Leinster Under-20 Hurling Championship

The Leinster GAA Hurling All-Ireland Under-20 Championship known simply as the Leinster Under-20 Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurling competition for male players between the ages of 17 and 20 in the province of Leinster. The championship was contested as the Leinster Under-21 Championship between 1964 and 2018 before changing to an under-20 age category from 2019. It is sponsored by Bord Gáis Energy.[1]

Leinster GAA Hurling Under-20 Championship
Current season or competition:
2019 Leinster Under-20 Hurling Championship
IrishCraobh Iomána Fé-20 Laighin
CodeHurling
Founded1964
RegionLeinster (GAA)
No. of teams8
Title holders Kilkenny (26th title)
Most titles Kilkenny (26 titles)
SponsorsBord Gáis Energy
TV partner(s)TG4
Official websitebgeu21.ie

The series of games are played during the summer months with the Leinster final currently being played in July. The prize for the winning team is the Seán Robbins Cup. The championship has always been played on a straight knock-out basis whereby once a team loses they are eliminated from the series.

The Leinster Championship is an integral part of the wider All-Ireland Under-20 Hurling Championship. The winners and runners-up of the Leinster final, like their counterparts in the Munster Championship, advance to the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland series of games.

Eight teams currently participate in the Munster Championship. Kilkenny is the most successful team with 26 titles, followed by Wexford with 17 titles. The title has been won by six different teams, four of whom have won the title more than once.

Kilkenny are the current holders.

History

Creation

The Leinster 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 championship to be created after the senior, junior, minor and intermediate grades.

Beginnings

The inaugural Leinster Championship featured Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Louth, Offaly, Westmeath and Wexford. Louth and Westmeath contested the very first match on Sunday 29 March 1964. Wexford won the inaugural championship.

Team dominance

Since the beginning the championship has been dominated by Kilkenny and Wexford. They won all bar one of the available championship titles between 1964 and 1977 and have won a combined total of 42 championship titles. Kilkenny also have the distinction of being the only team to win four championships in-a-row, achieving this feat on two separate occasions.

Dublin were the only team beside Kilkenny and Wexford to win the championship, with their lone title being claimed in 1967. Offaly and Laois added their names to the roll of honour in 1978 and 1983 respectively, however, the rest of the century belonged to Kilkenny and Wexford once again.

Proposed changes

In 2008 a 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 Leinster Under-19 Hurling Championship based on the provincial system.[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 Leinster Under-20 Championship based on the provincial system, however, this motion was also defeated.[4]

Age change

At the GAA Congress on 24 February 2018, the age limit of the championship was changed to twenty, following a successful motion by the Offaly County Board. In contrast to Gaelic football, under-20 hurlers are eligible to play both under-20 and senior hurling for their county.[5]

Current format

Championship

The Leinster Championship is a knockout tournament with pairings drawn at random. Each match is played as a single leg. If a match is drawn there is a period of extra time, however, if the sides still remain level a replay is required.

There are nine teams in the Leinster Championship. The finalists from the previous year receive a bye to separate semi-finals. The four "weakest" teams contest two play-off rounds with the winner joining the other three teams in the championship proper at the quarter-final stage.

Qualification for the All-Ireland Championship

As of the 2018 championship qualification for the All-Ireland Championship has changed due to the introduction of a "back door" for defeated finalists. Both the champions and runners-up qualify for the All-Ireland semi-finals.

Teams

Non-Leinster teams

On 30 September 2017, 72% of delegates at GAA Special Congress voted in favour of allowing Galway into the Leinster Championship along with any Ulster teams – as of agreed by the Ulster and Leinster Councils.[6]

Venues

History

Leinster Championship matches have always been played on a home and away basis whereby every second meeting between teams is played at the home venue of one of them. All of the current teams have home and away agreements, however, Antrim and Galway are not permitted to use their home grounds because they are outside the province of Leinster.

Attendances

Stadium attendances are a significant source of regular income for the Leinster Council and for the teams involved.

Final

The venue for the final also comes under the terms of the individual home and away agreements between the teams involved, however, on some occasions a neutral venue was used. The attendance at the 2017 Leinster final was 6,089.

