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Down Senior Hurling Championship

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Down Senior Hurling Championship
Current season or competition:
2024 Down Senior Hurling Championship
IrishCraobh Iomána Sinsearach an Dún
CodeHurling
Founded1903; 121 years ago (1903)
Region Down (GAA)
TrophyJeremiah McVeagh Cup
No. of teams6
Title holders Portaferry (23rd title)
Most titles Ballycran (27 titles)
SponsorsMorgan Fuels
Official websiteDown GAA
James McVeagh (right), pictured in 1898

The Down Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Morgan Fuels Down GAA Senior Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Down SHC) is an annual hurling competition contested by top-tier Down GAA clubs. The Down County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association has organised it since 1903. Ballycran won the 2021 championship defeating Portaferry in the Final after extra time.[1]

Portaferry are the title holders, defeating Ballycran by 0-20 to 0-16 in the 2023 final.

History

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Faugh-a-Ballagh won the inaugural Down SHC in 1903.

The competition has been won by 10 teams, 9 of which have won it more than once. Ballycran is the most successful team in the tournament's history, having won it 27 times. No team outside Ballycran, Portaferry and Ballygalget have won the title since Kilclief's 23rd victory in 1956.

Format

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Introduced in 1903 as the Down Senior Hurling Championship, it was initially a straight knockout tournament open only to senior-ranking club teams, with its winner reckoned as the Down county champion. In its present format, four clubs play each other in a double round-robin system. The competition winner is determined through a group and knockout format. The top two teams proceed to the final match.

Teams

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2024 teams

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The 6 teams competing in the 2024 Down Senior Hurling Championship are:

Club Location Colours Position in 2023 In championship since Championship titles Last championship title
Ballycran Rubane Black and amber Runners-up ? 27 2021
Ballygalget Ards Peninsula Green and white Semi-finals ? 21 2017
Bredagh Ballynafeigh Maroon and white Down IHC champions ? 0
Carryduff Carryduff Purple and gold Down IHC runners-up 2024 0
Liatroim Fontenoys Leitrim Green, white and yellow Semi-finals 2023 2 1928
Portaferry Portaferry Blue and yellow Champions ? 23 2023

Honours

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The Jeremiah McVeagh Cup is the current prize for winning the championship. It was presented by nationalist Member of Parliament Jeremiah McVeagh to the Down County Board in 1913 and has been presented to the championship winners ever since..[2]

Traditionally, depending on the venue, the victory presentation takes place at a special rostrum in the main grandstand or on a podium on the pitch. The cup is decorated with ribbons in the colours of the winning team. During the game the cup actually has both teams' sets of ribbons attached and the runners-up ribbons are removed before the presentation. 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, the County Board awards a set of gold medals to the championship winners.

The winners of the Down Senior Championship, as well as being presented with the Jeremiah McVeagh Cup, qualify to represent their county in the subsequent Ulster Senior Club Hurling Championship.

