Galway Senior Hurling Championship


The Galway Senior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Galway County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in the county of Galway in Ireland.
The series of games are played during the summer and autumn months with the county final currently being played at Pearse Stadium in November. Initially played as a knock-out competition, the championship currently consists of a group stage followed by a knock-out series of games.
The Galway County Championship is an integral part of the wider All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship. The winners of the Galway county final automatically represent Connacht and join the champions of the other three provinces to contest the All-Ireland Championship.
Twenty-four teams currently participate in the Galway County Championship. The title has been won at least once by 29 different teams. The all-time record-holders are Castlegar, who have won a total of 17 titles.
St. Thomas's are the title-holders, having defeated Liam Mellows by 1-13 to 0-14 in the 2019 championship 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. In 1886, county committees were established, with the Galway County Board affiliating on 26 October 1886. The inaugural championship was played during the summer of 1887. Delays and objections were commonplace in the early years, with a number of championships remaining unfinished.

Format

Group stage

Senior A
For the group stage there are two groups of six teams. Teams play the other five teams in the group once and match points are awarded depending on the result of each game, with teams receiving two points for a win, and one for a draw. Following the completion of the group stage, the top two teams from each group automatically qualify for the quarter finals. The third and fourth-placed teams from each group play in the preliminary quarter finals.
Senior B
For the group stage there are two groups of six teams. Teams play the other five teams in the group once and match points are awarded depending on the result of each game, with teams receiving two points for a win, and one for a draw. Following the completion of the group stage, the winners of each group qualify for the preliminary quarter-finals. The second and third placed teams play-off with the two winners also qualifying for the preliminary quarter finals.

Relegation

Senior A
The bottom-placed teams from each group play-off with the losing team relegated to the Senior B section for the following year.
Senior B
The bottom-placed teams from each group play-off with the losing team relegated to the Galway Intermediate Hurling Championship for the following year.

Knock-out stage

Preliminary quarter-finals: 8 teams contest this round. The 4 winning teams advance to the quarter-final. The 4 losing teams are eliminated from the championship.
Quarter-finals: 8 teams contest this round. The 4 winning teams advance to the semi-finals. The 4 losing teams are eliminated from the championship.
Semi-finals: 4 teams contest this round. The 2 winning teams advance to the Semi-finals. The 2 losing teams are eliminated from the championship.
Final: The final is contested by the two semi-final winners.

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 Kenny Park, Duggan Park and St. Brendan's Park.

Final

The final has regularly been played at Pearse Stadium in Salthill.

Managers

in the Galway 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
Pat NallyAthenry41998, 1999, 2000, 2002
Johnny KellyPortumna22008, 2009
John BurkeSt. Thomas's22012, 2016
Kevin LallySt. Thomas's22018, 2019
Billy McGrathClarinbridge12001
Mike MonaghanPortumna12003
Billy CaulfieldAthenry12004
Pat O'ConnorLoughrea12006
Micheál DonoghueClarinbridge12010
Mattie MurphyGort12011
Frank CanningPortumna12013
Gerry SpelmanGort12014
Cathal MurraySarsfields12015
Louis MulqueenLiam Mellows12017

Top winners

TeamWinsYears won
1Castlegar171936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1944, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1967, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1979, 1984
2Ardrahan111894, 1895, 1896, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1910, 1949, 1974, 1975, 1978
3Liam Mellows91935, 1943, 1945, 1946, 1954, 1955, 1968, 1970, 2017
4Turloughmore81956, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1985
4Athenry81987, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004
6Peterswell71889, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1904, 1905, 1907
6Gort71914, 1916, 1934, 1981, 1983, 2011, 2014
6Sarsfields71980, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2015
9Portumna62003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013
10Tynagh51920, 1922, 1923, 1925, 1928
10Craughwell51909, 1915, 1918, 1930, 1931
10Kiltormer51976, 1977, 1982, 1990, 1991
13St. Thomas's42012, 2016, 2018, 2019
14Kilconieron31908, 1912, 1919
14Mullagh31906, 1929, 1932
16College Road21892, 1893
16Woodford21913, 1917
16Army21947, 1948
16Fohenagh21959, 1960
16Loughrea21941, 2006
16Clarinbridge22001, 2010
22Meelick11887
22Killimor11897
22Derrydonnell11911
22Oranmore/Maree11933
22Ballinasloe11951
22Tommy Larkin's11971
22Killimordaly11986
22Abbeyknockmoy11988

