All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship
| GAA Hurling All-Ireland Under-21 Championship | |
|---|---|
Current season or competition: 2015 All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship | |
| Irish | Craobh Iomána Fé-21 na hÉireann |
| Founded | 1964 |
| Region | Ireland (GAA) |
| Trophy | Cross of Cashel |
| No. of teams | 4 |
| Title holders | Limerick (5th title) |
| First winner | Tipperary (9 titles) |
| Most titles | Cork and Kilkenny (11 titles) |
| Sponsors | Bord Gáis Energy |
| TV partner(s) | TG4 |
| Official website | http://www.bgeu21.ie/ |
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Under-21 Championship is an annual championship of hurling for male players under the age of 21 and is organized by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). The championship has been awarded every year since the first tournament in 1964.
The final, usually held in September, serves as the culmination of a series of games played during the summer months, and the results determine which county's team receives the Cross of Cashel. The championship has always been played on a straight knockout basis whereby once a team loses they are eliminated from the series. In the present format, it begins in May with provincial championships held in Leinster, Munster and Ulster, with the three respective champions contesting the subsequent All-Ireland semi-finals with Galway.
Cork and Kilkenny are the most successful teams with eleven titles each, followed by Galway with ten titles and Tipperary with nine. The title has been won by eight different teams, six of which have won the title more than once.
Limerick are the current holders.[1]
Qualification
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Under-21 Championship features four teams in the final tournament. 17 teams contest the three provincial under-21 championships with the three respective champions and Galway, a team who face no competition in their own province, automatically qualifying for the All-Ireland series.
| Province | Championship |
|---|---|
| Leinster GAA | Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship |
| Munster GAA | Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship |
| Ulster GAA | Ulster Under-21 Hurling Championship |
History
The All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship began in 1964 in response to a Congress motion put forward by the Kerry County Board for the introduction of a new championship grade. It was the fifth All-Ireland championship to be created after the senior, junior, minor and intermediate grades.
In 2008 a radical motion was brought before a special Congress in an effort to combat player burnout. It was proposed to merge the existing under-21 and minor championships to create a new All-Ireland Under-19 Hurling Championship.[2] This motion was defeated by 115 votes to 58.[3]
A similar motion was later introduced in an effort to lower the age and create a new All-Ireland Under-20 Championship, however, this motion was also defeated.[4]
Results
Summaries
Performances by counties
| No. | Team | Wins | Years won | Losses | Years lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Cork |
11 | 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1982, 1988, 1997, 1998 | 2 | 1975, 1977 |
 Kilkenny |
11 | 1974, 1975, 1977, 1984, 1990, 1994, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008 | 11 | 1968, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1988, 1993, 1995, 2005, 2009, 2012 | |
| 3 |  Galway |
10 | 1972, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2005, 2007, 2011 | 10 | 1979, 1982, 1987, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2010 |
| 4 |  Tipperary |
9 | 1964, 1967, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1989, 1995, 2010 | 8 | 1965, 1978, 1983, 1984, 1990, 2004, 2006, 2008 |
| 5 |  Limerick |
5 | 1987, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2015 | ||
| 6 |  Clare |
4 | 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014 | ||
| 7 |  Waterford |
1 | 1992 | 1 | 1974 |
 Wexford |
1 | 1965 | 12 | 1964, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1986, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2014, 2015 | |
| 9 |  Dublin |
4 | 1967, 1972, 2007, 2011 | ||
| 10 |  Offaly |
3 | 1989, 1991, 1992 | ||
| 11 |  Antrim |
1 | 2013 |
Performances by province
A representative of each of the four provinces of Ireland have made an appearance in the final match of the All-Ireland.
To date, Munster leads with 30 titles, followed by Leinster with 12 titles and Connacht with 10 titles. A team from Ulster has made the championship final just once, but was defeated by a Munster side.
| Province | Performances | |
|---|---|---|
| Winners | Runners-up | |
| Munster GAA | 30 titles: Cork (11), Tipperary (9), Limerick (5), Clare (4), Waterford (1) | 11 times: Tipperary (8), Cork (2), Waterford (1) |
| Leinster GAA | 12 titles: Kilkenny (11), Wexford (1) | 30 times: Wexford (12), Kilkenny (11), Dublin (4), Offaly (3) |
| Connacht GAA | 10 titles: Galway (10) | 10 times: Galway (10) |
| Ulster GAA | 1 time: Antrim (1) | |
Sponsorship
- Erin Foods: 2003-2007
- Bord Gáis Energy: 2008–present
External links
References
- ↑ "Limerick beat Wexford to secure All-Ireland U21 hurling crown". RTE Sport. 13 September 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
- ↑ O'Riordan, Ian (23 January 2008). "Merge needs simple majority". Irish Times. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- ↑ "GAA delegates reject U-19 proposal". RTÉ Sport. 26 January 2008. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- ↑ O'Riordan, Ian (11 September 2008). "Under-20 championship proposed". Irish Times. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
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