All-Ireland PPS Croke Cup | |
---|---|
Current season or competition: 2024 Croke Cup | |
Irish | Craobh Iomána Iarbhunscoileanna na hÉireann |
Code | Hurling |
Founded | 1944 |
Region | Ireland (GAA) |
Trophy | Dr Croke Cup |
No. of teams | 6 |
Title holders | St Kieran's College (25th title) |
First winner | St Flannan's College |
Most titles | St Kieran's College (25 titles) |
Sponsors | Masita |
TV partner(s) | TG4 |
Official website | Official website |
The All-Ireland Post-Primary Schools Croke Cup, is an annual inter-schools hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association. It is the highest inter-schools hurling competition in Ireland, and has been contested every year, except on two occasions, since 1944.
The All-Ireland final, usually held in March, serves as the culmination of a knockout series of games played in February and March. Currently, qualification for the All-Ireland series is limited to teams competing in Connacht, Leinster and Munster. Eligible players must be under the age of 19.
The title has been won at least once by 17 different schools, nine of which have won the title more than once. The all-time record-holders are St Kieran's College, who have won the competition 24 times.
St Kieran's College are the current champions, having beaten St. Raphael's College by 0-26 to 1-18 in the 2024 All-Ireland final. [1]
Inter-colleges hurling competitions had been played since 1918, with the Leinster Championship and Dr Harty Cup both being formed that year. [2] [3] A similar competition had been running in Connacht since 1938. Participation in these competitions was limited to voluntary secondary schools. Similarly, an annual inter-provincial competition between Conancht, Leinster and Munster had been taking place, with the best college players from the respective provinces being picked to form the teams. It wasn't until 1944 that the Leinster and Munster champions faced each other to decide the All-Ireland champions. St Flannan's College beat St Kieran's College by 5–05 to 3–03 to claim the inaugural title. [4] [5] [6] It was the first of a record-setting four successive All-Ireland titles for St Flannan's College. [7]
St Kieran's College became the second team to win the All-Ireland title, however, the championship was suspended following their victory over St Colman's College in 1948. [8] [9] The championship was reintroduced in 1957, with representatives from the Connacht Championship being allowed to contest the All-Ireland series for the first time. Representatives from the Ulster Championship were allowed to contest the All-Ireland series for the first time in 1964, however, their participation was shortlived. [10] [11]
The Croke Cup has seen a keen rivalry develop between St Flannan's College and St Kieran's College. By 1999, both colleges had won 13 All-Ireland titles. In spite of this, other colleges have enjoyed multiple successes at various times throughout the history of the competition. The North Monastery, St Finbarr's College and St Colman's College brought 10 All-Ireland titles to Cork between 1960 and 1977. St Peter's College, Wexford won four All-Ireland titles from six All-Ireland finals appearances between 1960 and 1973, while Limerick CBS claimed two victories from four consecutive finals appearances between 1964 and 1967. [12] [13] [14] [15] Tipperary wrote their name into the All-Ireland roll of honour when Templemore CBS claimed the title in 1978, while St Brendan's Community School from Offaly won their sole Croke Cup in 1986. [16] [17] The Leinster-Munster stranglehold on the competition was broken in 1995 when St. Raphael's College became the first college from County Galway to claim the All-Ireland title. [18] [19]
The turn of the century has seen St Kieran's College dominate by winning 11 titles between 2000 and 2023. Amalgamated teams have also enjoyed successes during this period, with Dublin Colleges claiming the title in 2006 and Dungarvan Colleges winning in 2013. [20] [21] Amalgamated teams were later precluded from participating in the All-Ireland series, however, vocational schools were permitted to field teams in the competition after a merger with the All-Ireland VS SAHC in 2014. By that stage, the championship had undergone a further expansion when the introduction of a "back door system" in 2005 allowed the defeated Leinster and Munster finalists entry into the All-Ireland series for the first time. [22] The "back door system" was extended to the Connacht runners-up in 2014. The Croke Cup was suspended mid-championship in 2020 and not held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [23]
Province | Championship | Teams progressing |
---|---|---|
Connacht | Connacht GAA PPS Senior A Hurling Championship | Champions and runners-up |
Leinster | Leinster GAA PPS Senior A Hurling Championship | Champions and runners-up |
Munster | Dr Harty Cup | Champions and runners-up |
The championship features six teams in a knockout series of games. Two teams receive byes to the All-Ireland semi-finals, while the other four teams play each other in two All-Ireland quarter-finals. This is organised on a strict rotational basis between the Connacht, Leinster and Munster teams. Teams who have met each other in the respective provincial championships are precluded from meeting each other until the All-Ireland final.
Masita became the title sponsor of the championship in 2013. [24] [25] The competition was previously sponsored by Coca-Cola. [26]
The Dr Croke Cup is the current prize for winning the All-Ireland final. It was commissioned to honour Thomas Croke (1824–1902), who was the Archbishop of Cashel and Emly and one of the first patrons of the Gaelic Athletic Association. [27] [28]
Traditionally, the victory presentation takes place at a special rostrum in the main grandstand of the stadium. The winning captain accepts the cup on behalf of his team before giving a short speech. Individual members of the winning team then have an opportunity to come to the rostrum to lift the cup, which is held by the winning team until the following year's final. In accordance with GAA rules, a set of gold medals is awarded to the championship winners.
