Clare Senior Hurling Championship


The Clare Senior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association and contested by the top-ranking senior clubs in the county of Clare in Ireland. It is the most prestigious competition in Clare hurling.
Introduced in 1887 as the Clare Hurling Championship, it was initially a straight knockout tournament open only to senior-ranking club teams. The championship has gone through a number of changes throughout the years, including the use of a round robin, before reverting to a straight knockout format.
In its current format, the Clare Senior Championship begins once the Clare senior hurling team has been eliminated from the All-Ireland Championship, with 16 teams competing in the double-elimination tournament. Six rounds of games are played, culminating with the final match at Cusack Park in October. The winner of the Clare Senior Championship, as well as being presented with the Canon Hamilton Cup, qualifies for the subsequent Munster Club Championship.
The competition has been won by 22 teams, 18 of which have won it more than once. Newmarket-on-Fergus is the most successful team in the tournament's history, having won it 23 times. Sixmilebridge are the reigning champions, having beaten Cratloe by 0-21 to 0-15 in the 2019 final.

History

Beginnings

Following the foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1884, new rules for Gaelic football and hurling were drawn up and published in the United Irishman newspaper. Over the following three years, county committees were established, with the Clare County Board holding their inaugural meeting on 14 February 1887. The inaugural championship saw 22 entrants with Smith O'Brien's claiming the title. Since then the championship title has been awarded every year except on nine occasions. No championship took place for a five-year period between 1891 and 1895 or in 1901. Civil unrest during the War of Independence resulted in the championship being suspended between 1920 and 1922.

Team dominance

The first 30 years of the championship were dominated by Tulla and O'Callaghan's Mills. They were the only two teams to win multiple titles during this period with both sides claiming 11 championships between them. Newmarket-on-Fergus dominated the period between 1925 and 1936 by winning six championship titles before Feakle claimed five of the 10 championships between 1935 and 1944. After winning their first title in 1948, the Jimmy Smyth-inspired Ruan club won a further four titles up to 1962. The next 20 years was dominated by Newmarket-on-Fergus who returned after a period in the doldrums to claim 13 titles between 1963 and 1981. The rest of the century saw Clarecastle and Sixmilebridge win 11 championship titles. Sixmilebridge continued their dominance by winning a further six titles in the first two decades of the 21st century, while there were also a number of first-time champions including Cratloe, Crusheen and Ballyea.

Format

Current

Round 1: Sixteen teams contest this round. An open draw is made to determine the eight pairings. The eight winning teams of these games advance directly to Round 3. The eight losing teams advance directly to Round 2.
Round 2A: The eight winning teams from Round 1 contest this round. An open draw is made to determine the four pairings. The four winning teams advance directly to the quarter-finals. The four losing teams advance to Round 3 where they are provided with a final chance to qualify for the knock-out stages.
Round 2B: The eight losing teams from Round 1 contest this round. An open draw is made to determine the four pairings. The four winning teams advance directly to Round 3. The four losing teams advance to the relegation play-offs.
Round 3: The four losing teams from Round 2A and the four winning teams from Round 2B contest this round. An open draw is made to determine the four pairings. The four winning teams advance directly to the quarter-finals. The four losing teams are eliminated from the championship.
Quarter-finals: Eight teams contest this round. An open draw is made to determine the eight pairings. The four winning teams advance directly to the semi-finals. The four losing teams are eliminated from the championship and enter the Clare Senior B Hurling Championship.
Semi-finals: Four teams contest this round. An open draw is made to determine the two pairings. The two winning teams advance directly to the final. The two losing teams are eliminated from the championship.
Final: The county final is contested by the two semi-final winners.

Senior Clubs

ClubLast Title
Ballyea2018
Broadford '-
Clarecastle2005
Clonlara2008
Clooney-Quin '1942
Cratloe2014
Crusheen2011
Éire Óg, Ennis1990
Feakle1988
Kilmaley2004
Inagh-Kilnamona1908
Newmarket-on-Fergus2012
O'Callaghan's Mills1937
Sixmilebridge2019
Whitegate1961
Wolfe Tones, Shannon2006

Venues

Early rounds

Fixtures in the opening rounds of the championship are usually played at a neutral venue that is deemed halfway between the participating teams. Some of the more common venues include O'Garney Park, Fr. Murphy Park and Wolfe Tone Park. Cusack Park also hosts several double-headers in the early rounds of the championship.

