Mid Cork Junior A Hurling Championship

Mid Cork Junior A Hurling Championship
Code	Hurling
Founded	1925;100 years ago (1925)
Region	Muskerry (GAA)
No. of teams	10
Title holders	Ballinora (10th title)
Most titles	Cloughduv (25 titles)
Sponsors	MJK Oils
Official website	Muskerry GAA

The Mid Cork Junior A Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the MJK Oils Junior A Hurling Championship) is an annual club hurling competition organised by the Mid Cork Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association and contested by the top-ranking junior clubs in the Muskerry region in County Cork, Ireland, deciding the competition winners through a group stage and knockout format. It is the most prestigious competition in Mid Cork hurling.

Introduced in 1925, it was initially a straight-knockout tournament. The competition went through a number of format changes since then, including the introduction of a back-door or second chance for beaten teams.

In its current format, the Mid Cork Junior A Championship begins with a group stage in late summer. The 10 participating teams are divided into two groups of five and play each other in a round-robin system. The two top-ranking teams in each group proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the final. The winner of the Mid Cork Junior Championship also qualifies for the subsequent Cork Junior A Hurling Championship.

The competition has been won by 10 different teams, nine of which have won it more than once. Cloughduv are the most successful team in the tournament's history, having won it 25 times. Ballinora are the title holders after defeating Ballincollig by 1–16 to 1–13 in the 2024 final replay.

Format

Group stage

The 9 teams are divided into three groups of three. Over the course of the group stage, each team plays once against the others in the group, resulting in each team being guaranteed at least two games. Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The teams are ranked in the group stage table by points gained, then scoring difference and then their head-to-head record. The top two teams in each group qualify for the knockout stage.

Knockout stage

Quarter-finals: Two lone quarter-finals featuring the four lowest-placed qualifying teams from the group stage. Two teams qualify for the next round.

Semi-finals: The two quarter-final winners and the top two highest-placed qualifying teams from the group stage contest this round. The two winners from these games advance to the final.

Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions.

Teams

2025 Teams

The 10 teams competing in the 2025 Mid Cork Junior A Hurling Championship are:

Team	Location	Colours	Position in 2024	In championship since	Championship Titles	Last Championship Title
Aghabullogue	Coachford	Green and white	—	2025	16	1998
Ballincollig	Ballincollig	Green and white	Runners-up	?	5	1990
Ballinora	Ballinora	Green and red	Champions	?	10	2024
Blarney	Blarney	Red and white	Group stage	?	13	1993
Donoughmore	Donoughmore	Black and white	Quarter-finals	?	0	—
Dripsey	Dripsey	Red and blue	Quarter-finals	2023	1	2008
Éire Óg	Ovens	Red and white	Group stage	?	7	1977
Grenagh	Grenagh	Blue and gold	Semi-finals	2022	11	2013
Inniscarra	Inniscarra	Blue and white	Semi-finals	2019	9	2020
Kilmichael	Kilmichael	Blue and gold	Group stage	2012	0	—

Qualification for subsequent competitions

The Mid Cork Junior A Championship winners qualify for the subsequent Cork Junior A Hurling Championship.

Roll of honour

By club

#	Club	Titles	Runners-up	Championship wins	Championship runner-up
1	Cloughduv	25	10	1933, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1964, 1967, 1970, 1994, 2002, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019	1929, 1944, 1949, 1953, 1961, 1963, 1965, 2004, 2012, 2016
2	Aghabullogue	16	7	1937, 1949, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1998	1938, 1940, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1980, 2000
3	Blarney	13	17	1931, 1934, 1936, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1969, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1985, 1992, 1993	1939, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1955, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1976, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2002, 2005, 2015
4	Grenagh	12	8	1958, 1966, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2013	1945, 1946, 1954, 1964, 1967, 2010, 2011, 2022
5	Ballinora	10	10	1928, 1929, 1982, 1996, 1997, 2016, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024	1927, 1979, 1981, 1987, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2018, 2020
6	Inniscarra	9	14	1935, 1941, 1942, 1945, 1947, 1965, 1968, 1975, 2020	1937, 1956, 1957, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1992, 1996, 1997, 2009, 2021
7	Éire Óg	7	8	1930, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1971, 1972, 1977	1928, 1932, 1941, 1950, 1958, 1973, 1974, 2019
8	Ballincollig	5	8	1927, 1932, 1963, 1987, 1990	1942, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1986, 1994, 2003, 2024
9	Bride Valley	2	0	1925, 1926	—
10	Dripsey	1	2	2008	2007, 2023
11	Donoughmore	0	7	—	1933, 1935, 1943, 1952, 2001, 2008, 2013
	Shournagh Valley	0	2	—	1934, 1936
	Kilmichael	0	2	—	2014, 2017
	Gleann na Laoi	0	1	—	1993

