Ulster Senior Hurling Championship

Ulster GAA Hurling Senior Championship
Irish	Craobh Iomána Uladh
Code	Hurling
Founded	1901;123 years ago (1901)
Abolished	2018
Region	Ulster (GAA)
Trophy	Liam Harvey Cup
No. of teams	4
Last Title holders	Antrim (57th title)
First winner	Antrim
Most titles	Antrim (57 titles)
TV partner(s)	RTÉ, BBC Northern Ireland
Official website	Official website

The Ulster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Ulster Championship, was an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Ulster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It was the highest inter-county hurling competition in the province of Ulster, and was contested every year between the 1901 championship and the 2017 Championship. As of 2023 there had been no attempt to revive the competition. ^[1]

The final, usually held in July, served as the culmination of a series of games played during June, and the results determined which team received the Liam Harvey Cup. The championship was played on a straight knockout basis whereby once a team loses they are eliminated from the championship.

In 2016, a two-tier format began with four teams competing in the Ulster Senior Hurling Championship, and four in the Ulster Senior Hurling Shield.

The title has been won by five Ulster counties, all of which have won the title more than once. The all-time record-holders are Antrim who have won the competition 57 times. Antrim are also the title holders, defeating Armagh by 5–22 to 1–12 in the 2017 final. ^[2]

History

Standing of the Ulster Championship

While the Munster Hurling Championship and the Leinster Hurling Championship are generally held in very high regard, and have produced the vast majority of recent All-Ireland Hurling Champions, the Ulster Championship has not been regarded historically as of a similar standard, and the Ulster champions have entered the All-Ireland Hurling Championship at an earlier round than the Munster and Leinster champions.

This is due to a number of factors, one of which is the dominance of Gaelic football in eight of the nine counties of Ulster. An Ulster team has never won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, although Antrim were finalists in 1943 and 1989. Antrim have dominated the Ulster Championship throughout its existence, winning the title 57 times to date.

While below the standard of Leinster and Munster hurling, the Ulster championship has been generally more competitive than the now discontinued Connacht Senior Hurling Championship. However, Galway, by far the strongest team in Connacht, have historically performed much better than any Ulster team, with several All-Ireland titles, and generally recognised as one of the major powers in the sport.

Ulster Championship moments

The following are a list of upsets and moments in the Ulster Senior Hurling Championship:

• Down 2–16 – 0–11 Antrim (12 July 1992 at Casement Park) – An historic day for Down who claimed a first provincial title since 1941. Victory would have been more decisive but for a tally of 13 wides in the first half. While Antrim lacked an attacking ace, Down's Gerard McGrattan was their candidate for man of the match. Goalkeeper Noel Keith also brought off some remarkable saves, most notably from a Ciaran Barr shot in the first half.
• Derry 4–8 – 0–19 Antrim (9 July 2000 at Casement Park) – An historic day for Derry who secured the Ulster title for the first time in 92 years. Dual player Kieran McKeever got the opening goal for Derry, while Gary Biggs and Ollie Collins scored Derry's other two goals to give Derry an eight-point interval lead. A replay looked likely after John O'Dwyer's late goal levelled the scores minutes from time, however, it was Collins again scoring from a free to gain the winning point, and the title for Derry.
• Derry 1–17 – 3–10 Down (15 July 2001 at Casement Park) – A first for Derry as they retain the Ulster title for the only time in their history. It was the first final not to feature Antrim since 1934. A point from John O'Dwyer won the match for Derry. Despite dominating the play in the second half, Down only managed to score three points.
• Antrim 2–20 – 1–14 New York (22 October 2006 at Canton Field) – For the first and only time in the history of the championships, the Ulster final was played at Canton Field in Boston. This was to facilitate some of the New York teams who were unable to travel to Ireland due to their immigration status. A tally of 1–7 for Johnny McIntosh helped Antrim to a fifth successive championship.

Format

Ulster Senior Hurling Championship

In the first tier, the Ulster Senior Hurling Championship, four teams compete in a knock-out format. The winners receive the Liam Harvey cup. The two teams beaten in the semi-finals of the Championship face each other in the relegation play-off with the losing team relegated to the following seasons Shield.

Ulster Senior Hurling Shield

In the second tier, the Ulster Senior Hurling Shield, four teams compete in a knock-out format, with the winner gaining promotion to the championship. Cavan do not participate.

