The Louth county hurling team represents Louth GAA in the Gaelic sport of hurling.
The team currently competes in the fourth-tier Nicky Rackard Cup and Division 3B of the National Hurling League.
Sport: | Hurling | |
---|---|---|
Irish: | Lughbhadh An Lú | |
Nickname(s): | The Wee County | |
County board: | Louth GAA | |
Manager: | Trevor Hilliard | |
Captain: | Peter Fortune | |
Home venue(s): | St Brigid's Park/Darver Centre of Excellence | |
Recent competitive record | ||
Current All-Ireland status: | Nicky Rackard Cup (5th) in 2024 | |
Last championship title: | 2022 Lory Meagher Cup | |
Current NHL Division: | 3B | |
Last league title: | 2021 Division 3B | |
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The Louth hurlers have never won the Leinster Senior Championship, the All-Ireland Senior Championship or Division One of the National League.
As in most counties outside of the game's heartland of Munster and south Leinster, hurling has been less popular than Gaelic football in Louth. Currently, only three clubs complete in the Louth Senior Hurling Championship. They are Naomh Moninne, Knockbridge and St Fechin's.
At national level, the county's hurlers have won the former All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship twice and the Lory Meagher Cup three times. They have finished runners-up in the Nicky Rackard Cup competition on four occasions.
In 2024 the team was relegated from Division 3A of the National Hurling League to Division 3B. [1] They retained their status in the fourth-tier Nicky Rackard Cup by finishing fifth in the table. [2]
Knockbridge native and former county hurler Trevor Hilliard is the current manager of the county side. [3]
Name | Origin | Year(s) |
---|---|---|
Tony Melia | Louth | 1991-95 |
Patsy Mulholland | Louth | 1995-98 |
Selection Committee | Louth | 1998 |
John Kennedy | Offaly | 1999-2001 |
Joe Power | Tipperary | 2002-04 |
Pat Dunny | Kildare | 2005 |
Selection Committee | Louth | 2005 |
Kevin McDonnell | Louth | 2006 |
Pat Clancy | Westmeath | 2007-09 |
Paddy Kelly | Meath | 2010-11 |
Pat Clancy | Westmeath | 2012-13 |
Diarmuid McCarthy | Louth | 2014-16 |
Philip O’Brien | Meath | 2017-18 |
Paul McCormack | Armagh | 2019-23 |
Trevor Hilliard | Louth | 2024- |
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The 2024 Nicky Rackard Cup was the twentieth edition of the Nicky Rackard Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2005 and is the fourth-tier of Hurling for senior county teams. It is contested by six GAA county teams ranked 24–29 in the 2024 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. The competition ran from 13 April to 2 June 2024.