The Christy Ring Cup is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association. The cup forms the third-tier of Hurling for senior county teams. It is contested by the six county teams ranked 18–23 in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. Each year, the champions of the Christy Ring Cup are promoted to the Joe McDonagh Cup, and the lowest finishing team is relegated to the Nicky Rackard Cup. The competition is named in honour of Christy Ring, a legendary player from Cork.
The Nicky Rackard Cup is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association. The cup forms the fourth-tier of Hurling for senior county teams. It is contested by the six county teams ranked 24–29 in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. Each year, the champions of the Nicky Rackard Cup are promoted to the Christy Ring Cup, and the lowest finishing team is relegated to the Lory Meagher Cup. The winners of the championship receive the Nicky Rackard Cup, named after former Wexford hurler Nicky Rackard regarded as one of the greatest hurlers of all time.
The 2005 Nicky Rackard Cup began on Saturday, 18 June 2005. 2005 was the first time the Nicky Rackard Cup was introduced into the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. It was devised by the Hurling Development Committee to encourage some of the so-called "weaker" hurling counties and to give them the chance of playing more games. It is in effect a "Division 3" for hurling teams in Ireland. The final was played on Sunday, 21 August when London beat Louth in the final at Croke Park, Dublin.
The 2006 Christy Ring Cup is the second edition of the Christy Ring Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2005 and is the second-tier of Hurling for senior county teams. It is contested by ten GAA county teams ranked 13–22 in the 2006 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. The cup began on 3 June 2006 and ended on 6 August 2006.
The 2006 Nicky Rackard Cup was the 2006 campaign of the Nicky Rackard Cup and began on Saturday June 10, 2006. 2006 was the second time this new element of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was introduced. It was devised by the Hurling Development Committee to encourage some of the weaker hurling counties and to give them the chance of playing more games. The final will be played on Sunday, August 13 in Croke Park, Dublin City.
The Lory Meagher Cup is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association. The cup forms the fifth-tier of Hurling for senior county teams. It is contested by the six county teams ranked 30–35 in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. Each year, the champions of the Lory Meagher Cup are promoted to the Nicky Rackard Cup. The competition is named in honour of former Kilkenny hurler Lory Meagher who many regard as one of the greatest hurlers of all time.
The 2011 Nicky Rackard Cup is the seventh season of the Nicky Rackard Cup since its establishment in 2005. A total of six teams will contest the Nicky Rackard Cup, including five sides from the 2010 Nicky Rackard Cup and one promoted team from the 2010 Lory Meagher Cup. The teams are:
Éamonn Phelan is an Irish retired hurler who played as a right corner-back for the London senior team.
The 2014 Nicky Rackard Cup is the tenth staging of the Nicky Rackard Cup hurling championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2005. The cup competition began on 26 April 2014 and will end on 14 June 2014.
The 2018 Nicky Rackard Cup was the 14th staging of the Nicky Rackard Cup hurling championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2005. It was the fourth tier of senior inter-county hurling as of 2018.
The 2019 Nicky Rackard Cup is the 15th staging of the Nicky Rackard Cup hurling championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2005. It is the fourth tier of senior inter-county hurling as of 2019.
The Louth county hurling team represents Louth GAA in the Gaelic sport of hurling.
The Armagh county hurling team represents Armagh GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association, in the Gaelic sport of hurling. The team competes in the Nicky Rackard Cup and the National Hurling League.
The Sligo county hurling team represents Sligo in hurling and is governed by Sligo GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the Christy Ring Cup and the National Hurling League. It formerly competed in the abolished Connacht Senior Hurling Championship, finishing as runner-up in 1900 and 1906.
The London county hurling team represents London in hurling and is governed by London GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the Christy Ring Cup and the National Hurling League. It formerly competed in the Ulster and Leinster Senior Hurling Championships.
Declan Coulter is a hurler. He plays for Setanta, the Donegal county team and the Ireland national team.
The 2021 Lory Meagher Cup was the thirteenth edition of the Lory Meagher Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2009 and is the fifth-tier of Hurling for senior county teams. It is contested by five GAA county teams ranked 28–32 in the 2021 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.
The 2022 Lory Meagher Cup is the fourteenth edition of the Lory Meagher Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2009 and is the fifth-tier of Hurling for senior county teams. It is contested by six GAA county teams ranked 30–35 in the 2022 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.
The 2023 Nicky Rackard Cup was the 19th staging of the Nicky Rackard Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2005. Wicklow were the winners, defeating Donegal in the final.
The 2023 Lory Meagher Cup is the fifteenth edition of the Lory Meagher Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2009 and is the fifth-tier of Hurling for senior county teams. It is contested by six GAA county teams ranked 30–35 in the 2023 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. The cup fixtures were made in 2022.