Notes

• 1925, 1926, 1930 and 1931 runners-up are unknown

List of finals

List of Mid Cork JAHC finals (1925–present)

Year	Winners		Runners-up		#
	Club	Score	Club	Score
2024	Ballinora	1-08, 1-16	Ballincollig	2-05, 1-13
2023	Ballinora	0-15	Dripsey	1-09	[1]
2022	Ballinora	0-16	Grenagh	0-11	[2]
2021	Ballinora	0-17	Inniscarra	1-10	[3]
2020	Inniscarra	1-18	Ballinora	1-15	[4]
2019	Cloughduv	1-11	Éire Óg	0-11	[5]
2018	Cloughduv	2-23	Ballinora	0-09	[6]
2017	Cloughduv	1-22	Kilmichael	1-13	[7]
2016	Ballinora	1-15	Blarney	2-10	[8]
2015	Cloughduv	0-20	Blarney	0-09	[9]
2014	Cloughduv	1-16	Kilmichael	1-09	[10]
2013	Grenagh	2-18	Donoughmore	1-09	[11]
2012	Grenagh	1-15	Cloughduv	2-11	[12]
2011	Cloughduv	2-12	Grenagh	1-14	[13]
2010	Cloughduv	1-11	Grenagh	0-11	[14]
2009	Cloughduv	4-10	Inniscarra	0-13
2008	Dripsey	4-15	Donoughmore	2-10	[15]
2007	Grenagh	1-15, 2-14 (R)	Dripsey	2-12, 2-07 (R)
2006	Cloughduv	2-14	Ballinora	1-09
2005	Grenagh	2-11	Blarney	1-07
2004	Grenagh	0-19	Cloughduv	3-09
2003	Grenagh	1-14	Ballincollig	2-09
2002	Cloughduv	2-13	Blarney	3-08
2001	Grenagh	3-15	Donoughmore	2-10
2000	Grenagh	2-12	Aghabullogue	1-06
1999	Grenagh		Ballinora
1998	Aghabullogue		Ballinora
1997	Ballinora		Inniscarra
1996	Ballinora		Inniscarra
1995	Grenagh		Ballinora
1994	Cloughduv		Ballincollig
1993	Blarney		Gleann na Laoi
1992	Blarney		Inniscarra
1991	Aghabullogue		Ballincollig
1990	Ballincollig		Blarney
1989	Aghabullogue		Blarney
1988	Aghabullogue		Blarney
1987	Ballincollig		Ballinora
1986	Aghabullogue		Ballincollig
1985	Blarney		Inniscarra
1984	Aghabullogue		Blarney
1983	Aghabullogue		Inniscarra
1982	Ballinora		Inniscarra
1981	Aghabullogue		Ballinora
1980	Blarney		Aghabullogue
1979	Blarney		Ballinora
1978	Blarney		Aghabullogue
1977	Éire Óg		Aghabullogue
1976	Aghabullogue		Blarney
1975	Inniscarra		Aghabullogue
1974	Aghabullogue		Éire Óg
1973	Aghabullogue		Éire Óg
1972	Éire Óg		Blarney
1971	Éire Óg		Blarney
1970	Cloughduv		Inniscarra
1969	Blarney		Inniscarra
1968	Inniscarra		Blarney
1967	Cloughduv		Grenagh
1966	Grenagh		Inniscarra
1965	Inniscarra		Cloughduv
1964	Cloughduv		Grenagh
1963	Ballincollig		Cloughduv
1962	Éire Óg		Ballincollig
1961	Éire Óg		Cloughduv
1960	Éire Óg		Ballincollig
1959	Cloughduv		Ballincollig
1958	Grenagh		Éire Óg
1957	Cloughduv		Inniscarra
1956	Cloughduv		Inniscarra
1955	Aghabullogue		Blarney
1954	Aghabullogue		Grenagh
1953	Cloughduv		Inniscarra
1952	Aghabullogue		Donoughmore
1951	Cloughduv		Blarney
1950	Cloughduv		Éire Óg
1949	Aghabullogue		Cloughduv
1948	Cloughduv		Blarney
1947	Inniscarra		Blarney
1946	Blarney		Grenagh
1945	Inniscarra		Grenagh
1944	Blarney		Cloughduv
1943	Blarney		Donoughmore
1942	Inniscarra		Ballincollig
1941	Inniscarra Valley		Éire Óg
1940	Cloughduv		Aghabullogue
1939	Cloughduv		Blarney
1938	Cloughduv		Aghabullogue
1937	Aghabullogue		Inniscarra
1936	Blarney		Shournagh Valley
1935	Inniscarra		Donoughmore
1934	Blarney		Shournagh Valley
1933	Cloughduv		Donoughmore
1932	Ballincollig		Éire Óg
1931	Blarney
1930	Éire Óg
1929	Ballinora		Cloughduv
1928	Ballinora		Éire Óg
1927	Ballincollig		Ballinora
1926	Bridevalley
1925	Bridevalley