# | Team | County | Won | Years won |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | St Kieran's College | Kilkenny | 25 | 1948, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1965, 1971, 1975, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024 |
2 | St Flannan's College | Clare | 14 | 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1958, 1976, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2005 |
3 | North Monastery | Cork | 5 | 1960, 1970, 1980, 1985, 1994 |
St Finbarr's College | Cork | 5 | 1963, 1969, 1972, 1974, 1984 | |
5 | St Peter's College | Wexford | 4 | 1962, 1967, 1968, 1973 |
St Colman's College | Cork | 4 | 1977, 1997, 2001, 2002 | |
7 | Limerick CBS | Limerick | 2 | 1964, 1966 |
DLS College Waterford | Waterford | 2 | 2007, 2008 | |
9 | Templemore CBS | Tipperary | 1 | 1978 |
Kilkenny CBS | Kilkenny | 1 | 1981 | |
St Brendan's CS | Offaly | 1 | 1986 | |
St Raphael's College | Galway | 1 | 1995 | |
Dublin Colleges | Dublin | 1 | 2006 | |
Thurles CBS | Tipperary | 1 | 2009 | |
Nenagh CBS | Tipperary | 1 | 2012 | |
Dungarvan Colleges | Waterford | 1 | 2013 | |
Our Lady's SS | Tipperary | 1 | 2017 | |
Ardscoil Rís | Limerick | 1 | 2022 |
The most successful college of each decade, judged by number of championship titles, is as follows:
Longest gaps between successive championship titles:
# | Name | Team(s) | Goals | Points | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Adrian Mullen | St Kieran's College | 4 | 37 | 49 |
2 | Stephen Power | DLS College | 4 | 36 | 48 |
3 | Harry Shine | St Kieran's College | 4 | 24 | 36 |
# | Player | Team | Final | Score | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bernie McMahon | St Flannan's College | 1947 | 4-02 | 14 |
Frank O'Brien | St Finbarr's College | 1969 | 4-02 | 14 | |
Andrew O'Shaughnessy | St Colman's College | 2001 | 2-08 | 14 | |
Tony O'Sullivan | North Monastery | 1980 | 2-08 | 14 | |
5 | Joe Ryan | St Kieran's College | 1971 | 4-00 | 12 |
D. J. Carey | St Kieran's College | 1989 | 3-03 | 12 | |
Richard Grace | Limerick CBS | 1967 | 2-06 | 12 | |
Richie Power | St Kieran's College | 2004 | 1-09 | 12 | |
Mark Kennedy | Presentation College | 2018 | 1-09 | 12 | |
Pádraig Kennedy | St Flannan's College | 1958 | 1-09 | 12 |
James Smyth was an Irish hurler who played as a full-forward for the Clare senior team.
Ardscoil Rís is a voluntary, all-boys, Roman Catholic secondary school in Limerick, Ireland. Located on the North Circular Road, its catchment area includes neighbourhoods on the northside of Limerick such as Caherdavin, Mayorstone and Clareview though many students commute from other areas of the city as well as surrounding rural areas.
The Dr. Harty Cup is an annual inter-schools hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It has been contested every year, except on three occasions, since 1918. As the pinnacle of inter-schools hurling competition in the province of Munster, the winning of a Harty Cup medal is sometimes viewed as more important than an All-Ireland medal for some players.
The Leinster GAA Post-Primary Schools Senior A Hurling Championship, is an annual inter-schools hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association. It is the highest inter-schools hurling competition in the province of Leinster, and has been contested every year, except on two occasions, since 1918.
Declan Hannon is an Irish hurler who plays for Limerick Senior Championship club Adare and at inter-county level as captain of the Limerick senior hurling team, whom he captained to the All Ireland hurling title in 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2022 becoming the first Limerick captain since Mick Mackey to captain Limerick to victory twice, and the first hurling captain to lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup a record four times. He usually lines out as a centre-back.
Paul Flanagan is an Irish hurler. At club he plays with Ballyea, while he has also lined out at inter-county level with various Clare teams.
The 2023 All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Croke Cup was the 70th staging of the Croke Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1944. The competition ran from 18 February to 17 March 2023.
The 2022 All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Croke Cup was the 69th staging of the Croke Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1944. It was the first Croke Cup to be completed in three years as the 2020 and 2021 competitions were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The competition ran from 19 February to 17 March 2022.
The 1944 Croke Cup was the inaugural staging of the Croke Cup. While provincial championships had been played in both Leinster and Munster since 1918, this was the first time that the two champions faced each other in an All-Ireland series.
The 2018 All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Croke Cup was the 67th staging of the Croke Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1944. The competition ran from 10 to 31 March 2018.
The 1976 Croke Cup was the 25th staging of the Croke Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1944. The competition ran from 4 April to 16 May 1976.
The 1977 Croke Cup was the 26th staging of the Croke Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1944. The competition ran from 3 April to 1 May 1977.
The 1992 Croke Cup was the 41st staging of the Croke Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1944. The competition ran from 5 April to 26 April 1992.
The 1998 Croke Cup was the 47th staging of the Croke Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1944. The competition ran from 5 April to 3 May 1998.
The 1999 Croke Cup was the 48th staging of the Croke Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1944. The competition ran from 27 March to 18 April 1999.
The 2001 Croke Cup was the 50th staging of the Croke Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1944. The competition ran from 8 April to 5 May 2001.
The 2005 Croke Cup was the 54th staging of the Croke Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1944.
The 2014 Croke Cup was the 63rd staging of the Croke Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1944. The competition ran from 15 March to 5 April 2014.
The 2016 Croke Cup was the 65th staging of the Croke Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1944. The competition ran from 6 March to 28 March 2016.
The 2024 All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Croke Cup was the 71st staging of the Croke Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1944. The competition ran from 17 February to 16 March 2024.