Geoghegan (0-1), S. Kearney (0-1).
St. Conleth's Park, Newbridge

June 2
Semi-Final
Kildare 2-10 – 1-8 Westmeath
N. Walshe (1-3), J. Wall (1-0), J. Walshe (0-3), M. Deely (0-2), B. Burke (0-1), T. Carew (0-1). J. Carey (1-1), C. Connaughton (0-4), P. Curran (0-3).
St. Conleth's Park, Newbridge
Referee: B. Lowth (Dublin)

June 9
Semi-Final
Antrim 4-9 – 4-9 Hertfordshire
W. Richmond (2-0), E. Dornan (1-3), S. Richmond (1-1), E. Donnelly (0-2), A. Hamill (0-2), R. McDonnell (0-1). M. Cuddy (2-1), P. Carr (1-1), M. Alan (1-0), E. Purcell (0-3), S. McGarry (0-2), J. Cuddy (0-1), G. Mahoney (0-1).
Casement Park, Belfast
Referee: C. Foley (Dublin)

June 16
Semi-Final Replay
Hertfordshire 4-13 – 5-15 Antrim
J. Cuddy (1-4), H. Healy (2-2), M. Cuddy (0-5), S. McGarry (1-0), P. Carr (0-1), M. Waters (0-1). S. Richmond (3-1), E. Donnelly (1-2), A. Hamill (0-4), I. Lewsley (1-0), W. Richmond (0-3), S. Collins (0-2), M. McKillop (0-2), R. McDonnell (0-1).
Sundon Park, Luton
Referee: P. Byrne (Limerick)

June 23
Final
Kildare 1-26 – 3-13 Antrim
J. Walshe (0-10), B. Burke (0-5), M. Deely (0-4), N. Walshe (1-0), T. Carew (0-3), J. O'Leary (0-2), J. O'Connell (0-1), A. Moore (0-1). W. Richmond (2-1), S. Collins (0-5), E. Donnelly (0-5), A. Hamill (1-1), S. Richmond (0-1).
Croke Park, Dublin
Referee: B. Lowth (Dublin)

Championship statistics

Scoring

Overall

Top scorers

Season

Rank Player County Tally Total Matches Average
1 Johnny Walshe Kildare 0-20 20 4 5.00
2 Willie Richmond Kildare 4-4 16 4 4.00
3 Séamus Richmond Antrim 4-3 15 4 3.75

Single game

Rank Player County Tally Total Opposition
1 Séamus Richmond Antrim 3-1 10 Hertfordshire
Johnny Walshe Kildare 0-10 10 Antrim
3 Mick Deely Kildare 2-2 8 Meath
4 Willie Richmond Antrim 2-1 7 Kildare
Martin Cuddy Antrim 2-1 7 Hertfordshire
Eddie Donnelly Antrim 2-1 7 Wicklow
Richie Melia Meath 1-4 7 Carlow
John Cuddy Hertfordshire 1-4 7 Antrim
Pat Quirke Carlow 0-7 7 Meath
10 Willie Richmond Antrim 2-0 6 Hertfordshire
Brian Gilmore Down 1-3 6 Westmeath
Ned Walshe Kildare 1-3 6 Westmeath
Eddie Dornan Antrim 1-3 6 Hertfordshire
Johnny Walshe Kildare 0-6 6 Meath

Sources