Cavan Senior Hurling Championship

The Cavan Senior Hurling Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association competition between the top hurling clubs in Cavan. The winners of the Cavan Championship qualify to represent their county in the Ulster Club Championship, the winners of which go on to the All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship. This championship has never been played on a consistent basis, and has frequently not been completed. In 2010, Mullahoran won the title for the 21st successive year. That run of victories was ended in 2011 when Ballymachugh beat Mullahoran in the final. In 2017, Mullahoran won their first title in four years with a win over Cootehill on a scoreline of 4–19 to 0–05.[1][2] Cootehill are the current champions, having won the 2022 championship title.[3]

Cavan Senior Hurling Championship
Founded1908
RegionCavan, Ireland (GAA)
No. of teams4
Title holdersCootehill Celtic (8th title)
First winnerBelturbet
Most titlesMullahoran (27 titles)
SponsorsHotel Kilmore
Official websitehttp://www.cavangaa.ie

History

20th century

The first recorded Cavan county championship final was played between Cavan Slashers and Belturbet in 1908. Belturbet reportedly won the game by 2–8 to 1–3.[4] The next recorded county competition was in 1922, and GAA records indicate that Cavan Slashers were 1922 champions.[5] The championship was held inconsistently over the coming decades, until "hurling again vanished from the Cavan G.A.A. scene in 1954".[4] Senior county hurling finals were not held again in Cavan, with any consistency, until the 1980s.[4] The Cavan Senior Hurling Championship has been won once by a club from outside the county - Granard hurling club from County Longford won the title in 1950.[6]

21st century

Mullahoran won 21 back-to-back titles in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, until 2011 when that run was ended in a defeat to Ballymachugh in the 2011 final.[7][8] Cootehill and Mullahoran were the two main clubs in the competition during the second decade of the 21st century, meeting in the final in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017.[1][9][10][11]

In the 2014 competition, Mullahoran (the defending champions) were defeated in the group stage. Cootehill won the title for only their third time ever and the first time since 1965 following a 5–7 to 1–6 defeat of Ballymachugh in a replay of the final.[12][A]

In 2015, Cootehill Celtic successfully defended their title, becoming champions for the 4th time. On 27 September 2015, in a final held at Kingspan Breffni Park, Mullahoran made a comeback to force a draw and a replay.[9] Cootehill won the replayed final, held on 30 September 2015, on a scoreline of 0–7 to 0–4.[10]

Cootehill were "fancied to defend" their title in the 2016 final,[14] which was held on 25 September 2016.[15] In the game, Mullahoran St Joseph's beat Cootehill Celtic by 2–7 to 2–6.[16][17] However, Cootehill were later awarded the title (their 5th title) as Mullahoran were adjudged to have fielded an ineligible player.[citation needed][B]

The 2020 championship was held in September 2020,[18] involving four teams representing Cootehill Celtic GAA, Mullahoran GAA, East Cavan Gaels and Pearse Óg GAA club.[19] Mullahoran won the 2020 final, beating Cootehill Celtic by 2–09 to 1–11.[20] Cootehill Celtic won back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022.[3]

Top winners

#ClubWinsYears won
1Mullahoran271990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020[21]
2Cavan Slashers81922, 1924, 1927, 1928, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936
Cootehill Celtic81932, 1965, 2014, 2015, 2016,[B] 2021,[22] 2022,[3] 2023
4Bailieborough Shamrocks51966, 1976, 1977, 1982, 1984
5Cavan Gaels41973, 1974, 1983, 1985
Ballyhaise41925, 1926, 1947, 1948
7Woodford Gaels31986, 1987, 1988
8Belturbet11908
Kill11930
Granard (Longford)11950
Ballymachugh12011

List of finals

YearWinnersRunners-upNotes
ClubScoreClubScore
2023Cootehill2-19East Cavan Gaels3-14[23]
2022Cootehill1-16Mullahoran0-9[3]
2021Cootehill2-12Pearse Og2-11[22][24]
2020Mullahoran2-09Cootehill1-11[20]
2019Mullahoran2-09Pearse Og0-12
2018MullahoranW/OPearse Og
2017Mullahoran4-19Cootehill0-05[2]
2016Mullahoran2-07Cootehill2-06(Cootehill awarded title)[11][B]
2015Cootehill3-11 (0-07)Mullahoran4-08 (0-04)(Cootehill win replay)[9][10]
2014Cootehill5-07Ballymachugh1-06
2013Mullahoran0-13Cootehill0-04
2012No Championship
2011Ballymachugh4-08Mullahoran1-06[8]
2010Mullahoran3-15Woodford Gaels0-03
2009Mullahoran2-10Ballymachugh2-07
2008Mullahoran4-15Ballymachugh0-02
2007Mullahoran2-13Woodford Gaels1-05[7]
2006MullahoranWoodford Gaels
2005MullahoranBallymachugh
2004MullahoranCavan Gaels
2003MullahoranCavan Gaels
2002Mullahoran
2001Mullahoran
2000Mullahoran
1999Mullahoran
1998Mullahoran
1997Mullahoran
1996Mullahoran
1995Mullahoran
1994MullahoranBailieborough Shamrocks
1993MullahoranBailieborough Shamrocks
1992MullahoranBailieborough Shamrocks
1991MullahoranBailieborough Shamrocks
1990MullahoranWoodford Gaels
1989No Championship
1988Woodford Gaels
1987Woodford Gaels
1986Woodford Gaels6-09Cavan Gaels2-07
1985Cavan Gaels
1984Bailieborough Shamrocks
1983Cavan Gaels
1982Bailieborough Shamrocks
1981No Championship
1980No Championship
1979No Championship
1978No Championship
1977Bailieborough Shamrocks
1976Bailieborough Shamrocks
1975No Championship
1974Cavan GaelsWoodford Gaels
1973Cavan Gaels
1972No Championship
1971No Championship
1970No Championship
1969No Championship
1968No Championship
1967Stradone Gaa [citation needed]
1966Bailieborough Shamrocks
1965Cootehill
1964No Championship
1963Stradone Gaa [citation needed]
1962No Championship
1961No Championship
1960No Championship
1959No Championship
1958No Championship
1957No Championship
1956No Championship
1955No Championship
1954No Championship
1953No Championship
1952No Championship
1951No Championship
1950Granard (Longford)5-03Ballyhaise1-01(Longford Club)
1949No Championship
1948Ballyhaise
1947Ballyhaise
1946No Championship
1945No Championship
1944No Championship
1943No Championship
1942No Championship
1941No Championship
1940No Championship
1939No Championship
1938No Championship
1937No Championship
1936Cavan Slashers
1935Cavan Slashers
1934Cavan Slashers
1933Cavan Slashers
1932Cootehill
1931No Championship
1930Kill
1929No Championship
1928Cavan Slashers
1927Cavan Slashers
1926Ballyhaise
1925Ballyhaise
1924Cavan Slashers
1923No Championship
1922Cavan Slashers
1921No Championship
1920No Championship
1919No Championship
1918No Championship
1917No Championship
1916No Championship
1915No Championship
1914No Championship
1913No Championship
1912No Championship
1911No Championship
1910No Championship
1909No Championship
1908BelturbetCavan

References

Notes

Sources