2003–04 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship Explained

Type:Senior Club
Year:2003–04
Dates:18 October 2003 – 17 March 2004
Teams:28
Connacht:Portumna
Munster:Newtownshandrum
Leinster:O'Loughlin Gaels
Ulster:Dunloy
Matches:29
Team:Newtownshandrum
Titles:1st
Captain:John McCarthy
Manager:Ger Cunningham
Team2:Dunloy
Captain2:Malachy Molloy
Manager2:Seán McLean
Topscorer: Ben O'Connor (0-47)
Previous:2002–03
Next:2004–05

The 2003–04 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship was the 34th staging of the All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county hurling tournament for senior clubs. The championship began on 18 October 2003 and ended on 17 March 2004.

Birr were the defending champions but were defeated by O'Loughlin Gaels in the Leinster final.

On 17 March 2004, Newtownshandrum won the championship following a 0-17 to 1-6 defeat of Dunloy in the All-Ireland final.[1] This was their first All-Ireland title.

Newtownshandrum's Ben O'Connor was the championship's top scorer with 0-47.

Pre-championship

The build-up to the opening of the championship was dominated by Birr and the possibility that they would become the first club to win three All-Ireland titles in-a-row, and a record-breaking fifth championship title over all. Having secured their fifth successive county title, Birr were favourites to retain their provincial title for a third year-in-a-row. This would leave them only two wins away from hurling immortality.

The championship

Participating counties

TeamCountyMost recent success
All-IrelandProvincialCounty
AthleagueRoscommon1978
BallygalgetDown19981999
BirrOffaly200320022002
CastlepollardWestmeath1997
CastletownLaois2002
ClarecastleClare19971997
ClonguishLongford
Coill DubhKildare2000
Craobh ChiaráinDublin2001
DunloyAntrim20022002
Fr. Murphy'sLondon2001
GlenealyWicklow1996
Keady Lámh DheargArmagh2002
Kevin Lynch'sDerry1998
KilmessanMeath1996
KilmoyleyKerry2002
KnockbridgeLouth2001
Mount SionWaterford20022002
Naomh EoinCarlow1998
NewtownshandrumCork
O'Loughlin GaelsKilkenny2001
PatrickswellLimerick19902000
PortumnaGalway
RathnureWexford19982002
St. Mary'sLeitrim2002
ToomevaraTipperary19932001
TooreenMayo1999
TubbercurrySligo2002

Fixtures

Connacht Senior Club Hurling Championship

Quarter-finals

Semi-final

Final

Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship

First round

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

Ulster Senior Club Hurling Championship

Semi-finals

Final

All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship

Quarter-final

Semi-finals

Final

See main article: 2004 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship Final.

Scoring statistics

Top scorers overall
RankPlayerTeamTallyTotalMatchesAverage
1Ben O'ConnorNewtownshandrum0-474767.83
2Nigel SkehanO'Loughlin Gaels0-343458.80
3Geoffrey McGonagleKevin Lynch's1-1821210.50
4Patrick PhelanCastletown3-112036.66
5Nicky HoranKilmessan1-141728.50
Gregory O'KaneDunloy0-171735.66
Paul O'GradyPatrickswell0-171735.66
6Maurice NolanO'Loughlin Gaels1-131653.20
Declan O'GradyPatrickswell0-171735.66
7Adrian McAndrewCoill Dubh3-061527.50
James BowlesNewtownshandrum3-061562.50
Top scorers in a single game
RankPlayerTeamTallyTotalOpposition
1Adrian McAndrewCoill Dubh3-0413Clonguish
Geoffrey McGonagleKevin Lynch's1-1013Keady Lámh Dhearg
2Nicky HoranKilmessan0-1111Castlepollard
Nigel SkehanO'Loughlin Gaels0-1111Newtownshandrum
3Patrick PhelanCastletown2-0410Glenealy
Nigel SkehanO'Loughlin Gaels0-1010Rathnure
Ben O'ConnorNewtownshandrum0-1010O'Loughlin Gaels
Ben O'ConnorNewtownshandrum0-1010Dunloy
4Des MurphyNaomh Eoin2-039Knockbridge
James BowlesNewtownshandrum2-039Patrickswell
Paul SeaversTubbercurry1-069Tooreen
Gerard EnrightKeady Lámh Dhearg1-069Kevin Lynch's
Paul O'GradyPatrickswell0-099Mount Sion
Ben O'ConnorNewtownshandrum0-099Fr. Murphy's

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Newtown's crowning glory . 2004-03-18 . . 2010-10-27 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20050115032331/http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2004/03/18/story851682365.asp . 2005-01-15 .