Promotion/Relegation

The Shield winners are promoted to the championship and the loser of the championship relegation play-off are relegated.

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

There is no longer a direct path for the Ulster Champions in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. The Ulster counties now compete in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, Joe McDonagh Cup, Christy Ring Cup, Nicky Rackard Cup and Lory Meagher Cup.

Teams

2017 Championship

The championship was suspended after the completion of the 2017 Ulster Senior Hurling Championship. Four counties were scheduled to compete in 2018:

County	Location	Stadium	Province	Position in 2017 Championship	First year in championship	In championship since	Championship Titles	Last Championship Title
Antrim	Belfast	Corrigan Park	Ulster	Champions	1900	1989	57	2017
Armagh	Armagh	Athletic Grounds	Ulster	Runners-up	1946	2007	0	—
Derry	Derry	Celtic Park	Ulster	Champions (Ulster Senior Hurling Shield)	1901	2018	4	2001
Down	Newry	Páirc Esler	Ulster	Semi-finals	1905	1989	4	1997

2017 Shield

County	Location	Stadium	Province	Position in 2017 Championship	First year in shield	In shield since	Championship Titles	Last Championship Title
Donegal	Ballybofey	MacCumhaill Park	Ulster	Semi-finalists	2016	2018	3	1932
Fermanagh	Enniskillen	Brewster Park	Ulster	Semi-finalists (Ulster Senior Hurling Shield)	2016	2016	0	-
Monaghan	Clones	St Tiernach's Park	Ulster	Semi-finalists (Ulster Senior Hurling Shield)	2016	2016	2	1915
Tyrone	Omagh	Healy Park	Ulster	Runners-up (Ulster Senior Hurling Shield)	2016	2016	0	-

Seasons in Ulster SHC

The number of years that each county has played in the Ulster SHC between 1900 and 2023. A total of 11 counties have competed in at least one season of the Ulster SHC. Antrim have participated in the most championships. The counties in bold participate in the 2023 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.

Years	Counties
4	Tyrone
TBD	Antrim
TBD	Down
TBD	Derry
TBD	London
TBD	Donegal
TBD	Armagh
TBD	Fermanagh
TBD	Monaghan
TBD	Cavan
TBD	New York

Debut of counties

Year	Debutants	Total
1900	Antrim	1
1901	Derry	1
1902	None	0
1903	Donegal	1
1904	None	0
1905	Down	1
1906-07	None	0
1908	Cavan, Fermanagh	2
1909	Monaghan	1
1910-45	None	0
1946	Armagh	1
1947-97	None	0
1998	London	1
1999	None	0
2000	New York	1
2001-07	None	0
2008	Tyrone	1
2009-	None	0
Total		11

List of Ulster Senior Hurling Championship counties

The following teams have competed in the Ulster Championship for at least one season.

Team	Total years	First year in Championship	Most recent year in Championship	Championship titles	Last Championship title	Most recent championship finish	Best Ulster SHC finish	Current Championship	Lvl
Antrim		1900	2017	57	2017	1st (Joe McDonagh Cup)	1st	Leinster Senior Hurling Championship	1
Armagh		1946	2017	0	—	4th (Nicky Rackard Cup)	Runners-up	Nicky Rackard Cup	4
Cavan		1908	2010	0	—	6th (Lory Meagher Cup)	Runners-up	Lory Meagher Cup	5
Derry		1901	2016	4	2001	3rd (Christy Ring Cup)	1st	Christy Ring Cup	3
Donegal		1903	2017	3	1932	3rd (Nicky Rackard Cup)	1st	Nicky Rackard Cup	4
Down		1905	2017	4	1997	5th (Joe McDonagh Cup)	1st	Joe McDonagh Cup	2
Fermanagh		1908	2011	0	—	5th (Nicky Rackard Cup)	Semi-finals	Nicky Rackard Cup	4
London		1998	2010	0	—	4th (Christy Ring Cup)	Semi-finals	Christy Ring Cup	3
Monaghan		1909	2011	2	1915	4th (Lory Meagher Cup)	1st	Lory Meagher Cup	5
New York		2000	2006	0	—	—	Runners-up	—	—
Tyrone	4	2008	2011	0	—	1st (Nicky Rackard Cup)	Second round	Christy Ring Cup	3