Managers
See also: List of hurling managers

Managers in the Leinster Championship are involved in the day-to-day running of the team, including the training, team selection, and sourcing of players from the club championships. Their influence varies from county-to-county and is related to the individual county boards. The manager is assisted by a team of two or three selectors and an extensive backroom team consisting of various coaches. The under-20 team manager also works closely with the senior team manager due to an overlap of players on both teams. Prior to the development of the concept of a manager in the 1970s, teams were usually managed by a team of selectors with one member acting as chairman.

Winning managers (2000–present)
Manager Team Wins Winning years
J. J. Doyle Wexford 3 2013, 2014, 2015
Séamus Murphy Wexford 2 2001, 2002
Martin Fogarty Kilkenny 2 2003, 2004
Adrian Finan Kilkenny 2 2005, 2006
Michael Walsh Kilkenny 2 2008, 2009
Percy Clendennan Offaly 1 2000
Seán Lane Dublin 1 2007
Richard Stakelum Dublin 1 2010
John McEvoy Dublin 1 2011
Richie Mulrooney Kilkenny 1 2012
Joe Fortune Dublin 1 2016
Eddie Brennan Kilkenny 1 2017
Tony Ward Galway 1 2018
D. J. Carey Kilkenny 1 2019

Trophy and medals

At the end of the Leinster final, the winning team is presented with a trophy. The Seán Robbins Cup is held by the winning team until the following year's final. Traditionally, the presentation is made at a special rostrum in the stand where GAA and political dignitaries and special guests view the match.

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.

In accordance with GAA rules, the Leinster Council awards up to twenty-four gold medals to the winners of the Leinster final.

Sponsorship

Since 2003, the Leinster Championship has been sponsored. The sponsor has usually been able to determine the championship's sponsorship name.

Period Sponsor(s) Name
1964–2002 No main sponsor The Leinster Championship
2003–2007 Erin Foods The Erin Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship
2008–2018 Bord Gáis Energy The Bord Gáis Energy Munster GAA Hurling Under-21 Championship
2019- Bord Gáis Energy The Bord Gáis Energy Leinster GAA Hurling Under-20 Championship

Results

Summaries
All-Ireland champions
All-Ireland runners-up
Year Winners Score Runners-up Score Venue Winning Captain
1964 Wexford 4-07 Laois 2-02 Jim Berry
1965 Wexford 7-09 Dublin 1-05 Willie O'Neill
1966 Wexford 7-10 Laois 2-08
1967 Dublin 2-10 Offaly 2-09
1968 Kilkenny 4-10 Dublin 5-04
1969 Wexford 3-16 Kilkenny 4-03
1970 Wexford 2-15 Kilkenny 5-04 Liam Bennett
1971 Wexford 2-16 Kilkenny 2-09 Martin Quigley
1972 Dublin 2-11 Offaly 0-15 J. Kealy
1973 Wexford 2-13 Offaly 2-10
1974 Kilkenny 3-08 Wexford 1-05 Ger Fennelly
1975 Kilkenny 3-14 Wexford 0-08 Kevin Fennelly
1976 Kilkenny 3-21 Wexford 0-05
1977 Kilkenny 3-11 Wexford 1-10 Micky Lyng
1978 Offaly 2-14 Laois 2-07
1979 Wexford 1-08 (0-14) Kilkenny 0-10 (2-08)
1980 Kilkenny 2-14 Wexford 2-09
1981 Kilkenny 6-11 Wexford 2-10
1982 Kilkenny 5-20 Offaly 2-06
1983 Laois 3-13 Wexford 4-08
1984 Kilkenny 0-18 Wexford 1-10 Séamus Delahunty
1985 Kilkenny 4-18 Wexford 1-04
1986 Wexford 1-16 (2-09) Offaly 0-10 (2-09)
1987 Wexford 4-11 Wexford 0-05
1988 Kilkenny 3-13 Offaly 2-05 Frankie Morgan
1989 Offaly 3-16 Kilkenny 3-09
1990 Kilkenny 2-09 Laois 1-10 Jamesie Brennan
1991 Offaly 2-10 Kilkenny 0-12
1992 Offaly 1-15 Kilkenny 2-10
1993 Kilkenny 4-13 Wexford 2-07 David Beirne
1994 Kilkenny 1-14 Wexford 0-15 Philly Larkin
1995 Kilkenny 2-11 Wexford 1-12 Peter Barry
1996 Wexford 2-15 (1-09) Offaly 2-05 (0-12)
1997 Wexford 2-13 Offaly 0-15
1998 Kilkenny 2-10 Dublin 0-12 Dr. Cullen Park Paul Hoyne
1999 Kilkenny 1-17 Offaly 1-06 O'Moore Park Noel Hickey
2000 Offaly 3-14 Kilkenny 2-14 O'Moore Park
2001 Wexford 0-10 Kilkenny 1-05 Wexford Park Nicky Lambert
2002 Wexford 1-15 Dublin 0-15 O'Moore Park Darren Stamp
2003 Kilkenny 0-12 Dublin 1-04 Dr. Cullen Park Jackie Tyrrell
2004 Kilkenny 1-16 Wexford 2-03 Wexford Park James "Cha" Fitzpatrick
2005 Kilkenny 0-17 Dublin 1-10 Dr. Cullen Park Richie Power
2006 Kilkenny 2-18 Dublin 2-10 Nowlan Park Michael Fennelly
2007 Dublin 2-18 Offaly 3-09 Parnell Park John McCaffrey
2008 Kilkenny 2-21 Offaly 2-09 O'Connor Park James Dowling
2009 Kilkenny 2-20 Dublin 1-19 Parnell Park David Langton
2010 Dublin 2-15 Wexford 0-15 Parnell Park Finn McGarry
2011 Dublin 1-18 Wexford 0-11 Wexford Park Liam Rushe
2012 Kilkenny 4-24 Laois 1-13 O'Moore Park Cillian Buckley
2013 Wexford 1-21 Kilkenny 0-21 Wexford Park Lee Chin
2014 Wexford 1-20 Dublin 0-18 Parnell Park Shane O'Gorman
2015 Wexford 4-17 Kilkenny 1-9 Wexford Park Eoin Conroy
2016[7] Dublin 2-15 Offaly 1-10 O'Connor Park
2017[8] Kilkenny 0-30 Wexford 1-14 Nowlan Park Pat Lyng
2018 Galway 4-21 Wexford 2-26 O'Moore Park
2019 Kilkenny 1-17 Wexford 0-18 Wexford Park Evan Shefflin

Performances by counties
No. Team Wins Years won Losses Years lost
1 Kilkenny 26 1968, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2019 10 1969, 1970, 1971, 1979, 1989, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2013, 2015
2 Wexford 17 1964, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1979, 1986, 1987, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2013, 2014, 2015 18 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2017, 2018, 2019
3 Dublin 6 1967, 1972, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2016 10 1965, 1968, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2014
4 Offaly 5 1978, 1989, 1991, 1992, 2000 13 1967, 1972, 1973, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2007, 2008, 2016
5 Laois 1 1983 5 1964, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2012
6 Galway 1 2018 0

Records

Team
  • Most titles: 26:
    • Kilkenny (1968, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2017. 2019)
  • Most consecutive title wins: 4:
  • Most appearances in a final: 36:
    • Kilkenny (1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019)

By decade

The most successful team of each decade, judged by number of championship titles, is as follows:

Gaps

Top five longest gaps between successive championship titles:

By year
Year Top scorer Team Score Total
1986 Dermot Prendergast Wexford 0-23 23
1987 Pat McEvoy Kilkenny 3-06 15
1988 John Rigney Offaly 3-04 13
1989 Michael Duignan Offaly 3-13 22
1990 D. J. Carey Kilkenny 3-04 13
1991 John Brady Offaly 3-05 14
1992 Johnny Dooley Offaly 0-19 19
1993 Damien Lawlor Kilkenny 1-15 18
Jim Byrne Wexford 0-18
1994 Thomas Kavanagh Wexford 0-15 15
1995 Ollie O'Connor Kilkenny 1-20 23
1996 John Kelly Offaly 2-14 20
Damian Cleere Kilkenny
1997 Emmet Carroll Dublin 4-03 15
1998 Tomás McGrane Dublin 1-22 25
1999 Henry Shefflin Kilkenny 3-09 19
2000 Conor Gath Offaly 1-13 16
2001 Brian McCormack Laois 0-17 17
2002 Barry Lambert Wexford 1-25 28
2003 Conal Keaney Dublin 2-17 23
2004 James Fitzpatrick Kilkenny 0-20 20
2005 Eoin Larkin Kilkenny 1-26 29
2006 Kevin O'Reilly Dublin 0-14 14
2007 Alan McCrabbe Dublin 2-21 27
2008 Colm Coughlan Offaly 2-18 24
2009 Mark Bergin Kilkenny 0-14 14
2010 Paudie Kehoe Carlow 1-16 19
Mark Bergin Kilkenny
2011 Kevin O'Loughlin Dublin 1-21 24
2012 Stephen Maher Laois 0-23 23
2013 Stephen Quirke Offaly 2-19 25
2014 Paul Winters Dublin 0-22 22
2015 Conor McDonald Wexford 2-27 33
2016 Emmet Nolan Offaly 4-11 23
2017 Killian Doyle Westmeath 0-30 30
2018 Séamus Casey Wexford 1-27 30
2019 Cathal Kiely Offaly 0-44 44

In a single game
Year Top scorer Team Score Total
2015 Conor McDonald Wexford 1-10 13
2016 Emmet Nolan Offaly 2-07 13
2017 Jack Sheridan Kildare 2-09 15
2018 Chris Nolan Carlow 1-11 14
Séamus Casey Wexford
2019 Cathal Kiely Offaly 0-20 20

In finals
Final Top scorer Team Score Total
1996 Gary Laffan Wexford 1-05 8
1997 Killian Farrell Offaly 0-07 7
1998 Henry Shefflin Kilkenny 1-04 7
1999 Henry Shefflin Kilkenny 1-04 7
2000 Kevin Power Kilkenny 0-07 7
2001 Barry Lambert Wexford 0-04 4
2002 Barry Lambert Wexford 1-08 11
2003 Conal Keaney Dublin 1-02 5
2004 Richie Power Kilkenny 1-03 6
2005 Eoin Larkin Kilkenny 0-10 10
2006 David McCormack Kilkenny 1-05 8
2007 Alan McCrabbe Dublin 0-09 9
2008 Joe Bergin Offaly 2-01 7
2009 Jonjo Farrell Kilkenny 2-02 8
2010 Daire Plunkett Dublin 1-03 6
Shane Tompkins Wexford 0-06
2011 Kevin O'Loughlin Dublin 0-08 8
2012 Ger Aylward Kilkenny 2-05 11
2013 John Power Kilkenny 0-09 9
Jack Guiney Wexford
2014 Paul Winters Dublin 0-09 9
2015 Conor McDonald Wexford 1-10 13
2016 Seán Treacy Dublin 2-02 8
2017 Richie Leahy Kilkenny 0-05 5
Alan Murphy Kilkenny
Joe Coleman Wexford
2018 Séamus Casey Wexford 1-11 14
2019 Ross Banville Wexford 0-07 7

References
  1. "Bord Gais to sponsor U-21 hurling championship". Irish Examiner. 28 July 2008. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  2. O'Riordan, Ian (23 January 2008). "Merge needs simple majority". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  3. "GAA delegates reject U-19 proposal". RTÉ Sport. 26 January 2008. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  4. O'Riordan, Ian (11 September 2008). "Under-20 championship proposed". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  5. "Congress: new U20 hurling championship gets green light". Hogan Stand. 24 February 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  6. O'Toole, Fintan (30 September 2017). "A good day for Galway hurling as U21 side joins Leinster and new minor quarter-final system". The 42. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  7. "Leinster U21HC final: Treacy goals see Dubs past Faithfuls". Hogan Stand. 6 July 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  8. "Eddie Brennan leads Kilkenny to first Leinster U21 crown since 2012 as Cats rout Wexford". Hogan Stand. 5 July 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
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