Roll of honour

YearWinnerOpponent
2019St. Thomas's 1-13Liam Mellows 0-14
2018St. Thomas's 2-13Liam Mellows 0-10
2017Liam Mellows 3-12Gort 1-15
2016St. Thomas's 1-11Gort 0-10
2015Sarsfields 0-12, Replay 2-10Craughwell 0-12, Replay 0-14
2014Gort 2-13Portumna 1-10
2013Portumna 3-12Loughrea 0-14
2012St. Thomas's 3-11Loughrea 2-11
2011Gort 0-17Clarinbridge 1-12
2010Clarinbridge 2-11, Replay 0-18 Loughrea 1-14, Replay 0-15
2009Portumna 5-19Loughrea 1-13
2008Portumna 1-18Gort 2-07
2007Portumna 6-12Kinvara 0-11
2006Loughrea 1-13Portumna 0-15
2005Portumna 3-21Loughrea 3-14
2004Athenry 0-15Portumna 0-13
2003Portumna 2-13Loughrea 2-09
2002Athenry 1-16Sarsfields 3-07
2001Clarinbridge 0-18Athenry 2-11
2000Athenry 2-14Sarsfields 3-07
1999Athenry 1-16Abbey-Duniry 1-10
1998Athenry 0-09, 1-15 Abbey-Duniry 0-09, 1-12
1997Sarsfields 1-11Clarinbridge 1-06
1996Athenry 2-06Carnmore 1-06
1995Sarsfields 0-17Portumna 1-09
1994Athenry 2-06Sarsfields 0-09
1993Sarsfields 1-10Carnmore 0-04
1992Sarsfields 0-14, 1-14 Carnmore 1-11, 1-05
1991Kiltormer 3-09Athenry 0-15
1990Kiltormer 0-18Turloughmore 2-07
1989Sarsfields 3-07Athenry 1-08
1988Abbeyknockmoy 2-08, 2-06 Athenry 2-08, 0-11
1987Athenry 1-12Castlegar 2-06
1986Killimordaly 0-17Turloughmore 2-07
1985Turloughmore 1-14Killimordaly 1-04
1984Castlegar 3-10Killimordaly 0-11
1983Gort 2-12Castlegar 3-06
1982Kiltormer 2-08Castlegar 1-09
1981Gort 2-08, 2-06 Kiltormer 1-11, 0-08
1980Sarsfields 0-11Meelick-Eyrecourt 0-09
1979Castlegar 2-13Kinvara 0-06
1978Ardrahan 2-10, 2-18 Ballinderreen 0-16, 2-14
1977Kiltormer 3-10Athenry 3-08
1976Kiltormer 1-09Killimordaly 1-06
1975Ardrahan 4-05Carnmore 1-11
1974Ardrahan 2-10Castlegar 1-10
1973Castlegar 3-10, 4-11Ballinasloe 2-13, 3-10
1972Castlegar 5-05Turloughmore 0-08
1971Tommy Larkin's 5-02Carnmore 1-12
1970Liam Mellows 5-11Killimordaly 1-11
1969Castlegar 4-14Ardrahan 2-06
1968Liam Mellows 3-11Ardrahan 2-12
1967Castlegar 3-09Padraig Pearse's Maree 4-04
1966Turloughmore 4-08Mullagh 2-08
1965Turloughmore 7-04Killimordaly 4-11
1964Turloughmore 5-11Ballinasloe 5-05
1963Turloughmore 5-13Fohenagh 2-04
1962Turloughmore 2-09, 7-10 Castlegar 2-09, 0-09
1961Turloughmore 3-06Fohenagh 3-04
1960Fohenagh 4-09Castlegar 2-07
1959Fohenagh 2-08, 3-09 Castlegar 1-11, 4-05
1958Castlegar 5-09Fohenagh 2-04
1957Castlegar 6-11Liam Mellows 2-03
1956Turloughmore 0-09Ardrahan 2-03
1955Liam Mellows 3-04Army 2-05
1954Liam Mellows 5-04Ballinasloe 2-03
1953Castlegar 3-02Ballinasloe 1-05
1952Castlegar 2-08Ardrahan 3-03
1951Ballinasloe 4-07Loughrea 2-05
1950Castlegar 9-03Gort 0-02
1949Ardrahan 1-09Loughrea 2-02
1948Army 7-07St. Coleman's 6-02
1947Army 4-13Carnmore 3-03
1946Liam Mellows 6-06Army 1-11
1945Liam Mellows 7-02Army 2-03
1944Castlegar 8-06Killimor 5-06
1943Liam Mellows 3-04Ballinasloe 2-05
1942Declared void
1941Loughrea 5-03Army 2-01
1940Castlegar 9-06Maree 2-03
1939Castlegar 9-01Clarinbridge 8-02
1938Castlegar 2-07Maree 2-02
1937Castlegar 9-13Killimor 1-01
1936Castlegar 6-06Gort 2-05
1935Liam Mellows 5-00Ballinderreen 2-02
1934Gort 4-04Tynagh 3-01
1933Maree 5-06Castlegar 6-02
1932MullaghCraughwell
1931No final
1930CraughwellLeitrim
1929MullaghClarinbridge
1928TynaghPeterswell
1927No final
1926No final
1925TynaghCraughwell
1924No final
1923TynaghArdrahan
1922TynaghGalway City
1921No final
1920TynaghKilconieron
1919KilconieronTynagh
1918CraughwellTynagh
1917WoodfordKilconieron
1916GortKilconieron
1915CraughwellGort
1914GortKilconieron
1913WoodfordKilconieron
1912KilconieronCastlegar
1911Derrydonnell Claregalway
1910ArdrahanKilconieron
1909CraughwellLoughrea
1908KilconieronKileenadeema
1907PeterswellDuniry
1906MullaghDuniry
1905PeterswellCraughwell
1904PeterswellMullagh
1903ArdrahanGalway City 98's
1902ArdrahanPeterswell no. 2
1901ArdrahanClaregalway
1900PeterswellCraughwell
1899PeterswellCraughwell
1898PeterswellArdrahan
1897KillimorArdrahan
1896ArdrahanTynagh
1895ArdrahanClaregalway
1894ArdrahanCollege Road
1893College RoadTurloughmore
1892College RoadCraughwell
1891-
1890-
1889PeterswellTynagh
1888-
1887Meelick

Records and statistics

Teams

By decade

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