List of Finals

Legend

• Gold – All-Ireland champions
• Silver – All-Ireland runners-up

List of Ulster finals

Year	Date	Winners		Runners-up		Winning margin	Venue	Winning captain	Referee
		County	Score	County	Score
2018–present	No Championship
2017	16 April	Antrim	5–22 (37)	Armagh	1–12 (15)	22	Owenbeg Centre Of Excellence
2016	10 July	Antrim	6–21 (39)	Armagh	4–14 (26)	13	Owenbeg Centre of Excellence	Conor Carson
2015	12 July	Antrim	1–15 (18)	Down	1–14 (17)	1	Owenbeg Centre of Excellence	Chris O'Connell
2014	13 July	Antrim	2–17 (23)	Derry	2–16 (22)	1	Owenbeg Centre of Excellence	Paul Shiels
2013	2 February 2014	Antrim	4–20 (32)	Down	1–17 (20)	12	Celtic Park	Neil McManus
2012	8 July	Antrim	3–18 (27)	Derry	0–09 (9)	18	Casement Park	Damien Quinn
2011		Antrim	2–20 (26)	Armagh	2–12 (18)	8	Casement Park	Eddie McCloskey
2010		Antrim	4–22 (34)	Down	1–12 (15)	19	Casement Park	Paul Shiels
2009	28 June	Antrim	3–20 (29)	Down	4–15 (27)	2	Casement Park	Neil McGarry
2008	15 June	Antrim	3–18 (27)	Down	2–16 (22)	5	Casement Park	Paddy Richmond
2007	3 June	Antrim	2–24 (30)	Down	0–04 (4)	26	Casement Park	Seán Delaqrgy
2006		Antrim	2–20 (26)	New York	1–14 (17)	9	Canton Park	Karl McKeegan
2005		Antrim	2–22 (28)	Down	1–18 (21)	7	Casement Park	Jim Connolly
2004	6 June, 13 June	Antrim	1–15 (18), 3–14 (23)	Down	1–15 (18), 0–18 (18)	5 (R)	Casement Park	Colm McGuickian	É. Morris (Dublin)
2003	14 June	Antrim	3–21 (30)	Derry	1–12 (15)	15	Casement Park	Colm McGuckian	B Kelly (Westmeath)
2002	9 June	Antrim	3–16 (25)	Down	1–18 (21)	4	Casement Park	Colm McGuckian	M. Wadding (Waterford)
2001	15 July	Derry	1–17 (20)	Down	3–10 (19)	1	Casement Park	Colin McEldowney	P. Aherne (Carlow)
2000	9 July	Derry	4–08 (20)	Antrim	0–19 (19)	1	Casement Park	Conor Murray	J. McDonnell (Tipperary)
1999	10 July	Antrim	2–19 (25)	Derry	1–09 (12)	13	Casement Park	Gary O'Kane	G. Devlin (Armagh)
1998	5 July	Antrim	1–19 (22)	Derry	2–13 (19)	3	Casement Park	Alistair Elliot	P. Delaney (Laois)
1997	6 July	Down	3–14 (23)	Antrim	0–19 (19)	4	Casement Park	Martin Mallon	P. Horan (Offaly)
1996	14 July	Antrim	1–20 (23)	Down	2–12 (18)	5	Casement Park		P Aherne (Carlow)
1995	July 9, July 16	Down	3–07 (16), 1–19 (22)	Antrim	1–13 (16), 2–10 (16)	6 (R)	Casement Park		Aodán Mac Suibhne (Dublin)
1994	3 July	Antrim	1–19 (22)	Down	1–13 (16)	6	Casement Park	Dominic McKinley	P Horan (Offaly)
1993	4 July	Antrim	0–24 (24)	Down	0–11 (11)	13	Casement Park		Dickie Murphy (Wexford)
1992	12 July	Down	2–16 (22)	Antrim	0–11 (11)	11	Casement Park	Noel Sands	Dickie Murphy (Wexford)
1991	7 July	Antrim	3–14 (23)	Down	3–10 (19)	4	Casement Park
1990	8 July	Antrim	4–11 (23)	Down	2–11 (17)	6	Casement Park		P Delaney (Laois)
1989	9 July	Antrim	2–16 (22)	Down	0–09 (9)	13	Athletic Grounds	Ciaran Barr	P Delaney (Laois)
1950–1988		No Championship
1949		Antrim	Unopposed and awarded title
1948		Antrim	Unopposed and awarded title
1947		Antrim	Unopposed and awarded title
1946		Antrim	6–03	Armagh	2–01		Corrigan Park
1945		Antrim	8–02	Donegal	2–04		Corrigan Park
1944		Antrim	5–07, 7–03	Monaghan	6–04, 0–01		Corrigan Park
1943		Antrim	6–08	Down	2–00		Corrigan Park	Jimmy Walsh
1942		Championship abandoned
1941		Down	5–03	Antrim	2–05		Athletic Grounds
1940		Antrim	4–04	Down	1–03
1939		Antrim	9–08	Down	4–02		Páirc Esler
1938		Antrim	3–05	Donegal	2–02
1937		Antrim	6–07	Donegal	3–02
1936		Antrim	2–10	Cavan	3–02
1935		Antrim	7–09	Cavan	0–03
1934		Antrim		Donegal
1933		Antrim	1–07	Donegal	2–01
1932		Donegal	5–04	Antrim	4–05
1931		Antrim	4–10	Derry	0–01
1930		Antrim	10–04	Down	2–00
1929		Antrim	w/o	Donegal	scr.
1928		Antrim	4–05	Cavan	1–01
1927		Antrim	5–04	Cavan	3–03
1926		Antrim	4–03	Cavan	3–01
1925		Antrim	5–04	Donegal	4–05
1924		Antrim	5–03	Donegal	4–00
1923		Donegal	7–01	Antrim	3–00
1917–1922		No Championship
1916		Antrim	3–01	Monaghan	1–01
1915		Monaghan	1–05	Antrim	1–02
1914		Monaghan	2–00, 4–03	Antrim	2–00, 1–00
1913		Antrim	3-03	Monaghan	0-00
1912		Antrim represent ulster (no title awarded)
1911		Antrim	w/o	Monaghan	scr.
1910		Antrim		Donegal
1909		Antrim	4-16	Monaghan	2-03
1908		Derry	2–08	Cavan	0–02
1907		Antrim	4–17	Derry	1–06
1906		Donegal	5–21	Antrim	0–01
1905		Antrim		Donegal
1904		Antrim	2-04	Donegal	0-05
1903		Antrim		Donegal
1902		Derry	2–07	Antrim	2-05
1901		Antrim	0–41	Derry	0–12
1900		Antrim	Unopposed and awarded title

