Ulster Senior Hurling Championship

The Ulster Senior Hurling Championship is the premier inter-county "knockout" competition in the game of hurling played in the province of Ulster. The series of games are organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and are played during the summer months. The Ulster Hurling Final is played in July. The winners are awarded the Liam Harvey Cup.

The 2013 final was won by defending champions Antrim on February 2nd 2014 in Celtic Park, Derry.^{[1] [2]}

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 52 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.^[3]

2009 competition

In October 2008, Westmeath, made an application for admission to the 2009 Ulster Senior Hurling Championship.^[3][4] This followed the acceptance of Antrim and Galway into the 2009 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship a few weeks early.^[4] 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.^[4] The Ulster Council confirmed their CCCC would discuss the proposal at a meeting on 18 October.^[4] However despite early optimism that they would be allowed entry,^[4] their application was turned down as the 2009 draw had already been made.^[5] The Ulster Council however said they would consider granting Westmeath entry in 2010, if they make a formal application.^[5]

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.

Roll of honour

• 1929 Antrim declared champions - Donegal disqualified
• 1901 Antrim defeated Derry 41 points to 12 points - exact score not given

See also

• Munster Senior Hurling Championship
• Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
• Connacht Senior Hurling Championship

References