The Ulster Junior Hurling Championship was an annual hurling competition organised by the Ulster council. The championship forms the third-tier of Hurling for senior county teams in the province of Ulster (the Ulster Senior Hurling Championship is the first-tier trophy). It is contested by the six county teams ranked 18–23 in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. Each year, the champions are promoted to the Ulster Intermediate Hurling Championship.
| Ulster Junior Hurling Championship | |
| Code: | Hurling |
| Abolished: | 2004 |
| Region: |  Ireland |
| Trophy: | Nicky Rackard Cup |
| Teams: | 9 |
| Title Holders: | Down |
| Currentordinal: | 8 |
| Super: | st |
| Most Titles: | Antrim |
| Promoted To: | Ulster Intemediate Hurling Championship |
| Mostordinal: | 15 |
| Website: | Official website |
The Ulster Championship was an integral part of the wider All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship. The winners of the Ulster final, like their counterparts in the other provinces, are rewarded by advancing to the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland series of games.
The title has been won by 9 different counties, 8 of whom have won the title more than once. The all-time record-holders are Antrim, who have won the championship on 15 occasions. Down are the title-holders, defeating Fermanagh by 1-11 to 1-09 in the 2004 final.
The competition has not been played since 2004, as all the counties now participate in either the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, Joe McDonagh Cup, Christy Ring Cup, Nicky Rackard Cup or Lory Meagher Cup.
The following teams have competed in the championship for at least one season.
| County | Championship titles | Last championship title | Current championship | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antrim | 15 | 2002 | Leinster Senior Hurling Championship | |
| Armagh | 6 | 2000 | Nicky Rackard Cup | |
| Cavan | 2 | 1985 | Lory Meagher Cup | |
| Derry | 3 | 1984 | Christy Ring Cup | |
| Donegal | 6 | 2003 | Nicky Rackard Cup | |
| Down | 8 | 2004 | Joe McDonagh Cup | |
| Fermanagh | 1 | 1994 | Lory Meagher Cup | |
| Monaghan | 6 | 1998 | Nicky Rackard Cup | |
| Tyrone | 3 | 1999 | Christy Ring Cup |
| County | Titles | Runners-up | Winning years | Losing years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antrim | 15 | 3 | 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1968, 1969, 2002 | 1960, 1964, 2001 | |
| Down | 8 | 14 | 1956, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1967, 1992, 1993, 2004 | 1948, 1949, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1973, 1999, 2000, 2003 | |
| Donegal | 6 | 10 | 1947, 1948, 1972, 1989, 2001, 2003 | 1950, 1953, 1956, 1959, 1962, 1968, 1969, 1983, 1996, 1998 | |
| Monaghan | 6 | 5 | 1971, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1997, 1998 | 1967, 1972, 1984, 1989, 1995 | |
| Armagh | 6 | 4 | 1949, 1965, 1973, 1990, 1991, 2000 | 1947, 1963, 1974, 1975 | |
| Derry | 3 | 2 | 1974, 1975, 1984 | 1985, 2002 | |
| Tyrone | 3 | 2 | 1995, 1996, 1999 | 1951, 1993 | |
| Cavan | 2 | 2 | 1983, 1985 | 1988, 1994 | |
| Fermanagh | 1 | 7 | 1994 | 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1997, 2004 |
| Year | Winners | Runners-up | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Score | County | Score | ||
| 2005- | No Championship | ||||
| 2004 | Down | 1–11 | Fermanagh | 0–09 | |
| 2003 | Donegal | 5–13 | Down | 2–10 | |
| 2002 | Antrim | 1–11 | Derry | 0–04 | |
| 2001 | Donegal | 1–10 | Antrim | 1–09 | |
| 2000 | Armagh | 1–15 | Down | 3–07 | |
| 1999 | Tyrone | 1–15 | Down | 0–06 | |
| 1998 | Monaghan | 3–16 | Donegal | 1–05 | |
| 1997 | Monaghan | 3–12 | Fermanagh | 3–08 | |
| 1996 | Tyrone | 4–15 | Donegal | 2–13 | |
| 1995 | Tyrone | 5–11 | Monaghan | 5–09 | |
| 1994 | Fermanagh | 4–20 | Cavan | 3–02 | |
| 1993 | Down | 2–09 | Tyrone | 1–11 | |
| 1992 | Down | 1–09 | Fermanagh | 0–08 | |
| 1991 | Armagh | 2–07 | Fermanagh | 1–04 | |
| 1990 | Armagh | 0–09, 3–07 | Fermanagh | 0–09, 1–10 | |
| 1989 | Donegal | 3–12 | Monaghan | 0–09 | |
| 1988 | Monaghan | 2–12 | Cavan | 2–08 | |
| 1987 | Monaghan | 5–09 | Fermanagh | 2–10 | |
| 1986 | Monaghan | 1–14 | Fermanagh | 1–10 | |
| 1985 | Cavan | 4–07 | Derry | 0–05 | |
| 1984 | Derry | 2–12 | Monaghan | 1–07 | |
| 1983 | Cavan | 2–11 | Donegal | 1–06 | |
| 1976-82 | No Championship | ||||
| 1975 | Derry | 0–04 | Armagh | 0–03 | |
| 1974 | Derry | 3–05 | Armagh | 1–07 | |
| 1973 | Armagh | 3–10 | Down | 1–06 | |
| 1972 | Donegal | 5–03 | Monaghan | 5–01 | |
| 1971 | Monaghan * | ||||
| 1970 | No Championship | ||||
| 1969 | Antrim | 5–16 | Donegal | 3–08 | |
| 1968 | Antrim | 5–08 | Donegal | 0–03 | |
| 1967 | Down | 6–06 | Monaghan | 1–05 | |
| 1966 | Antrim | 3–13 | Down | 6–03 | |
| 1965 | Armagh | 3–07 | Down | 4–02 | |
| 1964 | Down | 9–07 | Antrim | 4–07 | |
| 1963 | Antrim | 6–12 | Armagh | 2–04 | |
| 1962 | Down | 3–07 | Donegal | 2–02 | |
| 1961 | Antrim | 4–07 | Down | 1–03 | |
| 1960 | Down | 5–02 | Antrim | 1–07 | |
| 1959 | Antrim | 8–07 | Donegal | 2–02 | |
| 1958 | Antrim | 3–04 | Down | 1–03 | |
| 1957 | Antrim | 7–11 | Down | 3–05 | |
| 1956 | Down | 4–06 | Donegal | 3–05 | |
| 1955 | Antrim | 5–06, 4–15* | Down | 4–06, 0–04 | |
| 1954 | Antrim | 7–03 | Down | 1–03 | |
| 1953 | Antrim | 2–11 | Donegal | 1–03 | |
| 1952 | Antrim | 4–06 | Down | 0–02 | |
| 1951 | Antrim | 7–01 | Tyrone | 2–01 | |
| 1950 | Antrim | 8–08 | Donegal | 2–03 | |
| 1949 | Armagh | 4–07 | Down | 3–03 | |
| 1948 | Donegal | 3–03 | Down | 3–01 | |
| 1947 | Donegal | 6–02 | Armagh | 2–03 | |