Final

The final is regularly played at Cusack Park in Ennis. Named after the founder of the GAA, Michael Cusack, the ground had an original capacity of about 28,000, but following a 2011 safety review, the certified capacity was reduced to 14,864. In 2015 a major renovation started, this included the demolition and re-erection of the main stand and construction of a new entrance/exit at the north side of the stadium. Once completed in late 2017 the official capacity was increased to 19,000

Managers

in the Clare Senior Championship are involved in the day-to-day running of the team, including the training, team selection, and sourcing of players. Their influence varies from club-to-club and is related to the individual club committees. The manager is assisted by a team of two or three selectors and a backroom team consisting of various coaches.
ManagerTeamWinsWinning years
John O'MearaSixmilebridge32013, 2015, 2017
Michael BrowneCrusheen22010, 2011
John CarmodyKilmaley12004
Ger WardClarecastle12005
Pat O'RourkeWolfe Tones12006
Jim McInerneyTulla12007
Jim GullyClonlara12008
Mike DeeganCratloe12009
Bob EnrightNewmarket-on-Fergus12012
Joe McGrathCratloe12014
Robbie HoganBallyea12016
Kevin SheehanBallyea12018
Tim CroweSixmilebridge12019

Trophy

The winning team is presented with the Canon Hamilton Cup. A native of Clonlara, County Clare, Michael Hamilton was educated at Clonlara National School and St. Flannan's College in Ennis. He was ordained to the priesthood in Maynooth University in 1919 and later became a professor at St. Flannan's College. In 1922 he became one of the first chaplains in the Irish Army. Hamilton was a noted hurler in his youth and was chairman of the Clare County Board for over 25 years. He died while attending the Newmarket-on-Fergus and Clarecastle county final replay on 31 August 1969.

