2020 Galway Senior Hurling Championship Explained
The 2020 Galway Senior Hurling Championship.[1] was the 123rd staging of the Galway Senior Hurling Championship since its establishment in 1887. It was won by St. Thomas' for the third consecutive year and the fifth time in total.[2] [3] Kinvara participated in the senior championship having been promoted from the intermediate competition in 2019 but were subsequently relegated.[4] The competition was sponsored by Brooks for 3 years starting in 2020.[5]
Competition format
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland the initial draw was scrapped, the format was changed[6] and the groupings redrawn on 29 June 2020.[7]
Twenty four teams compete in the initial group stages of the championship – the top ranked twelve teams compete in the Senior A Group and the second ranked twelve teams compete in the Senior B Group. Eight teams from the Senior A Group and four teams from the Senior B Group progress to the knockout stage. The competition format is explained further in each of the championship rounds in the sections below.
Group stage
Senior A
Senior A consists of 12 teams divided into three groups of 4 teams. The top teams from each group plus one drawn second team qualify for the quarter-finals. The remaining 2 second placed teams play in the preliminary quarter finals. The bottom team from each group will be relegated to playing in the following year's Senior B Section.
Senior A - Group 1
- Loughrea were drawn from the second placed teams to go straight into the quarter-finals
Senior A - Group 2
Senior A - Group 3
Senior B
Senior B consists of 12 teams divided into three groups of 4. The top two teams in each group qualify for the 2020 preliminary quarter finals and compete in the following year's Senior A competition. The bottom placed teams in each group enter the relegation playoffs.
Senior B - Group 1
| width=20 | | Team | width=20 | | width=20 | | width=20 | | width=20 | | width=40 | | width=45 | | width=20 | | width=20 | |
|---|
| 1 | Craughwell | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7-63 | 7-38 | 25 | 5 |
| 2 | Gort | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4-55 | 0-42 | 25 | 5 |
| 3 | Ballinderreen | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6-37 | 6-56 | -19 | 2 |
| 4 | Kinvara | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4-39 | 8-58 | -31 | 0 | |
- Craughwell top the group on "Scores for"
Senior B - Group 2
| width=20 | | Team | width=20 | | width=20 | | width=20 | | width=20 | | width=30 | | width=40 | | width=20 | | width=20 | |
|---|
| 1 | Killimordaly | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5-51 | 2-46 | 14 | 4 |
| 2 | Ardrahan | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5-34 | 1-44 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | Athenry | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1-57 | 5-47 | -2 | 3 |
| 4 | Beagh | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0-42 | 3-47 | -14 | 1 | |
Senior B - Group 3
Senior Relegation
| width=20 | | Team | width=20 | | width=20 | | width=20 | | width=20 | | width=50 | | width=50 | | width=20 | | width=20 | |
|---|
| 1 | Beagh | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4-28 | 1-35 | 2 | 2 |
| 2 | Kilnadeema-Leitrim | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1-36 | 2-31 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Kinvara | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2-29 | 4-27 | -4 | 2 | |
- Beagh top the group on "score for"
Senior Relegation Playoff
Senior Knockout stage
Senior Quarter-finals
The three teams who finished first in the Senior A groups and one of the second placed teams (drawn at random) will play the four winners of the senior preliminary quarter finals.
Senior final
| St. Thomas': | | width=25 | |
|---|
| 1 | Gerald Kelly | | 2 | Cian Mahoney | | 3 | Fintan Burke | | 7 | Sean Skehill | | 18 | John Headd | | 6 | Shane Cooney | | 4 | David Sherry | | 8 | David Burke | | 9 | James Regan | | 12 | Evan Duggan | | 11 | Conor Cooney (c) | | 10 | Darragh Burke | | 15 | Eanna Burke | | 13 | Oisin Flannery | | 14 | Bernard Burke | | Substitutes Used: | | 19 | Brendan Farrell for Evan Duggan (51 mins) | | Manager: | | Kevin Lally | |
| | Turloughmore: | | width=25 | |
|---|
| 1 | Mark Fahy | | 2 | Mikey Morris | | 3 | Ronan Burke | | 17 | Mark Murphy | | 4 | Daniel Loftus | | 6 | Jamie Holland | | 7 | Kevin Hussey | | 5 | Fergal Moore | | 8 | Daithi Burke (c) | | 11 | Conor Walsh | | 9 | Sean Loftus | | 19 | Matthew Keating | | 13 | Barry Callanan | | 15 | Gary Burke | | 10 | Sean Linnane | | Substitutes Used: | | 23 | Brion Connolly for Daithi Burke (30 mins) | | 12 | Barry McDonagh for Matthew Keating (45 mins) | | 8 | Daithi Burke for Barry Callanan (58 mins) | | 14 | Ronan Badger for Gary Burke (58 mins) | | Joint Managers: | | Joe Hession, Francis Forde | |
| |
Notes and References
- News: 2020 Galway Hurling Championship Draws. 11 February 2019. Galway Bay FM. 11 February 2020.
- Web site: Champions again! St Thomas finish strong to complete Galway hurling three-in-a-row. 4 October 2020. The 42. 6 October 2020.
- Web site: Galway SHC: Conor Cooney inspires St Thomas' to third title. 4 October 2020. Irish Examiner. 6 October 2020.
- Web site: Resolute Kinvara pull it out of the fire in dramatic style. 7 November 2019. Connacht Tribune. 11 February 2020.
- Web site: Club Hurling Championship Sponsor. 30 June 2020. Galway GAA.
- Web site: Galway Hurling Championship Proposals 2020. 30 June 2020. Galway GAA.
- Web site: 29 June 2020. Revised Hurling Club Draws 2020. 30 June 2020. Galway GAA.
