McCullough Cup


The McCullough Cup is a hockey competition. It is an annual tournament played for by schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association. The competition is held in the winter term of each school year, with the older Burney Cup running in the Spring term.
The most successful school is Royal Belfast Academical Institution with 16 wins. The current holder is Friends School Lisburn.

Trophy

The trophy is called The Ian McCullough Memorial Cup. It was donated by a well-known family in Northern Ireland hockey circles, in memory of their son Ian.
Ian was a 15-year-old Newry Grammar School pupil. He was accidentally killed after being struck by a hockey ball during a match against Royal Belfast Academical Institution at Bladon Drive on 3 December 1960.

Teams

The teams that compete for this trophy are the strongest boys' first teams from schools in Ulster. All players must be under 18 on 1 July at the start of the year of the competition. Fourteen teams from thirteen schools competed for the trophy in the 2013-14 season.

Format

The competition started out as a straight knockout event with the first winners being the defunct Bushmills Grammar School. However it was soon decided to move all matches to the winter term, with a league format introduced to provide all schools with a guaranteed number of fixtures.
Under the current format, all teams are divided into two pools, with each school playing all the other schools in their pool once. The top two teams from each pool qualify for the semi-finals.
In the semi-finals the teams in first place in the pools play the second place teams from the other pool.
The winners of the semi-final ties contest the final, which is usually played at a neutral venue on the second Wednesday in December.

Performance by school

SchoolWinsShared WinsBeaten FinalistsTotal FinalsLast Title
Royal Belfast Academical Institution1516222006-07
Cookstown High School11110222011-12
Banbridge Academy809172016-17
Wallace High School, Lisburn40482013-14
Friends' School Lisburn50382019-20
Bangor Grammar School31591997-98
Sullivan Upper School20242017-18
Ballycastle High School20131964-65
Wellington College Belfast†20131995-96
Newry High School10671966-67
Methodist College Belfast10451965-66
Bushmills Grammar School10011961-62
Regent House, Newtownards10011999-00
Kilkeel High School01231970-71
Royal & Prior School, Raphoe0033NA

Footnote

1960s

YearWinnerRunner-upNotes
1961-62Bushmills Grammar School41Newry Grammar School
1962-63Ballycastle High School30Annadale Grammar School
1963-64Cookstown High School10Newry Grammar School
1964-65Ballycastle High School32Newry Grammar School
1965-66Methodist College Belfast10Ballycastle High School
1966-67Newry High School10Royal Belfast Academical Institution
1967-68Annadale Grammar School21Methodist College Belfast
1968-69Royal Belfast Academical Institution10Cookstown High School

1970s

YearWinnerRunner-upNotes
1969-70Royal Belfast Academical Institution21Cookstown High School
1970-71Royal Belfast Academical Institution
& Kilkeel High School		00TROPHY SHAREDafter extra time
1971-72Royal Belfast Academical Institution10Cookstown High School
1972-73Cookstown High School20Kilkeel High School
1973-74Cookstown High School20Newry High School
1974-75Royal Belfast Academical Institution10Friends School Lisburn
1975-76Cookstown High School &
Bangor Grammar School		33TROPHY SHAREDafter extra time
1976-77Friends School Lisburn21Cookstown High Schoolafter extra time
1977-78Friends School Lisburn21Cookstown High School
1978-79Cookstown High School21Bangor Grammar School

1980s

YearWinnerRunner-upNotes
1979-80Friends School Lisburn32Cookstown High School
1980-81Friends School Lisburn20Newry High School
1981-82Wallace High School00Newry High SchoolWallace HS won 5-4 on penalties
1982-83Bangor Grammar School31Methodist College Belfast
1983-84Wallace High School32Bangor Grammar School
1984-85Cookstown High School21Royal Belfast Academical Institution
1985-86Banbridge Academy10Cookstown High School
1986-87Royal Belfast Academical Institution11Methodist College BelfastR.B.A.I. won 3-2 on penalties
1987-88Royal Belfast Academical Institution11Banbridge AcademyR.B.A.I. won 4-2 on penalties
1988-89Wallace High School20Bangor Grammar School

1990s

YearWinnerRunner-upNotes
1989-90Royal Belfast Academical Institution40Bangor Grammar School
1990-91Bangor Grammar School22Cookstown High SchoolBangor GS won 3-1 on penalties
1991-92Royal Belfast Academical Institution32Banbridge Academy
1992-93Royal Belfast Academical Institution30Banbridge Academy
1993-94Banbridge Academy11Royal Belfast Academical InstitutionBanbridge won 3-1 on penalties
1994-95Royal Belfast Academical Institution10Cookstown High School
1995-96Wellington College Belfast21Royal Belfast Academical Institution
1996-97Royal Belfast Academical Institution52Bangor Grammar Schoolafter extra time
1997-98Bangor Grammar School30Methodist College Belfast
1998-99Cookstown High School30Royal Belfast Academical Institution

2000s

YearWinnerRunner-upNotes
1999-00Regent House, Newtownards20Royal & Prior School, Raphoeafter extra time
2000-01Cookstown High School10Royal & Prior School, Raphoe
2001-02Royal Belfast Academical Institution33Kilkeel High SchoolR.B.A.I. won 4-1 on penalties
2002-03Banbridge Academy30Cookstown High School
2003-04Royal Belfast Academical Institution43Banbridge Academy
2004-05Royal Belfast Academical Institution21Banbridge Academy
2005-06Banbridge Academy41Royal Belfast Academical Institution
2006-07Royal Belfast Academical Institution61Banbridge Academy
2007-08Cookstown High School44Banbridge AcademyCookstown won 4-3 on penalties
2008-09Cookstown High School30Sullivan Upper School

2010s

YearWinnerRunner-upNotes
2009-10Banbridge Academy42Wallace High School
2010-11Cookstown High School42Banbridge Academy
2011-12Cookstown High School53Banbridge Academy
2012-13Banbridge Academy31Sullivan Upper School
2013-14Wallace High School32Friends School Lisburnafter extra time
2014-15Banbridge Academy21Wallace High School
2015-16Sullivan Upper School43Wallace High School
2016-17Banbridge Academy21Royal & Prior School
2017-18Sullivan Upper School22Friends School LisburnSullivan won 4-3 on penalties
2018-19Wallace High School11Sullivan Upper SchoolWallace won 4-3 on penalties
2019-20Friends School Lisburn30Wallace High School