Kehoe Cup
| Kehoe Cup | |
|---|---|
Current season or competition: 2014 Kehoe Cup | |
 | |
| Irish | Corn Mhic Eochaidh |
| Code | Hurling |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Region |
 Leinster (GAA) |
| Trophy | The Kehoe Cup |
| No. of teams | 16 (2014) |
| Title holders | Meath (7th title) |
| Most titles | Meath & Westmeath (7 titles) |
| Sponsors | Bord na Móna |
| TV partner(s) | TG4 |
| Official website | leinster.gaa.ie |
The Kehoe Cup (Irish: Corn Mhic Eochaidh) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) since 1977 for second- and third-tier inter-county teams in the province of Leinster in Ireland. Nowadays, teams from the provinces of Ulster and Connacht are eligible to compete, as well as teams from third-level institutions within the three provinces. Contested by 16 teams, it operates on a straight knock-out system. The competition runs from January to February, with most games played on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, the others during weekday evenings. Sponsored by Bord na Móna, it is therefore officially known as the Bord na Móna Kehoe Cup.
The Kehoe Cup is part of a series of GAA tournaments known as the Bord na Móna Leinster GAA Series, along with the Walsh Cup and the O'Byrne Cup. The original purpose of these competitions was to raise funds to supplement an injury scheme for the players. Nowadays, the funds generated are used to alleviate hardship among players, mentors and families who are in financial difficulty. The funds are administered throughout the twelve counties of Leinster. Apart from this, the competitions provide an opportunity for the county teams to select their panel for the year and prepare for the National Hurling League (NHL).[1]
Since the inception of the Kehoe Cup in 1977, a total of 11 teams have won the tournament. Meath and Westmeath have been the most successful teams with 7 titles each to their names.[2] Meath are also the current title holders having won the 2014 tournament.[3]
History
In 1954, the Leinster Council established a new inter-county tournament in an effort to raise funds to supplement the medical bills of players who were in financial difficulty. This scheme, known as the Players' Injury Fund, was the first of its kind to be offered by a provincial GAA council. Originally known as the Leinster Accident Fund Tournament, it started as a knockout competition for the 12 counties in Leinster. During the fifties and sixties, the hurling tournament, which became known as the Walsh Cup, was dominated by the stronger hurling counties of Kilkenny and Wexford. As a result of this, the Walsh Cup was not contested for much of the seventies. In 1977, a second cup was presented to the Leinster Council for an alternative hurling competition. The cup was dedicated to former GAA President, Michael Kehoe (Wexford), who died on 8 January 1977. The tournament thus became known as the Kehoe Cup. The Leinster Council decided to alternate it with the Walsh Cup between the stronger and developing counties for the Players' Injury Fund. In its inaugural year, it was contested by the stronger hurling counties and was won by Wexford who beat Kilkenny in the final by 2-13 to 1-15 on 21 August 1977 in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford.[4] There was a break in the Walsh Cup from 1983 to 1986. When it recommenced in 1987, it was decided by the Leinster Council that the Walsh Cup would be used exclusively for the stronger hurling counties and the Kehoe Cup for the developing counties.
Format
The Kehoe Cup is a straight knockout tournament with each match played as a single leg. The pairings are drawn at random without seeding and the draw usually takes place in November or December of the previous year. The sixteen teams that are drawn to compete in the first round. The eight winning teams from the first round progress to the quarter-finals while the losing teams are drawn against each other to compete for the Kehoe Cup Shield. If a match ends in a draw, it is settled in extra time. However, if the score remains level at the end of extra time, a replay takes place and so on until a winner is found.
The format of the competition has remained virtually unchanged since its inception in 1977. The most significant change to the tournament was the entry of teams from outside of Leinster. Many of the second- and third-tier inter-county teams in Connacht and Ulster now compete in the Kehoe Cup. Another change to the competition was the entry of teams from third-level institutions. Colleges situated within any of the three provinces are now eligible to compete in the Kehoe Cup. These changes have benefited the new and existing teams within the tournament by improving the standard of the competition.
Sixteen teams currently participate in the Kehoe Cup. The inter-county teams include Armagh, Derry, Down, Fingal, Kildare, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Roscommon and Wicklow, while the third-level teams consist of DCU, GMIT, QUB and St Pats.
