Women's Irish Senior Cup (field hockey) explained

The Women's Irish Senior Cup is the premier knockout trophy played for by the top women's field hockey clubs in Ireland. The competition is held under the auspices of the Irish Hockey Association, a body that was formed with the merger of the men's and women's Unions in 2000. The Irish Ladies Hockey Union was the first women's hockey organisation in the world.

Historical format

From its start in 1903, the tournament was played through regional tournaments. The winners of the regional tournaments in Leinster, Munster and Ulster would proceed through to an open draw. Occasionally representatives from the South East Branch and the Connacht Branch also took part. In 1990, it was decided to change the format to an open draw with the top four sides from each of the provinces competing.

Current format

In 1995 the decision was made to open the competition to all Senior Clubs in Ireland with seeding for the elite clubs introduced in 2000, exempting them from playing in the first two rounds, and going a long way to avoid mismatches.

The Final is played in Dublin and is normally broadcast by the Irish national television broadcaster RTÉ.

Finals

(Records are incomplete)

1900s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
1903	width=190	Merton	4	0	width=190	Holywood	width=290	^[1]
1904	Merton
1905	Killiney	4	2	Holywood
1906	Alexandra	4	3	Cork Ladies
1907	Alexandra
1908	Excelsior
1909	Killiney

1910s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
1910	width=190	Cork Ladies			width=190		width=290
1911	Cork Ladies
1912	Killiney	6	3	Knock	^[2]
1913	Killiney	w	o	Knock
1914	Knock
1915	Killiney	4	2	Knock
1916	Not Played
1917	Not Played
1918	Not Played
1919	Not Played

1920s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
1920	width=190	Maids of the Mountain	3	2	width=190	Knock	width=290
1921	Knock	7	0	Waterford	^[3]
1922	Alexandra	5	0	Waterford	^[4]
1923	Maids of the Mountain
1924	Alexandra			Knock	Replay - Game 1: 2-2 after extra time^[5]
1925	Knock	2	1	Alexandra	^[6]
1926	Queen's University	2	1	Maids of the Mountain	after extra time^[7]
1927	Queen's University	2	0	Cork Ladies	^[8]
1928	Knock	9	1	Maids of the Mountain	^[9]
1929	Queen's University	6	4	Maids of the Mountain	after extra time^[10]

1930s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
1930	width=190	Maids of the Mountain			width=190		width=290
1931	Pembroke Wanderers
1932	Ards	4	2	Cork Ladies	^[11]
1933	Cork Ladies			Dublin University
1934	Cork Ladies			Alexandra
1935	Maids	5	1	Instonians	^[12]
1936	Muckross	4	2	Ards	^[13]
1937	Pembroke Wanderers	3	0	Ards	Replay - Game 1: 1-1^[14] ^[15]
1938	Muckross	1	0	Cork Ladies	^[16]
1939	Muckross	4	1	Ards	^[17]

1940s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
1940	width=190	Loreto			width=190		width=290
1941	Not Played
1942	Not Played
1943	Not Played
1944	Not Played
1945	Not Played
1946	Loreto	3	2	Victorians
1947	Pembroke Wanderers
1948	Pembroke Wanderers	2	1	Knock	^[18]
1949	Pembroke Wanderers	4	0	Owls	^[19]

1950s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
1950	width=190	Pembroke Wanderers	4	1	width=190	Ashton	width=290	^[20]
1951	UCD	2	1	Victorians	after extra time^[21]
1952	Pembroke Wanderers
1953	Loreto	2	1	Ashton	^[22]
1954	Muckross	7	1	St Dominic's Past Pupils	^[23]
1955		3	1	Loreto	^[24]
1956	Loreto	4	1	University College Cork	^[25]
1957	St Dominic's Past Pupils	2	1	Loreto	^[26]
1958	Loreto	8	0	Old Ursulines	^[27]
1959	Muckross	4	1	Ards	^[28]

