Waterford Senior Hurling Championship


The Waterford Senior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1897 for the top hurling teams in the county of Waterford in Ireland.
The series of games are played during the spring, summer and autumn months with the county final currently being played at Walsh Park in October. Initially played as a knock-out competition, the championship currently features a group stage followed by a knock-out stage.
The Waterford County Championship is an integral part of the wider Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship. The winners of the Waterford county final join the champions of the other hurling counties to contest the provincial championship.
Twelve teams currently participate in the Waterford County Championship. The title has been won at least once by 23 different teams. The all-time record-holders are Mount Sion, who have won a total of 35 titles.
Ballygunner are the title-holders after defeating De La Salle by 1–24 to 1–15 in the 2019 championship final.

The championship

Format

Group stage: The 12 teams are divided into two groups. Each team plays each other once. The top four teams in each group advance to the kick-out stage. The fifth-placed teams in each group are eliminated from the championship. The bottom-placed teams in each group contest the relegation play-off.
Relegation play-off: The losers of this game are relegated to the Waterford Intermediate Hurling 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.

Participating teams

The following 12 teams will contest the 2018 championship:
TeamLocationColours
AbbeysideAbbeysideBlue and orange
Ballyduff UpperBallyduffRed and white
BallygunnerBallygunnerRed and black
De La SalleWaterfordRed and white
DungarvanDungarvanBlue and white
FourmilewaterBallymacarbryBlue and white
LismoreLismoreYellow and black
Mount SionWaterfordBlue and white
PassagePassage EastRed and white
Rinn Ó gCuanachRing, County WaterfordBlue and yellow
RoanmoreWaterfordBlue and white
TallowTallowBlue and yellow

Managers

in the Waterford 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
Jim GreeneMount Sion32002, 2003, 2004
Denis WalshBallygunner22015, 2016
Fergal HartleyBallygunner32014, 2017, 2018
Michael GaffneyBallygunner11999
Kevin RyanMount Sion12000
Gordon RyanBallygunner12001
John FitzpatrickBallygunner12005
Páraic FanningMount Sion12006
Morris GearyBallyduff Upper12007
Owen DunphyDe La Salle12008
Ger CunninghamBallygunner12009
Michael RyanDe La Salle12010
Niall O'DonnellBallygunner12011
Derek McGrathDe La Salle12012
Peter QueallyPassage12013

Finals Listed By Year

Roll of honour

ClubNumber of winsWinning Years
1Mount Sion351938, 1939, 1940, 1943, 1945, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006
2Ballygunner181966, 1967, 1968, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
3Erin's Own131927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1942, 1946, 1947,1962
4Dungarvan61908, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1926, 1941
4T.F. Meaghers61909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1922, 1924
4Portlaw61937, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977
5Clonea51902, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1952
6Tallow41936, 1980, 1984, 1985
7Ferrybank31915, 1916, 1919
7Lismore31925, 1991, 1993
7Ballyduff Upper31983, 1987, 2007
7De La Salle32008, 2010, 2012
8St Stephens De La Salle21913, 1914
8Dunhill21978, 1979
8Roanmore21989, 1990
9Ballytruckle11897
9Ballydurn11899
9Gracedieu11904
9Ballyduff Lower11906
9Young Irelands11918
93rd Battalion11944
9Tourin11950
9Passage12013

Records and statistics

Teams

By decade

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

In finals

FinalTop scorerTeamScoreTotal
1995Ballygunner1-058
1996Ballygunner2-0410
1997Ballygunner1-0811
1998Mount Sion1-047
1999Ballygunner1-0811
2000Mount Sion1-077
2001Lismore0-1010
2002Mount Sion0-1111
2003Ballygunner0-066
2004Mount Sion1-036
2005De La Salle0-099
2006Mount Sion0-077
2007Ballygunner1-069
2007Ballyduff Upper0-099
2008De La Salle0-033
2008De La Salle0-033
2009Ballygunner1-0912
2010De La Salle0-099
2011Ballygunner0-1111
2012Dungarvan0-099
2013Ballygunner1-0710
2013Passage1-0710
2014Ballygunner0-1010
2015Tallow0-1010
2016Ballygunner1-1114
2017Ballygunner0-099
2018Ballygunner0-1313