Notes

• 1929: Antrim declared champions – Donegal disqualified
• 1901: Antrim defeated Derry 41 points to 12 points – exact score not given

Roll of Honour

Performance by county

County	Titles	Runners-up	Years won	Years runner-up
Antrim	58	11	1900, 1901, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1916, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017	1902, 1906, 1914, 1915, 1923, 1932, 1941, 1992, 1995, 1997, 2000
Down	4	20	1942, 1992, 1995, 1997	1930, 1939, 1940, 1943, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015
Derry	4	8	1902, 1908, 2000, 2001	1901, 1907, 1931, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2012, 2014
Donegal	3	12	1906, 1923, 1932	1903, 1904, 1905, 1910, 1924, 1925, 1929, 1933, 1934, 1937, 1938, 1945
Monaghan	2	5	1914, 1915	1909, 1911, 1913, 1916, 1944
Cavan	0	6	—	1908, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1935, 1936
Armagh	0	4	—	1946, 2011, 2016, 2017
New York	0	1	—	2006

Roll of honour statistics

• Antrim's historic domination (only 2 finals have not featured the county, 1908 and 2001) has led over time to periods of uncompetitive competitions, and the championship was not played at all between 1950 and 1988. However, there have been periods when this domination has made way for periods of intense rivalry, notably between Antrim and Monaghan in the 1910s, between Antrim and Down in the 1990s, and between Antrim and Derry in the early 2000s.
• The 2001 Championship was unique in terms of being the only final since the reactivation of the Championship in 1988 which did not feature Antrim, as Derry defeated Down at Casement Park. Equally of note, Antrim have won every final since (albeit one on replay), their longest period of continuous success since 1988.