1960s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
1960	width=190	Loreto	3	0	width=190	Instonians	width=290	^[29] ^[30]
1961	Muckross	3	2	Old Ursulines	^[31] ^[32]
1962	Victorians	6	0	Old Ursulines	^[33] ^[34]
1963	Muckross	2	0	Victorians	^[35] ^[36]
1964	Ards	3	0	Old Ursulines	^[37]
1965	Pembroke Wanderers	5	3	Instonians	^[38] ^[39]
1966	Muckross			Old Ursulines
1967		1	0	Old Ursulines	^[40]
1968	Muckross	4	2	Pegasus	after extra time^[41]
1969	Muckross	3	2	Pegasus	^[42]

1970s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
1970	width=190	Pembroke Wanderers	2	1	width=190	Old Ursulines	width=290	^[43]
1971	Muckross	1	0	Ulster College of Physical Education	^[44]
1972	Portadown	3	1	Muckross	^[45]
1973	Pembroke Wanderers
1974	Pegasus	2	0	Hermes	^[46]
1975	Pembroke Wanderers	1	0	Pegasus	^[47] ^[48]
1976	Muckross	2	0	Pegasus	Replay - Game 1: 1-1^[49] ^[50] ^[51] ^[52]
1977	Portadown	2	1	Loreto
1978	Pegasus	3	0	Cork Church of Ireland	^[53]
1979	Muckross			Catholic Institute

1980s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
1980	width=190	Portadown	1	0	width=190	Belvedere	width=290	^[54] ^[55]
1981	Pegasus	2	1	Genesis	after extra time^[56]
1982	Muckross			Ashton	Replay - Game 1: 0-0
1983	Portadown	3	2	Muckross	after extra time in replay - Game 1: 1-1^[57] ^[58]
1984	Pegasus	3	1	Catholic Institute	^[59]
1985	Portadown	1	0	Pegasus
1986	Portadown	1	0	Old Alexandra	Replay - Game 1: 1-1
1987	Pegasus			Portadown
1988				Pembroke Wanderers
1989	Pegasus	2	0	Muckross	Replay - Game 1: 0-0

1990s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
1990	width=190	Portadown			width=190	Muckross	width=290
1991	Old Alexandra			Muckross
1992	Pegasus	1	0	Portadown
1993	Portadown	2	0	Loreto
1994	Muckross	1	0	Pegasus	^[60]
1995	Pegasus	2	0	Muckross	^[61]
1996	Pegasus	2	1	Muckross	after extra time^[62]
1997	Hermes	2	1	Muckross	^[63]
1998	Pegasus	5	0	Old Alexandra
1999	Hermes	3	2	Pegasus

2000s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
2000	width=190	Cork Harlequins	2	1	width=190	Hermes	width=290
2001	Ballymoney	1	1	Pegasus	Ballymoney won 3-2 on penalties ^[64]
2002	Loreto	2	2	Hermes	Loreto won 3-1 on penalties ^[65]
2003	Loreto	3	2	Cork Harlequins	after extra time ^[66]
2004	Pegasus	2	1	Hermes	^[67]
2005	Hermes	2	2	Ballymoney	Hermes won 4-3 on penalties ^[68]
2006	Hermes	1	0	Old Alexandra	^[69] ^[70]
2007	Pegasus	1	0	Pembroke Wanderers	^[71]
2008	Pegasus	2	1	Ballymoney	^[72] ^[73] ^[74]
2009	UCD	4	1	Pegasus	^[75]

2010s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
2009-10	width=190	Loreto	2	2	width=190	Railway Union	width=290	Loreto won 4-2 on penalties^[76]
2010-11	Pegasus	3	1	Hermes	^[77] ^[78]
2011-12	UCD	3	2	Loreto	^[79] ^[80] ^[81]
2012-13	Railway Union	3	2	UCD	^[82]
2013-14	UCD	2	0	Pembroke Wanderers	^[83]
2014-15	Ulster Elks	1	0	Hermes	^[84] ^[85]
2015-16	Ulster Elks	1	1	Ards	After extra time; Elks won on penalty strokes ^[86]
2016-17	UCD	1	0	Cork Harlequins	^[87]
2017-18	UCD	4	0	Pegasus	^[88]
2018-19	Cork Harlequins	2	2	Loreto	Harlequins won 2-1 in shoot-out^[89]

Notes:

• ^a Alexandra College/Old College would later be named Old Alexandra

2020s

Year	Winner			Runner-up	Notes
2019-20	width=190	UCD	3	1	width=190	Pegasus	width=290	^[90]
2020-21	width=190	not played			width=190		width=290
2021-22	width=190	Catholic Institute	1	0	width=190	Pembroke	width=290	^[91]
2022-23	width=190	Monkstown	3	1	width=190	Catholic Institute	width=290	^[92]
2023-24	width=190	Railway Union	1	0	width=190	Catholic Institute	width=290	^[93]

External links

• The Irish Hockey Association Website

Notes and References

1. News: 3. 6 April 1903. Belfast Newsletter.
2. News: All-Ireland Ladies' Cup. 3. 12 March 1912. Belfast Newsletter.
3. News: 2. 18 February 1921. Belfast Newsletter.
4. News: 2. 17 February 1922. Belfast Newsletter.
5. News: 2. 16 April 1924. Belfast Newsletter.
6. News: 2. 12 March 1925. Belfast Newsletter.
7. News: 5. 22 March 1926. Belfast Newsletter.
8. News: 11. 21 March 1927. Belfast Newsletter.
9. News: 6. 2 April 1928. Belfast Newsletter.
10. News: 3. 8 April 1929. Belfast Newsletter.
11. News: 2. 4 April 1932. Northern Whig.
12. News: 3. 15 April 1935. Belfast Newsletter.
13. News: 3. 6 April 1936. Belfast Newsletter.
14. News: 3. 12 April 1937. Belfast Newsletter.
15. News: 3. 26 April 1937. Belfast Newsletter.
16. News: 2. 11 April 1938. Northern Whig.
17. News: 11. 3 April 1939. Belfast Newsletter.
18. News: 3. 12 April 1948. Northern Whig.
19. News: 2. 11 April 1949. Northern Whig.
20. News: 5. 17 April 1950. Northern Whig.
21. News: 2. 16 April 1951. Northern Whig.
22. News: 8. 25 April 1953. Ireland's Saturday Night.
23. News: 7. 10 April 1954. Ireland's Saturday Night.
24. News: 6. 16 April 1955. Ireland's Saturday Night.
25. News: 3. 14 April 1956. Ireland's Saturday Night.
26. News: 7. 13 April 1957. Ireland's Saturday Night.
27. News: 8. 12 April 1958. Ireland's Saturday Night.
28. News: 9. 21 March 1959. Ireland's Saturday Night.
29. News: 7. 11 April 1960. Belfast Newsletter.
30. News: 9. 9 April 1960. Ireland's Saturday Night.
31. News: 2. 17 April 1961. Belfast Newsletter.
32. News: 9. 15 April 1961. Ireland's Saturday Night.
33. News: 11. 16 April 1962. Belfast Newsletter.
34. News: 9. 14 April 1962. Ireland's Saturday Night.
35. News: 8. 22 April 1963. Belfast Newsletter.
36. News: 2. 20 April 1963. Ireland's Saturday Night.
37. News: 2. 11 April 1964. Ireland's Saturday Night.
38. News: 12. 12 April 1965. Belfast Newsletter.
39. News: 4. 10 April 1965. Ireland's Saturday Night.
40. News: 12. 22 April 1967. Ireland's Saturday Night.
41. News: 2. 30 March 1968. Ireland's Saturday Night.
42. News: 3. 15 March 1969. Ireland's Saturday Night.
43. News: 2. 11 April 1970. Ireland's Saturday Night.
44. News: 8. 1 May 1971. Ireland's Saturday Night.
45. News: 2. 15 April 1972. Ireland's Saturday Night.
46. News: 2. 6 April 1974. Ireland's Saturday Night.
47. News: 12. 7 April 1975. Belfast Newsletter.
48. News: 2. 5 April 1975. Ireland's Saturday Night.
49. News: 12. 5 April 1976. Belfast Newsletter.
50. News: 10. 3 May 1976. Belfast Newsletter.
51. News: 4. 3 April 1976. Ireland's Saturday Night.
52. News: 3. 1 May 1976. Ireland's Saturday Night.
53. News: 12. 10 April 1978. Belfast Newsletter.
54. News: 12. 14 April 1980. Belfast Newsletter.
55. News: 3. 12 April 1980. Ireland's Saturday Night.
56. News: 17. 6 April 1981. Belfast Telegraph.