Sponsorship
In December 2011, the Leinster Council announced a new partnership with Bord na Móna which would provide the competition with a sponsor for the first time in its then 34-year history. This three-year sponsorship deal began in January 2012 and helps fund what is now known as the Bord na Móna Leinster GAA Series, which includes the Kehoe Cup and Shield, Walsh Cup and Shield, and the O'Byrne Cup and Shield. The sponsorship also helps to finance the Leinster GAA's hardship fund, which is the only one of its kind offered by a provincial GAA council and has been in existence since 1954. In the past, this fund has helped local communities, families and players to finance medical bills, rebuild homes lost through tragic circumstances and made financial payments to assist disabled players.[5]
Records and statistics
Roll of honour
| Rank | Team | Winners | Runners-up | Years winners | Years runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |
Meath | |
|
1993, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2008, 2011, 2014 | 1981, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2013 |
| |
Westmeath | |
|
1978, 1983, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2009, 2010 | 1998, 2002 |
| |
Wicklow | |
|
1989, 1991, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003 | 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2011 |
| |
Carlow | |
|
1986, 1990, 1992, 1999, 2005, 2006 | 1991, 1994, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2009 |
| |
London | |
|
1987, 1988 | 1983, 2003 |
| |
Kildare | |
|
2013 | 1992, 2001, 2010, 2014 |
| |
Dublin | |
|
1981 | 1978, 1982 |
| |
DIT | |
|
2007 | 2006 |
| |
GMIT | |
|
2012 | |
| |
Wexford | |
|
1977 | |
| |
Laois | |
|
1982 |
No Competition: 1979, 1984 and 1985. Kilkenny and Wexford qualified for the 1980 final but it was never played.[6]
Finals
| Year | Winners | Score | Runners-up | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | D.I.T | 1-10 (13) | Carlow | 1-07 (10) | Dr. Cullen Park |
| 2008 | Meath | 1-20 (23) | Carlow | 0-17 (17) | O'Moore Park |
| 2009 | Westmeath | 0-16 (16) | Carlow | 0-09 (09) | Kinnegad |
| 2010 | Westmeath | 1-15 (18) | Kildare | 1-11 (14) | St Conleth's Park |
| 2011 | Meath | 0-16 (16) | Wicklow | 1-11 (14) | Arklow |
| 2012[7] | G.M.I.T | 2-18 (24) | St Pat's, Drumcondra | 1-13 (16) | Na Fianna GAA |
| 2013[8] | Kildare | 2-11 (17) | Meath | 0-13 (13) | Trim |
| 2014[9] | Meath | 1-21 (24) | Kildare | 0-19 (19) | St Conleth's Park |
Kehoe Cup Shield
The Kehoe Cup Shield is a competition between the teams that lose in the first round of the Kehoe Cup. The competition was first held in 2009 when Kildare beat Louth in the final by 4-16 to 1-02.[10]
The 2011 tournament was won by TCD who beat Louth in the final by 1-21 to 2-14.[11]
Records and statistics
Roll of honour
| Rank | Team | Winners | Runners-up | Years winners | Years runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |
Kildare | |
|
2009 | |
| |
Wicklow | |
|
2010 | |
| |
TCD | |
|
2011 | |
| |
Fingal | |
|
2012 | |
| |
Louth | |
|
2009, 2011 | |
| |
Armagh | |
|
2010 |
Finals
| Year | Winners | Score | Runners-up | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Kildare | 4-16 (28) | Louth | 1-02 (05) | Darver |
| 2010 | Wicklow | 3-12 (21) | Armagh | 1-17 (20) | Arklow |
| 2011AET | TCD | 1-21 (24) | Louth | 2-14 (20) | Darver |
| 2012 | Fingal | 4-11 (23) | Armagh | 1-14 (17) | Lawless Memorial Park |
| 2013[12] | Down | 0-19 (19) | Roscommon | 1-14 (17) | St. Loman's, Mullingar |
| 2014[13] | Mayo | 1-17 (20) | Queen's University Belfast | 0-15 (15) | Darver |
AET: Abandoned in extra time.
References
- ↑ "Leinster GAA joins forces with Bord na Móna to boost hardship fund". Bord na Móna. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- ↑ "Walsh Cup Senior Hurling Roll Of Honour". Leinster GAA. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
- ↑ Ray Kirby (10 February 2014). "Kehoe Cup: Meath win in extra time thriller". Lynn Group. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
- ↑ Humphrey Kelleher (2013). GAA Family Silver. Sportsfile. pp. 154–155. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
- ↑ "Leinster GAA joins forces with Bord na Móna to boost hardship fund". Bord na Móna. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- ↑ "Kehoe Cup Hurling Champions". leinster.gaa.ie. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
- ↑ "Kehoe Cup final: GMIT prove too strong for Pats". Hogan Stand. 2012-02-13. Retrieved 2014-05-21.
- ↑ "Kehoe Cup final: Goals see Lillies lift laurels". Hogan Stand. 2013-02-10. Retrieved 2014-05-21.
- ↑ "Kehoe Cup: Meath win in extra time thriller". Hogan Stand. 2014-02-10. Retrieved 2014-05-21.
- ↑ "Kehoe Cup Shield Hurling Finals". leinster.gaa.ie. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
- ↑ "FINAL - Trinity College Dublin claim Kehoe Shield after extra-time". http://louth.gaa.ie''. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
- ↑ "Kehoe Cup Shield final: Comeback Downs Rossies". Hogan Stand. 2013-02-16. Retrieved 2014-05-22.
- ↑ "Kehoe Shield Final victory for Mayo hurlers". Hogan Stand. 2014-02-14. Retrieved 2014-05-22.
External links
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