List of finals

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(r) = replay

(aet) = after extra time

Year Winners Runners-up
Club Score Club Score
1903 Faugh-a-Ballagh
1904 Faugh-a-Ballagh
1905 Clann na Boirce
1906 Clann na Boirce
1907 Faugh-a-Ballagh
1908 Faugh-a-Ballagh
1909 Faugh-a-Ballagh
1910 Ballyvarley
1911 No competition
1912 Kilclief
1913 Kilclief
1914 Kilclief
1915 Kilclief
1916 Kilclief
1917 Kilclief
1918 Kilclief
1919 Kilclief
1920 Kilclief
1921 No competition
1922 No competition
1923 No competition
1924 Kilclief
1925 Kilclief
1926 Portaferry
1927 Liatroim Fontenoys
1928 Liatroim Fontenoys
1929 Portaferry
1930 Faugh-a-Ballagh
1931 Kilclief
1932 Kilclief
1933 Kilclief
1934 Clann Uladh
1935 Kilclief
1936 Ballela
1937 Ballela
1938 Portaferry
1939 Kilclief
1940 Ballela
1941 Ballela
1942 Kilclief
1943 Kilclief
1944 Kilclief
1945 Kilclief
1946 Clann Uladh
1947 Kilclief
1948 Ballela
1949 Ballycran
1950
1951 Ballela
1952 Ballela
1953 Ballycran
1954 Kilclief
1955 Kilclief
1956 Kilclief
1957 Ballycran
1958 Ballycran
1959 Ballygalget
1960 Ballycran
1961 Ballycran
1962†
1963 Portaferry
1964 Ballygalget
1965 Portaferry
1966 Ballygalget
1967 Ballycran
1968 Portaferry
1969 Portaferry
1970 Ballygalget
1971 Portaferry
1972 Ballycran
1973 Ballygalget
1974 Ballycran
1975 Ballygalget
1976 Ballycran
1977 Ballycran Ballygalget
1978 Portaferry Ballygalget
1979 Ballycran
1980 Ballycran
1981 Portaferry
1982 Ballygalget
1983 Ballygalget
1984 Ballycran Ballygalget
1985 Ballycran
1986 Ballycran 3–06 Portaferry 1–11
1987 Ballycran Ballygalget
1988 Portaferry Ballycran
1989 Portaferry Ballycran
1990 Ballygalget Ballycran
1991 Portaferry Ballycran
1992 Ballygalget Ballycran
1993 Ballycran Ballygalget
1994 Ballycran Ballygalget
1995 Ballycran Ballygalget
1996 Portaferry Ballygalget
1997 Ballygalget Portaferry
1998 Ballygalget Portaferry
1999 Ballygalget Portaferry
2000 Portaferry Ballygalget
2001 Portaferry Ballycran
2002 Portaferry 0–14 Ballygalget 3-04
2003 Ballygalget 0–17 Portaferry 1–10
2004 Ballygalget 1–12 Portaferry 1-06
2005 Ballygalget 3–14 Ballycran 0–15
2006 Portaferry 1–15 Ballycran 0–14
2007 Ballycran 1–13 Ballygalget 0-09
2008 Ballygalget 2–13 Portaferry 0-08
2009 Ballycran 1–14 Ballygalget 0–12
2010 Ballygalget 3–19 Ballycran 1–13
2011 Ballycran 1–11 Portaferry 0–13
2012[3] Portaferry 3-08 Ballycran 0–11
2013[4] Ballygalget 1–18 Portaferry 1–11
2014[5] Portaferry 1–12 Ballycran 1–11
2015[6] Ballycran 1–15 Ballygalget 0–16
2016[7] Ballygalget 0-06 Ballycran 0-02
2017[8] Ballygalget 2–13 Portaferry 2–12
2018[9] Ballycran 2–13 Portaferry 1–14
2019[10] Ballycran 1–20 Portaferry 1–13
2020 Portaferry 2-18, 0-15 (r) Ballycran 2-18, 0-13 (r)
2021 Ballycran 2-25 (aet) Portaferry 3-20 (aet)
2022 Portaferry 1-12 Ballycran 0-13
2023 Portaferry 0-20 Ballycran 0-16
Notes

The 1962 final was abandoned.

Roll of honour

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# Club Titles Years won
1 Ballycran 27 1949, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021
2 Kilclief 23 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1925, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1939, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1954, 1955, 1956
Portaferry 23 1926, 1929, 1938, 1963, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1978, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2012, 2014, 2020, 2022, 2023
4 Ballygalget 21 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1973, 1975, 1982, 1983, 1990, 1992, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2017
5 Ballela 7 1936, 1937, 1940, 1941, 1948, 1951, 1952
6 Faugh-a-Ballagh 6 1903, 1904, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1930
7 Clann na Boirce 2 1905, 1906
Liatroim Fontenoys 2 1927, 1928
Clann Uladh 2 1934, 1946
10 Ballyvarley 1 1910

Records and statistics

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Final

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Team

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  • Most wins: 27:
    • Ballycran: (1949, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021.
  • Most consecutive wins: 9:
    • Kilclief: (1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920)

Teams

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By decade

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

Gaps

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Longest gaps between successive championship titles:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Crossan, Brendan (28 September 2020). "Portaferry end their six-year wait for Down SHC title against gutsy Ballycran". The Irish News. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  2. ^ "Who was your Irish MP in 1918? Here's a list of everyone elected in that historic election". The Journal. 14 December 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Down SHC: 'Ferry goals see them to title success". Hogan Stand. Lynn Group Media. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  4. ^ "Down SHC final: Johnson 'magic' downs Portaferry". Hogan Stand. Lynn Group Media. 30 September 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  5. ^ "Down SHC final: 14-man Portaferry hold on". Hogan Stand. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  6. ^ "Ballycran seal title with late flurry". Irish Independent. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  7. ^ "McManus weathers the storm". Irish Independent. 26 September 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  8. ^ "Down SHC final: Coulter inspires 'Galget". Hogan Stand. 25 September 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  9. ^ "Woods brace earns crown". Irish Independent. 1 October 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  10. ^ "Down SHC final: Ballycran retain title with seven-point win". Hogan Stand. 29 September 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
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