Roll Of Honour

List Of Finals

YearWinnerOpponent
2019Sixmilebridge 0-21Cratloe 0-15
2018Ballyea 1-20Cratloe 1-14
2017 Sixmilebridge 1-20 Clooney-Quin 1-14
2016 Ballyea 2-14Clonlara 2-11
2015Sixmilebridge 1-21 Clonlara 0-15
2014Cratloe 0-14Crusheen 0-06
2013Sixmilebridge 1-10Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-11
2012Newmarket-on-Fergus 3-10Cratloe 0-09
2011Crusheen 0-10Sixmilebridge 0-04
2010Crusheen 2-13Cratloe 1-11
2009Cratloe 3-05Clonlara 1-09
2008Clonlara 1-12Newmarket-on-Fergus 1-09
2007Tulla 1-07Crusheen 0-09
2006Wolfe Tones 2-11Newmarket-on-Fergus 0-13
2005Clarecastle 0-09Wolfe Tones 0-07
2004Kilmaley 1-10St. Joseph's Doora-Barefield 1-09
2003Clarecastle 3-14Ballyea 1-11
2002Sixmilebridge 3-10Clarecastle 2-08
2001St. Joseph's Doora-Barefield 1-15Sixmilebridge 1-12
2000Sixmilebridge 4-09Éire Óg, Ennis 1-08
1999St. Joseph's Doora-Barefield 3-12Sixmilebridge 1-12
1998St. Joseph's Doora-BarefieldKilmaley
1997ClarecastleSt. Joseph's Doora-Barefield
1996Wolfe Tones 1-11Clarecastle 1-08
1995Sixmilebridge 2-10Scariff 0-15
1994ClarecastleSt. Joseph's Doora-Barefield
1993Sixmilebridge 3-08O'Callaghan's Mills 2-06
1992Sixmilebridge 1-11Éire Óg, Ennis 1-10
1991ClarecastleScariff
1990Éire Óg, EnnisO'Callaghan's Mills
1989Sixmilebridge 3-14Clarecastle 1-11
1988FeakleRuan
1987ClarecastleFeakle
1986ClarecastleO'Callaghan's Mills
1985KilmaleyÉire Óg, Ennis
1984SixmilebridgeClarecastle
1983SixmilebridgeÉire Óg, Ennis
1982Éire Óg, EnnisSixmilebridge
1981Newmarket-on-FergusTubber
1980Éire Óg, EnnisNewmarket-on-Fergus
1979SixmilebridgeSt. Brendan's
1978Newmarket-on-FergusClarecastle
1977SixmilebridgeKilkishen
1976Newmarket-on-FergusSixmilebridge
1975Brian BorusÉire Óg, Ennis
1974Newmarket-on-FergusCrusheen
1973Newmarket-on-FergusClarecastle
1972Newmarket-on-FergusSt. Senan's, Kilkee
1971Newmarket-on-FergusClarecastle
1970ClarecastleCrusheen
1969Newmarket-on-FergusClarecastle
1968Newmarket-on-FergusClarecastle
1967Newmarket-on-FergusClarecastle
1966Éire Óg, EnnisWhitegate
1965Newmarket-on-FergusÉire Óg, Ennis
1964Newmarket-on-FergusClarecastle
1963Newmarket-on-FergusWhitegate
1962RuanSixmilebridge
1961WhitegateNewmarket-on-Fergus
1960RuanScariff
1959RuanÉire Óg, Ennis
1958St. Joseph's Doora-BarefieldFeakle
1957Éire Óg, EnnisWhitegate
1956Éire Óg, EnnisClarecastle
1955Newmarket-on-FergusÉire Óg, Ennis
1954St. Joseph's Doora-BarefieldO'Callaghan's Mills
1953ScariffNewmarket-on-Fergus
1952ScariffSixmilebridge
1951Ruan
1950WhitegateRuan
1949Clarecastle
1948RuanClarecastle
1947Bodyke
1946Scariff
1945Clarecastle
1944FeakleClooney-Quin
1943ClarecastleScariff
1942Clooney-QuinScariff
1941Ennis Dalcassians
1940FeakleClooney-Quin
1939FeakleClarecastle
1938FeakleKilkishen
1937O'Callaghan's MillsClarecastle
1936Newmarket-on-FergusClarecastle
1935FeakleNewmarket-on-Fergus
1934Ennis Dalcassians
1933Tulla
1932Kilkishen
1931Newmarket-on-Fergus
1930Newmarket-on-Fergus
1929Ennis Dalcassians
1928Ennis DalcassiansNewmarket-on-Fergus
1927Newmarket-on-Fergus
1926Newmarket-on-Fergus
1925Newmarket-on-Fergus
1924Ennis Dalcassians
1923KilkishenFeakle
1922NO CHAMPIONSHIP-
1921NO CHAMPIONSHIP-
1920NO CHAMPIONSHIP-
1919ClonlaraScariff
1918O'Callaghan's MillsScariff
1917ScariffFeakle
1916Newmarket-on-Fergus
1915Ennis Dalcassians
1914Ennis Dalcassians
1913Tulla
1912Newmarket-on-Fergus
1911Ennis Dalcassians
1910O'Callaghan's Mills
1909O'Callaghan's Mills
1908Kilnamona 0-11O'Callaghan's Mills 0-10
1907ScariffO'Callaghan's Mills
1906O'Callaghan's Mills
1905Tulla
1904O'Callaghan's Mills
1903KilnamonaThomonds
1902KilnamonaBarefield
1901NO CHAMPIONSHIP-
1900Carrahan
1899Tulla
1898Carrahan
1897Tulla
1896Tulla
1895NO CHAMPIONSHIP-
1894NO CHAMPIONSHIP-
1893NO CHAMPIONSHIP-
1892NO CHAMPIONSHIP-
1891NO CHAMPIONSHIP-
1890Ennis Dalcassians
1889Tulla
1888Ogonnelloe
1887Smith O'Briens, Killaloe

Records and statistics

Teams

By decade

The most successful team of each decade, judged by number of Cork Senior Hurling Championship titles, is as follows:
Top ten longest gaps between successive championship titles: