2009 Christy Ring Cup

The 2009 Christy Ring Cup is the 5th annual second-tier hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association. Eight county teams participate in the competition. The teams are Carlow, Derry, Down, Kerry, Mayo, Kildare, Westmeath and Wicklow.

The winning team was promoted to the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2010 and played for the Liam McCarthy Cup.

On 11 July, Carlow retained the cup with a 1-15 to 0-14 victory over Down at Croke Park.^[1]

Structure

The tournament has a double elimination format - each team will play at least two games before being knocked out.

• The eight teams play four Round 1 matches.
  • The winners in Round 1 advance to Round 2A.
  • The losers in Round 1 go into to Round 2B.
• There are two Round 2A matches.
  • The winners in Round 2A advance to the semi-finals.
  • The losers in Round 2A go into to the quarter-finals.
• There are two Round 2B matches.
  • The winners in Round 2B advance to the quarter-finals.
  • The losers in Round 2B go into the relegation playoff.
    • The losers of the relegation playoff are relegated to the Nicky Rackard Cup 2010.
• There are two quarter-final matches between the Round 2A losers and Round 2B winners.
  • The winners of the quarter-finals advance to the semi-finals.
  • The losers of the quarter-finals are eliminated.
• There are two semi-final matches between the Round 2A winners and the quarter-final winners.
  • The winners of the semi-finals advance to the final.
  • The losers of the semi-finals are eliminated.
• The winners of the final win the Christy Ring Cup for 2009.

Knockout phase

Match	Date	Venue	Team	Score	Team	Score
Round 1	May 9	Aughrim Park	Wicklow	3-9	Carlow	4-16
Round 1	May 9	Páirc Esler	Down	3-20	Derry	1-22
Round 1	May 9	Tralee	Kerry	3-11	Mayo	1-16
Round 1	May 9	Cusack Park	Westmeath	2-21	Kildare	3-19
Round 2A	May 16	Tralee	Kerry	2-10	Down	3-11
Round 2A	May 16	Newbridge	Kildare	1-13	Carlow	1-16
Round 2B	May 16	Crossmolina	Mayo	2-20	Westmeath	0-15
Round 2B	May 16	Swatragh	Derry	2-15	Wicklow	0-9
Quarter-final	May 23	Mullingar	Kerry	4-21	Derry	2-12
Quarter-final	May 23	Athleague	Kildare	1-10	Mayo	1-16
Semi-final	June 6	Dr Cullen Park	Carlow	1-15	Kerry	2-12
Semi-final	June 6	Páirc Esler	Down	4-21	Mayo	0-14
Semi-final replay	June 13	Tralee	Kerry	2-11	Carlow	6-10
Final	July 11	Croke Park	Down	0-14	Carlow	1-15

Date	Venue	Team	Score	Team	Score
May 23	Clane	Westmeath	3-36	Wicklow	1-6

Wicklow are relegated to the Nicky Rackard Cup 2010 competition.

Fixtures

Round 1

Wicklow v Carlow

9 May 2009 Round 1

Wicklow	3-9 - 4-16	Carlow
J Murphy (1-5), E Dunne (1-0), A O'Brien (1-0), G Bermingham, C Moorehouse (0-2 each).	Report	P Kehoe (2-4), C Doyle (1-3), D Roberts (1-2), J Hickey (0-4), M Brennan (0-2), E Coady (0-1).

Aughrim Park, Aughrim Referee: P. Devereux (Kildare)

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Down v Derry

9 May 2009 Round 1

Down	3-20 - 1-22	Derry
G Johnston (2-3), P Branniff (0-7, 0-4 frees), E Clarke (1-1), J Coyle (0-3), S Wilson (0-3, 0-2 frees), C Woods (0-1), F Conway (0-1), R McGrattan (0-1).	Report	S Dodds 0-17, C Quinn 1-0, K Hinphey 0-2, B Dodds 0-2, S McNicholl 0-1.

Páirc Esler, Newry

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Kerry v Mayo

9 May 2009 Round 1

Kerry	3-11 - 1-16	Mayo
S Brick 0-6, E McSweeney 0-3, S Young 1-2, J McCarthy 1-0, JM Dooley 1-0.		K Higgins 0-4, A Freeman 0-4, E Madigan 1-0, D Dowling 0-2, D McConn 0-2, D McDonnell 0-2, C Ryan 0-1, S Broderick 0-1.

Austin Stack Park, Tralee

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Westmeath v Kildare

9 May 2009 Round 1

Westmeath	2-21 - 3-19	Kildare
B Murtagh 1-10, A Devine 1-1, A Mitchell 0-3, D McNicholas 0-3, B Connaughton 0-2, K Cosgrove 0-1, D Carty 0-1.		D Harney 0-11, T Murphy 2-1, D Carter 1-0, A McAndrew 0-3, R Hoban 0-1, D Cafferty 0-1, M mOloney 0-1 N Ó Muineacháin 0-1.

Cusack Park, Mullingar

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Round 2A

Kerry v Down

9 May 2009 Round 2A

Kerry	2-10 - 3-11	Down
S Brick (0-9, eight frees), J McCarthy (2-0), JM Dooley (0-1).	Report	S Wilson (0-7, five frees), G Johnson (2-0), J Coyle (1-0), P Braniff (0-2), C Woods (0-1), M Óg Coulter (0-1).

Austin Stack Park, Tralee

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Kildare v Carlow

9 May 2009 Round 2A

Kildare	1-13 - 1-16	Carlow
D Harney (1-5, 1-4 frees), T Murphy (0-5), A McAndrew (0-2), M Moloney (0-1).	Report	P Kehoe (0-8, five frees), C Doyle (1-2), A Gaule (0-3), M Brennan (0-1), D Roberts (0-1), J Hickey (0-1).

St. Conleth's Park, Newbridge

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Round 2B

Mayo v Westmeath

16 May 2009 Round 2B

Mayo	2-20 - 0-15	Westmeath
A Freeman (0-7, four frees), M Devaney (1-2), Keith Higgins (0-5, three frees), D McDonnell (1-0), S Broderick (0-2), B Higgins (0-1), P Higgins (0-1), E Madigan (0-1), Derek McConn (0-1).	Report	A Mitchell (0-6, frees), D McNicholas (0-3), R Jackson (0-2); C Jordan (0-1), B Murtagh (0-1, free), C Curley (0-1), D Kilcoyne (0-1).

Westport Referee: T. Carroll (Offaly)

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Derry v Wicklow

16 May 2009 Round 2B

Derry	2-15 - 0-9	Wicklow
R Convery 1-5 (0-1f, 0-1pen), A Kelly 1-2, S Dodds 0-3 (0-2f), O McCloskey 0-2, M Craig, P McCloskey, and E McGuckin 0-1 each.	Report	A Driver 0-4, J Murphy 0-3 (0-3f), G Bermingham and J Keogh 0-1 each.

Swatragh Referee: T. McIntyre (Antrim)

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Quarter-finals

Mayo v Kildare

23 May 2009 Quarter-final

Mayo	1-16 - 1-10	Kildare
C Freeman 0-5, D Dowling 1-1, K Higgins 0-4f, D McDonnell 0-3, A Freeman 0-2f, C Ryan 0-1.	Report	D Harney 0-6 (4f), P Divilly 1-0, D Kennedy (‘65), T Murphy, A McAndrew, M Maloney 0-1 each.

Athleague Referee: T. Ryan (Tipperary)

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Kerry v Derry

23 May 2009 Quarter-final

Kerry	4-21 - 2-12	Derry
S Brick (0-15, 6f, 1 ‘65’), J Dooley (4-0), E Sweeney (0-4), J Fitzgerald (0-1), J Casey (0-1).	Report	R Convery (1-7, 0-6f), O McCloskey (0-5, 2f , 3 ‘65’), M Scullen (1-0).

Cusack Park, Mullingar Referee: S. Whelan (Wexford)

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Semi-finals

Down v Mayo

6 June 2009 Semi-final

Down	4-21 - 0-14	Mayo
G Johnston 1-5 (0-1f), S Wilson 0-7 (0-3f, 0-1 '65', 0-1 pen), J Coyle 1-3, P Braniff 1-2 (0-1f), E Clarke, 1-1, C Woods 0-2, M Ennis 0-1.	Report	A Freeman (0-4f), K Higgins (0-3f, 0-1 pen) 0-6 each, D McConn, E Madigan 0-1 each.

Páirc Esler, Newry Referee: A. Stapleton (Laois)

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Carlow v Kerry

6 June 2009 Semi-final

Carlow	1-15 - 2-12	Kerry
Paudie Kehoe 1-6 (0-6fs), J Hickey 0-4 (1 sideline), R Foley 0-2, S Kavanagh 0-2 (65s), M Brennan 0-1.	Report	S Brick 1-5 (1-0 pen, 0-3fs), JM Dooley 1-3, E Sweeney 0-2, B Brick 0-1, G O’Brien 0-1.

Dr. Cullen Park, Carlow Referee: T. Carroll (Offaly)

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Kerry v Carlow

13 June 2009 Semi-final Replay

Kerry	2-11 - 6-10	Carlow
S Brick (0-7, six frees), JM Dooley (1-1), J McCarthy (1-0), E Sweeney (0-1), B Brick (0-1); G O’Brien (0-1).	Report	R Foley (2-2), C Doyle (2-1), P Kehoe (1-2, 1-0 pen, 0-1 free), A Gaule (1-1), R Dunbar (0-1), M Brennan (0-1), E Byrne (0-1), S Kavanagh (0-1, 65).

Austin Stack Park, Tralee Referee: D. O'Driscoll (Limerick)

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Final

Carlow v Down

11 July 2009 Final

Carlow	1-15 - 0-14	Down
R Foley 1-03, P Kehoe 0-05 (0-04f), C Doyle 0-02 (0-01f), S Kavanagh (0-01 '65'), A Gaule, E Coady, E Byrne, J Coady 0-01 each.	Report	S Wilson 0-07 (0-07f), P Braniff 0-04, C O'Prey, J Coyle, A Higgins 0-01 each.

Croke Park, Dublin Referee: T. Ryan (Tipperary)

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	Round 1 Round 2B					Round 2A Quarter Finals					Semi Finals					Final
	Derry		2-15
	Wicklow		0-09			Kerry		4-21
	Wicklow		3-09			Derry		2-12
	Carlow		4-16								Kerry		2-11
											Carlow (R)		6-10
						Carlow		1-16
	Westmeath		2-21			Kildare		1-13
	Kildare		3-19													Carlow		1-15
	Mayo		2-20													Down		0-14
	Westmeath		0-15			Kildare		1-10
						Mayo		1-16
											Mayo		0-14			Relegation Playoff
	Mayo		1-16								Down		4-21
	Kerry		3-11			Kerry		2-10								Westmeath		3-36
	Down		3-20			Down		3-11								Wicklow		1-06
	Derry		1-22

References

1. "Carlow retain Christy Ring Cup". RTÉ Sport. 2009-07-11. Retrieved 2009-07-11.