McGrath Cup

McGrath Cup
Current season or competition: 2026 McGrath Cup
Irish	Corn Mhic Craith [1]
Code	Gaelic football
Founded	1981
Region	Munster (GAA)
Trophy	McGrath Cup
No. of teams	6
Title holders	Cork (11th title)
Most titles	Clare (13 titles)
TV partner(s)	Clubber [2] YouTube
Official website	munster.gaa.ie/fixtures/mcgrath-cup-football/

The McGrath Cup is a Gaelic football competition played each January in Munster. The competition was introduced for the benefit of the weaker counties, but in the mid-1990s, Kerry and Cork were included. ^[3] Several college teams previously participated but, from 2016, only county teams compete.

Trophy

Joe McGrath donated the trophy to the Munster Council in 1981 for the promotion of Gaelic football. ^{[4] [5]}

List of finals

Year	Winner		Runners-up
	Team	Score	Team	Score
2026	Final takes place on 17 January 2026
2025	Not held due to fixture congestion
2024	Cork	1-14 (pens.)	Kerry	1-14
2023 [6]	Cork	0–19	Limerick	2–07
2022 [7]	Kerry	2–17	Cork	0–11
2021	Competition cancelled due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gaelic games [8]
2020	Limerick	0–20	Cork	0–16
2019	Clare	1–09	Cork	0–09
2018	Cork	3–13	Clare	3–12
2017	Kerry	2–13 [a]	Limerick	2–12
2016	Cork	1–15	Clare	1–09
2015 [9]	Waterford	3–12	UCC	1–09
2014 [10]	Cork	1–11	Kerry	0–10
2013	Kerry	1–12	Tipperary	1–05
2012	Cork	0–13	Tipperary	0–06
2011	Kerry	0–13	Clare	1–07
2010	Kerry	1–11	University College Cork	0–09
2009	Cork	1–13	University of Limerick	0–06
2008	Clare	1–06	Limerick	0–08
2007	Cork	1–08	Limerick	0–07
2006	Cork	1–09	Kerry	0–06
2005	Limerick	2–10	Cork Institute of Technology	1–03
2004	Limerick	1–09	Clare	1–06
2003	Tipperary	1–09	Clare	1–08
2002	Clare	2–13	Waterford	2–11
2001	Limerick	0–13	Tipperary	1–07
2000	Clare	3–01	London	0–04
1999 [11]	Cork	2–13	London	0–11
1998 [12]	Cork	2–20	London	0–08
1997 [13]	Clare	2–19	London	2–11
1996 [14]	Kerry	5–17	London	0–06
1995	Clare		London
1994 [15]	Clare	1–15	London	2–03
1993	Tipperary	2–13	London	0–04
1992	Clare		Limerick
1991	Limerick		Tipperary
1990	Clare		London
1989	Tipperary		London
1988 [16]	London	2–08	Waterford	1–06
1987	Limerick		Waterford
1986	Clare		London
1985 [17]	Limerick	0–11	London	2–03
1984	Clare		Tipperary
1983	Clare	1–08	London	0–05
1982 [18]	Clare	2–08	Tipperary	1–06
1981	Waterford	5–02	Clare	2–07

1. After extra time.

Roll of honour

#	Team	Wins	Runners-Up	Years won	Years Runners-Up
1	Clare	13	6	1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2008, 2019	1981, 2003, 2004, 2011, 2016, 2018
2	Cork	11	3	1998, 1999, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2023, 2024	2019, 2020, 2022
3	Limerick	7	5	1985, 1987, 1991, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2020	1992, 2007, 2008, 2017, 2023
4	Kerry	6	3	1996, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2022	2006, 2014, 2024
5	Tipperary	3	6	1989, 1993, 2003	1982, 1984, 1991, 2001, 2012, 2013
6	Waterford	2	3	1981, 2015	1987, 1988, 2002
7	London	1	13	1988	1983, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
8	UCC	0	2	—	2010, 2015
	CIT	0	1	—	2005
	UL	0	1	—	2009

References

1. https://www.rte.ie/gaeilge/2022/0723/1311267-ce-a-dheanfaidh-an-beart-de-domhnaigh/
2. Culhane, Darragh (5 January 2022). "What time is Limerick v Kerry and how can I watch the game live?". Irish Daily Mirror. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
3. "Cork and Kerry join McGrath Cup action", Irish Examiner, 10/10/1995, p. 12
4. Woods, Mark (2 January 2013). "McGrath will be missed by the GAA". Evening Echo . Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
5. "The death has occurred of Joe McGrath, RIP, who donated the McGrath Cup to the Munster Council in 1981 for the promotion of Gaelic Football". Cork GAA . 3 January 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
6. "Cork complete pre-season with perfect sweep to clinch McGrath Cup". the42. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
7. O'Toole, Fintan (22 January 2022). "Kerry pick up McGrath Cup title with 12-point win over Cork as Geaney shoots 1–4". The42. TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
8. "Championship dates switch proposed". BBC Sport. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
9. Moynihan, Michael (24 January 2015). "Waterford finally get booty in the bag". Irish Examiner . Retrieved 26 January 2015.
10. "Hayes' strike decisive for determined Cork". Irish Examiner. 20 January 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
11. "Collins' two goals save Cork blushes", Irish Independent, 17/05/1999, p. 30
12. "Few pointers in London win", Irish Independent, 18/05/1998, p. 12
13. "Bannermen retain McGrath Cup", Irish Examiner, 12/05/1997, p. 38
14. "A complete mis-match as Kerry win the McGrath Cup at Ruislip", The Kerryman, 03/11/1996, p. 23
15. "Clare banish Exiles", The Kerryman, 03/10/1994, p. 43
16. "Waterford footballers fail to regain McGrath Cup", Munster Express, 11/11/1988, p. 20
17. "Losers London can be happy", Irish Independent, 28/04/1986, p. 13
18. "Clare take McGrath Cup", Cork Examiner, 24/05/1982, p. 15

External links

• Munster GAA page on the McGrath Cup