Performance by province

Province	Titles	Runners-up	Total
Ulster	71	66	137
North America	0	1	1

Ulster Senior Hurling Shield

County	Title(s)	Runners-up	Years won	Years runner-up
Donegal	1	0	2016	—
Derry	1	0	2017	—
Monaghan	0	1	—	2016
Tyrone	0	1	—	2017

Team records and statistics

Team results

Legend

• 1st – Champions
• 2nd – Runners-up
• SF/QF – Semi-finals/Quarter-finals

For each year, the number of teams (in brackets) are shown.

Team	2000 (5)	2001 (5)	2002 (5)	2003 (5)	2004 (5)	2005 (5)	2006 (5)	2007 (5)	2008 (10)	2009 (10)	2010 (10)	2011 (8)	2012 (4)	2013 (4)	2014 (5)	2015 (5)	2016 (4)	2017 (4)	Years
Antrim	2nd	SF	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	18
Armagh	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	QF	QF	QF	QF	2nd	QF	QF	QF	QF	2nd	2nd	11
Cavan	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	R1	R1	R1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	3
Derry	1st	1st	SF	2nd	SF	SF	SF	SF	SF	SF	QF	QF	2nd	SF	2nd	SF	SF	—	17
Donegal	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	R2	R2	R1	PR	—	—	QF	QF	—	SF	7
Down	SF	2nd	2nd	SF	2nd	2nd	SF	2nd	2nd	2nd	2nd	SF	SF	2nd	SF	2nd	SF	SF	18
Fermanagh	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	R1	R2	R1	PR	—	—	—	—	—	—	4
London	SF	SF	QF	QF	QF	QF	QF	SF	SF	QF	SF	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	11
Monaghan	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	QF	R1	R2	QF	—	—	—	—	—	—	4
New York	QF	QF	SF	SF	SF	SF	2nd	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	7
Tyrone	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	R2	R1	R2	PR	—	—	—	—	—	—	4

By Semi-Final Appearances (Since 2000)

Bold indicates years reached to final.

Team	No.	Years in Semi-finals
Antrim	18	2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Down	18	2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Derry	15	2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
New York	5	2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
London	5	2000, 2001, 2007, 2008, 2010
Armagh	3	2011, 2016, 2017
Donegal	1	2017

By decade

The most successful team of each decade, judged by number of Ulster Senior Hurling Championship titles, is as follows:

• 1900s: 7 for Antrim (1900, 01, 03, 04, 05, 07, 09)
• 1910s: 4 for Antrim (1910, 11, 13, 16)
• 1920s: 6 for Antrim (1924, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
• 1930s: 9 for Antrim (1930, 1931, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
• 1940s: 8 for Antrim (1940, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
• 1980s: 1 for Antrim (1989)
• 1990s: 7 for Antrim (1990, 91, 93, 94, 96, 98, 99)
• 2000s: 8 for Antrim (2002, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09)
• 2010s: 8 for Antrim (2010, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)

Finishing positions

• Most championships
  • 58, Antrim (1900, 1901, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1916, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)

• Most second-place finishes
  • 20, Down (1930, 1939, 1940, 1943, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015)

• Most semi-final finishes (since 2000)
  • 10, Derry (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016)
• Most quarter-final finishes (since 2000)
  • 8, Armagh (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
• Most round 2 finishes
  • 9, Donegal (2008, 2009)
  • 9, Tyrone (2008, 2010)
• Most round 1 finishes
  • 3, Cavan (2008, 2009, 2010)
• Most preliminary round finishes
  • 1, Donegal (2011)
  • 1, Fermanagh (2011)
  • 1, Tyrone (2011)

Biggest wins

The most one sided Ulster finals:

• 35 points – 1906: Donegal 5-21 - 0-01 Antrim
• 29 points – 1901: Antrim 0-41 - 0-12 Derry
• 28 points – 1930: Antrim 10-04 - 2-00 Down
• 27 points – 1935: Antrim 7-09 - 0-03 Cavan
• 26 points – 2007: Antrim 2-24 - 0-04 Down

Successful defending

3 teams of the 4 who have won the Ulster championship have ever successfully defended the title. These are:

• Antrim on 44 attempts out of 58 (1901, 1904, 1905, 1910, 1911, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)
• Derry on 1 attempts out of 4 (2001)
• Monaghan on 1 attempts out of 2 (1915)

Gaps

• Longest gaps between successive Ulster titles:
  • 92 years: Derry (1908–2000)
  • 50 years: Down (1942–1992)
  • 40 years: Antrim (1949–1989)
  • 17 years: Donegal (1906–1923)
• Longest gaps between successive Ulster finals:
  • 67 years: Derry (1931–1998)
  • 65 years: Armagh (1946–2011)
  • 46 years: Down (1943–1989)
  • 40 years: Antrim (1949–1989)
  • 28 years: Monaghan (1916–1944)
  • 23 years: Derry (1908–1931)
  • 18 years: Cavan (1908–1926)
  • 17 years: Donegal (1910–1923)

Active gaps

• Longest active gaps since an Ulster title:
  • 109 years: Monaghan (1915–)
  • 92 years: Donegal (1932–)
  • 27 years: Down (1997–)
  • 23 years: Derry (2001–)
  • 7 years: Antrim (2017–)
• Longest active gaps since an Ulster final appearance:
  • 88 years: Cavan (1936–)
  • 80 years: Monaghan (1944–)
  • 79 years: Donegal (1945–)
  • 18 years: New York (2006–)
  • 10 years: Derry (2014–)
  • 9 years: Down (2015–)
  • 7 years: Antrim (2017–)
  • 7 years: Armagh (2017–)

Longest undefeated run

• Antrim (28 games): The record for the longest unbeaten run stands at 28 games held by Antrim. It began with a 5–19 to 2–11 win against New York in the semi-final of the 2002 championship and is still ongoing.

Player records

Winning Captains

Captains with 2 titles or more.