Records and statistics

Teams

By decade

The most successful team of each decade, judged by the number of Mid Cork Junior A Hurling Championship titles, is as follows:

• 1920s: 2 each for Bride Valley (1925–26) and Ballinora (1928–29)
• 1930s: 3 each for Blarney (1931-34-36) and Cloughduv (1933-38-39)
• 1940s: 4 for Inniscarra (1941-42-45-47)
• 1950s: 6 for Cloughduv (1950-51-53-56-57-59)
• 1960s: 3 for Éire Óg (1960-61-62)
• 1970s: 3 each for Éire Óg (1971-72-77) and Aghabullogue (1973-74-76)
• 1980s: 6 for Aghabullogue (1981-83-84-86-88-89)
• 1990s: 2 each for Aghabullogue (1991–98), Blarney (1992–93), Grenagh (1995–99) and Ballinora (1996–97)
• 2000s: 6 for Grenagh (2000-01-03-04-05-07)
• 2010s: 7 for Cloughduv (2010-11-14-15-17-18-19)
• 2020s: 4 for Ballinora (2021-22-23-24)

Gaps

Top ten longest gaps between successive championship titles:

• 53 years: Ballinora (1929-1982)
• 45 years: Inniscarra (1975-2020)
• 31 years: Ballincollig (1932-1963)
• 30 years: Éire Óg (1930-1960)
• 29 years: Grenagh (1966-1995)
• 24 years: Ballincollig (1963-1987)
• 24 years: Cloughduv (1970-1994)
• 23 years: Blarney (1946-1969)
• 19 years: Ballinora (1997-2016)
• 18 years: Aghabullogue (1955-1973)

See also

• Mid Cork Junior A Football Championship

External links

• Muskerry GAA website

References

1. "Three-in-a-row for Ballinora in the Muskerry JAHC". Echo Live. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
2. "Muskerry Junior A Hurling: Ballinora retain their title by seeing off Grenagh". Echo Live. 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
3. "Ballinora firepower enough to claim Muskerry junior title over Inniscarra". Echo Live. 24 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
4. "Inniscarra edge a thrilling Muskerry JAHC final with victory over Ballinora". Echo Live. 24 October 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
5. "Cloughduv's hurling stock continues to soar after successful defence of Mid Cork JAHC title". The Southern Star. 24 October 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
6. "Fifth title in six years for dominant Cloughduv". The Southern Star. 3 September 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
7. "Cloughduv are MJK Oils junior hurling champions". Muskerry GAA website. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
8. "Blarney GAA news". Blarney GAA website. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
9. "Blarney GAA news". Blarney GAA website. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
10. "Match reports". Muskerry GAA website. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
11. "Grenagh grab honours again". Irish Examiner. 7 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
12. "Grenagh's great escape". Irish Examiner. 10 September 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
13. "Cloughduv's second-half surge wears down Grenagh". Irish Examiner. 29 August 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
14. "Pat Dunlea hopes to emulate his father John". The Corkman. 21 August 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
15. "Ballymartle back in business with clean sweep now the target". Irish Examiner. 1 September 2008. Retrieved 8 September 2025.