Ulster Senior Hurling Championship
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The Ulster Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Guinness Ulster Championship) is the premier intercounty "knockout" competition in the game of hurling played in the province of Ulster. The series of games are organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and are played during the summer months. The Ulster Hurling Final is played in July.
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[edit] 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 47 times to date.
[edit] Format
The Ulster Hurling Championship is run on a knock-out basis in which once a team loses they are eliminated from the competition. 2008 will mark the first tournament featureing all the Ulster counties, with the addition of London bringing the total to ten. The stronger teams (Antrim, Down, Derry, Armagh) have received byes to the later stages to prevent mismatches.
[edit] Most Successful Teams
| County | Wins | Winning Years |
|---|---|---|
| Antrim | 47 | 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 |
| Derry | 4 | 1902, 1908, 2000, 2001 |
| Down | 4 | 1941, 1992, 1995, 1997 |
| Donegal | 3 | 1906, 1923, 1932 |
| Monaghan | 2 | 1914, 1915 |
The following teams have featured in Ulster Senior Hurling Championship Finals, but have yet to record a victory.
| County | Final Appearances | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Cavan | 5 | 1908, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1936 |
| New York | 1 | 2006 |
| Armagh | 1 | 1946 |
Antrim's historic domination (only 3 finals have not featured the county; 1908, 1934 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 1910's, between Antrim and Down in the 1990's, and between Antrim and Derry in the early 2000's
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, their longest period of continuous success since 1988.
[edit] Roll of Honour
[edit] See also
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