#	Player	County	No.	Winning Years
1	Colm McGuckian	Antrim	3	2002, 2003, 2004
2	Paul Shiels	Antrim	2	2010, 2014

Winning Teams

Year	Winning county	Winning team
1945	Antrim	M McAllister; M Butler, W Feeney, B Donnelly; T McAllister, T Tierney, J Mullan; S McKeon, N Campbell; M Kelly, S Kelly, L McGrady; D Cormican, C Mullan, S Mulholland.
1946	Antrim	M McAlinden; W Feeney, M McDonald, M Butler; J Woods, J Mullan, J Loughead; D Butler, N Campbell; M Mulholland, D McRandall, J Murray; D Cormican, G Brady, S Mulholland.
1989	Antrim	N Patterson; G Rogan, T Donnelly, D Donnelly; J McNaughton, D McKinley, G O'Kane; P McKillen, T McNaughton; B Donnelly, A McCarry, J P McKillen; D Armstrong, C Barr, D McNaughton.
1990	Antrim	N Patterson; G Holden, D Donnelly, D McKinley; J Carson, D McKillop, A Murray; J Close, P McKillen; B Donnelly, A McCarry, S P McKillop; A McGuile, C Barr, O McFetridge. Subs: N Murray for A McGuile, G O'Kane for D McKillop, M Sullivan for McKillen.
1991	Antrim	N Patterson; P Jennings, D McKinley, D Donnelly; G Rogan, JMcNaughton, D McKillop; S P McKillop, P McKillen; J Carson, C Barr, D Armstrong; A McCarry, T McNaughton, J Close. Subs: Gregory O'Kane for Close, Garry O'Kane for S P McKillop, M Dennis for Greg O'Kane.
1992	Down	N Keith; K Coulter, D Woods, P Branniff; M Mallon, P McMullan, G Coulter; D Hughes, G Savage; P Coulter, G Blaney, G McGrattan; M Blaney, M Bailie, N Sands. Subs: C Mageean for M Blaney, P Savage for P Coulter.
1993	Antrim	P Gallagher; S McMullan, D McMullan, E McCloskey; R Donnelly, D McKinley, J McNaughton; P McKillen, P Jennings; A Elliott, Gary O'Kane, S P McKillop; J Close, T McNaughton, Greg O'Kane.
1994	Antrim	B Prenter; S McMullan, D McKinley, F McMullan; S P McKillen, P Jennings, J McCaffrey; P McKillen, J Connolly; J Carson, Gary O'Kane, P Walsh; C McCambridge, Gregory O'Kane, A Elliott. Subs: T McNaughton for G O'Kane, A McEteer for J McCaffrey, B McGary for G O'Kane.
1995	Down	N Keith; K Coulter, G Coulter, P Branniff; M Mallon, G Savage, D Woods; D Hughes, J McCarthy; P Coulter, P McMullan, M Blaney; C Arthurs, H Gilmore, N Sands. Subs: B Coulter for D Woods, M Branniff for P McMullan, S Mallon for H Gilmore.
1996	Antrim	B Prenter; E McCloskey, E Colgan, S McIlhatton; P Jennings, Gary O'Kane, R Donnelly; J Connolly, P McKillen; A McCloskey, T McNaughton, S P McKillop; P Graham, G O'Kane, A Elliott. Subs: S McMullan for R Donnelly, J Carson for McKillop, P Donnelly for McKillen.
1997	Down	G Clarke; B Milligan, S Murray, B Smith; M Branniff, M Mallon, T Coulter; G Savage, P Coulter; B Coulter, M Bailie, G McGrattan; M Coulter, J McCrickard, N Sands. Subs: B Branniff for J McCrickard.
1998	Antrim	S Elliott; R Donnelly, E Colgan, F McMullan; S McMullan, Gary O'Kane, C Kelly; P McKillen, J O'Neill; J Carson, C McGuckian, J McIntosh; A Elliot, Gregory O'Kane, L Richmond. Subs: K McKiernan for J O'Neill, J O'Neill for K McKiernan, J Elliott for J McIntosh.
1999	Antrim	S Elliot; C McCambridge, E McCluskey, R Donnelly; S McMullen, Gary O'Kane, S Mullen; C Cunning, J Close; A Elliot, C McGuckian, B McGarry; J Carson, Gregory O'Kane, L Richmond. Subs: S P McKillop for McGarry, F McMullin for Carson, J Flynn for A Elliott.
2000	Derry	K Stevenson; C McGurk, C Murray, N Mullan; B Ward, C McEldowney, D Cassidy; O Collins, M Conway; K McCloy, K McKeever, R McCloskey; G Biggs, M Collins, J O'Dwyer. Subs: Gregory Biggs for Conway.
2001	Derry	K Stevenson, C McEldowney, E McKeever, R Lynch, B Ward, M Conway, C Murray, R McCloskey, O Collins, Gary Biggs, K McKeever, Greg Briggs, M Collins, G McGonigle, J O'Dwyer. Subs: P Kelly for Lynch, S Downey for Gary Biggs, F McEldowney for M Collins.
2002	Antrim	D Quinn; M Kettle, K Kelly, E McCloskey; K McKeegan, R Donnelly, C Herron; C Cunning, C Connolly; L Watson, C McGuckian, L Richmond; A Delargy, G O'Kane, C McCambridge. Subs: B McFall for Delargy; M McCambridge for McCloskey; S Delargy for McFall; P Richmond for Cunning; C Hamill for Donnelly.
2003	Antrim	D Quinn; M Kettle, K Kelly, J Campbell; M McCambridge, K McKeegan, C Herron; C Cunning, J Connolly; P Richmond, C McGuckian, L Richmond; L Watson, G O'Kane, B McFall. Subs: A Delargy for O'Kane, P Close for McFall.