57. News: 3. 12 March 1983. Ireland's Saturday Night.
58. News: 3. 19 March 1983. Ireland's Saturday Night.
59. News: 3. 14 April 1984. Ireland's Saturday Night.
60. News: 24. 7 March 1994. Belfast Newsletter.
61. News: 22. 27 March 1995. Belfast Newsletter.
62. News: 26. 25 March 1996. Belfast Newsletter.
63. News: 26. 3 March 1997. Belfast Newsletter.
64. Web site: Antrim club rise to the occasion. www.irishtimes.com. 11 March 2019. 23 April 2001.
65. Web site: WOMEN'S HOCKEY. www.independent.ie. 21 October 2018. 8 April 2002.
66. News: Symmons retains Cup for Loreto. www.irishtimes.com. 21 October 2018. 24 March 2003.
67. Web site: Double joy for Ulster sides. BBC Sport. 27 May 2007. 4 April 2004.
68. Web site: Womens Irish Senior Cup Hockey Final Photos. www.sportsfile.com. 11 October 2018. 3 April 2005.
69. Web site: Hermes v Old Alexandra - Womens Irish Senior Cup Hockey Final Photos. www.sportsfile.com. 11 October 2018. 26 March 2006.
70. Web site: Hermes retain Women's Senior title. www.rte.ie. 4 November 2018. 14 June 2007.
71. Web site: Pegasus take Irish Senior Cup win. BBC Sport. 25 March 2007. 25 March 2007.
72. Web site: Pegasus retain Irish Senior Cup. news.bbc.co.uk. 30 March 2008. 30 March 2008.
73. Web site: Pegasus sweeping all before them. www.irishtimes.com. 10 March 2019. 31 March 2008.
74. Web site: ESB Women's Senior Cup Final. inpho.ie. 27 February 2019. 30 March 2008.
75. Web site: Students teach Pegasus a lesson. Belfast Telegraph. 28 April 2009. 27 April 2009.
76. Web site: Loreto triumph after shoot-out. Irish Times. 10 May 2010. 10 May 2010.
77. Web site: Pegasus's experience wins out. Irish Times. 18 April 2011. 18 April 2011.
78. Web site: Hockey: Beaney seals Pegasus glory. Independent.ie. 18 April 2011. 18 April 2011.
79. Web site: UCD Ladies Hockey claim Electric Ireland Irish Senior Cup . www.ucd.ie. 14 May 2012. 27 June 2016.
80. News: Electric Ireland Womens Irish Senior Cup Final Loreto vs UCD . 26 June 2016. www.iopireland.org. 13 May 2012.
81. Web site: UCD 3-2 Loreto. www.rte.ie. 29 October 2012. 13 May 2012.
82. Web site: Railway Union 3-2 UCD. RTÉ Sports. 26 March 2013. 24 March 2013.
83. News: UCD win Irish Senior Cup. www.ucd.ie. 9 August 2018. 24 February 2014.
84. News: Aine Curran's winner earns Ulster Elks a first Irish Senior Cup title. www.irishtimes.com. 22 December 2018. 29 March 2015.
85. News: Hermes v Ulster Elks - Irish Senior Women's Cup Final Photos. www.irishtimes.com. 22 December 2018. 29 March 2015.
86. News: Rebecca Davidson shines as Ulster Elks retain Irish Senior Cup . 22 March 2016. The News Letter. 21 March 2016.
87. News: Hockey: UCD strike late to claim another Irish Senior Cup . 4 April 2017. Irish Times. 2 April 2017.
88. News: UCD claim women's Irish Senior Hockey Cup title . 9 April 2018. RTE Sport. 8 April 2018.
89. https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/cork-harlequins-win-womens-irish-senior-cup-923525.html Irish Examiner
90. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/hockey/54219475 BBC
91. https://hockey.ie/insta-crown-remarkable-season-with-first-ever-womens-irish-senior-cup/ Hockey Ireland
92. https://hockey.ie/irish-senior-cup-finals-match-reports/ Hockey Ireland
93. https://www.hersport.ie/hockey/railway-union-triumph-1-0-over-catholic-institute-to-win-irish-senior-cup-52573 Hersport