2004	Antrim	Damien Quinn, M Kettle, K Kelly, B Herron, M McCambridge, K McKeegan, J Campbell, C Herron, J Connolly, M Herron, C McGuckian, L Watson, Darren Quinn, P Richmond, B McFall. Subs: L Richmond for McCambridge, G J McIntosh for Watson, Ward for Darren Quinn, M Magill for Connolly.
2005	Antrim	D Quinn; M Kettle, G Bell, C Hamill; G Cunningham, J Campbell, M McCambridge; P Richmond, M Scullion; K McKeegan, K Kelly, M Herron, J McIntosh, J Connolly, J Scullion. Subs: K Stewart for Kelly, C Herron for M Herron, B McFall for J Scullion, C McGuckin for Cunningham.
2006	Antrim	D Quinn; B McCauley, J McKeague, J Campbell; M Molloy, K McKeegan, C Herron ; C Cunning, M Scullion; J Scullion, C Kelly, M Herron; J McIntosh, P Richmond, B McFall. Subs: G Bell for McFall, B Delargey for Kelly, P McGill for McIntosh, M Dallas for M Scullion, S Óg McFadden for Richmond.
2007	Antrim	R McGarry; M Kettle, M McCambridge, S Delargy; M Molloy, J Campbell, C Herron; B Herron, K McKeegan, P McGill, N McManus, M Herron, S McCrory, J McIntosh, P Shiels. Subs: N McAuley; Brian McFall for Shiels; P Richmond for McGill; S McDonald for McIntosh; Barry McFall for Kettle.
2008	Antrim	R McGarry; A Graffin, N McGarry, S Delargy; C Herron, K McKeegan, J Campbell; K Stewart, E McCloskey; M Herron, C Donnelly, P McGill; P Richmond, L Watson, P Shields. Subs: PJ O’Connell for C Donnelly; S McCrory for P McGill; M Kettle for C Herron.
2009	Antrim	R McGarry; K McGourty, N McGarry, A Graffin; S Delargy, C Donnelly, N McAuley; J Campbell, K McKeegan; B Herron, N McManus, S McNaughton; K Stewart, P Richmond, J Scullion. Subs: E McCloskey for Stewart, M Herron for B Herron.
2010	Antrim	C O’Connell; K McGourty, C Donnelly, S Delargy; P Shiels, J Campbell, C Herron; S McNaughton, K Stewart; C McFall, T McCann, L Watson; PJ O’Connell, N McManus, K McKeegan. Subs: S McCrory for Stewart, J McKeague for Campbell, M Devlin for McNaughton, J McIntosh for Watson, B McFall for C McFall
2011	Antrim	C Cunningham; C McGuinness, K McGourty, J McCouaig; K McKeague, M Donnelly, C Herron; B McFall, S McCrory; J Scullion, T McCann, E McCloskey; P Doherty, C McFall, K McKeegan. Subs: K Molloy for K McKeague, C Carson for J Black, P Shiels for B McFall, D Hamill for T McCann.
2012	Antrim	D Quinn; James Campbell, N McGarry, A Graffin; M Herron, N McAuley, Johnny Campbell, B McAuley, S McNaughton; E McCloskey, C Carson, P Shiels; L Watson, N McManus, B McFall. Subs: C McCann for Sheils, J Scullion for Watson, C Rea for B McAuley, D Hamill for McFall, C McFall for Carson.
2013	Antrim	S McToal; B McFall, C McKinley, M Bradley; S McCrory, N McAuley, Ciaran Johnston; E Campbell, J McGreevy; N McKenna, C Carson, P Shiels; D McKernan, N McManus, C Clarke. Subs: S McAfee for McGreevy, Conor Johnston for McKernan, D Hamill for Clarke, N Elliott for McKenna.
2014	Antrim	S McToal; O McFadden, M Donnelly, A Graffin; M Bradley, C Carson, N McAuley; J McGreevy, D Hamill; C McCann, P Shiels, E Campbell; C McGuinness, PJ O'Connell, D McKernan. Subs: R McCambridge for McGreevy, Niall McKenna for McGuinness, Daniel McCloskey for Hamill.
2015	Antrim	C O’Connell; O McFadden, M Donnelly, R McCambridge; J Dillon, C McKinley, T McCann; N McAuley, M Dudley; PJ O’Connell, C McCann, E Campbell; D McClean, C Carson, D McKernan. Subs: P Burke for Campbell; C Ross for Donnelly; N McKenna for McAuley; J Connolly for McKernan; D Traynor for McClean.
2016	Antrim	C O'Connell; S McCrory, N McAuley, B Graham; F Donnelly, P Burke, J McKeague; E Campbell, D McKernan; E McCloskey, J Dillon, J Connolly; B McCarry, C Carson, C Clarke. Subs: O McFadden for McCrory, S Delargy for Graham, S McCrory for Donnelly, C McNaughton for McKernan.

See also

• All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
  • Connacht Senior Hurling Championship
  • Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
  • Munster Senior Hurling Championship

References

1. "Sheehan blasts Ulster Council's commitment to hurling as Ulster SHC return is ruled out". The Irish News. 30 December 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
2. Duffy, Cóilín (12 July 2015). "Antrim strike late to claim another Ulster title". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 4 January 2016.