Wicklow Senior Hurling Championship Explained

Wicklow Senior Hurling Championship
Currentlyrunning:	2023 Wicklow Senior Hurling Championship
Irish:	Craobh Iomána Sinsearach Chill Mhantáin
Code:	Hurling
Region:	Wicklow
Trophy:	O'Donoghue Cup
Teams:	6
Title Holders:	Bray Emmets
Currentordinal:	9
Super:	th
Most Titles:	Carnew Emmets
Mostordinal:	19
Sponsors:	Lightning Protection Ireland^[1]
Website:	Wicklow GAA

The Wicklow Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Lightning Protection Ireland Senior Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Wicklow SHC) is an annual club hurling competition organised by the Wicklow County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association and contested by the top-ranking senior clubs in the county of Wicklow in Ireland, deciding the competition winners through a group and knockout format. It is the most prestigious competition in Wicklow hurling.

In its current format, the Wicklow Senior Hurling Championship begins with a group stage. The six participating teams play each other in a round-robin system. The four top-ranking teams proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the final match at Echelon Park. The winner of the Wicklow Senior Championship, as well as being presented with the O'Donoghue Cup, qualifies for the subsequent Leinster Intermediate Club Championship.

The competition has been won by 14 teams, 10 of which have won it more than once. Carnew Emmets is the most successful team in the tournament's history, having won it 19 times. Bray Emmets are the reigning champions, having beaten Carnew Emmets by 1-15 to 2-10 in the 2023 final.^[2]

History

The first senior championship was won by Barndarrig in 1923. There was no Wicklow championship in 1938. There are currently seven teams taking part in the Championship:

• Carnew Emmets
• Glenealy
• Eire Óg
• Bray Emmets
• Kiltegan

Format

Group stage

Six clubs start in the group stage. Over the course of the group stage, each team plays once against the others in the group, resulting in each team being guaranteed five group games. Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The teams are ranked in the group stage table by points gained, then scoring difference and then their head-to-head record. The top four teams qualify for the knockout stage

Knockout stage

Semi-finals: The top four teams from the group stage contest this round. The two winners from these two games advance to the final.

Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions.

Teams

2023 teams

Club	Location	Colours	Championship titles	Last championship title
Avondale			14	1983
Bray Emmets	Bray	Navy and green	9	2023
Carnew Emmets	Carnew	Blue and yellow	19	2009
Éire Óg Greystones	Greystones	Blue and white	0	—
Glenealy	Glenealy	Red and white	16	2018
Kiltegan	Kiltegan	White and red	8	2001

2023 grades

Championship	Club
Senior championships
Senior	Avondale
	Bray Emmets
	Carnew Emmets
	Éire Óg Greystones
	Glenealy
	Kiltegan
Intermediate championships
Intermediate	Arklow Rock Parnells
	Aughrim
	Avondale (2nd team)
	Bray Emmets (2nd team)
	Carnew Emmets (2nd team)
	Glenealy (2nd team)
	Kilcoole
	St Patrick's
	Western Gaels
Junior championships
Junior	Arklow Rock Parnells (2nd team)
	Barndarrig
	Bray Emmets (3rd team)
	Éire Óg Greystones (2nd team)
	Kilcoole (2nd team)
	Kiltegan (2nd team)
	Knockananna

Qualification for subsequent competitions

At the end of the championship, the winning team qualify to the subsequent Leinster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship, the winner of which progresses to the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Hurling Championship.

Roll of honour

	Club	Wins	Years won
1	Carnew Emmets	19	1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1989, 1991, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009
2	Glenealy	16	1957, 1958, 1959, 1975, 1986, 1996, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018
3	Avondale	14	1908, 1915, 1931, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1960, 1964, 1966, 1983
4	Barndarrig	12	1923, 1924, 1926, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1948, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1988
5	Rathnew	11	1906, 1911, 1913, 1925, 1929, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1937, 1939, 1950.
6	Bray Emmets	9	1952, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
7	Kiltegan	8	1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001
8	Arklow Rock Parnells	6	1970, 1971, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1985
	St Patrick's	6	1903, 1916, 1928, 1930, 1990, 1992
10	St Kevin's	2	1961, 1963
11	Baltinglass	1	1927
	Ballinacor	1	1935
	Avoca	1	1953
	Forestry College	1	1962

List of finals

Year	Winners	Score	Runners-up	Score
2023	Bray Emmets	2-16	Carnew Emmets	2-08	^[3]
2022	Bray Emmets	2-16	Glenealy	2-08	^[4]
2021	Bray Emmets	1-16	Glenealy	1-11	^[5]
2020	Bray Emmets	1-21	Carnew Emmets	1-04	^[6]
2019	Bray Emmets	1-19	Glenealy	1-09	^[7]
2018	Glenealy	4-10	Carnew Emmets	1-12	^[8]
2017	Glenealy	2-12	Bray Emmets	0-11	^[9]
2016	Bray Emmets	1-17	Carnew Emmets	1-06	^[10]
2015	Bray Emmets	1-18	Carnew Emmets	1-09	^[11]
2014	Bray Emmets	2-09	Glenealy	1-11	^[12]
2013	Glenealy	0-17	Bray Emmets	0-14	^[13]
2012	Glenealy	1-11	Carnew Emmets	0-10	^[14]
2011	Glenealy	3-09	Carnew Emmets	3-06	^[15]
2010	Glenealy	3-13	Carnew Emmets	0-09	^[16]
2009	Carnew Emmets	0-18	Glenealy	1-13	^[17]
2008	Glenealy	2-10	Carnew Emmets	0-10
2007	Glenealy	4-16	Kiltegan	3-14
2006	Carnew Emmets	2-08	Glenealy	0-11
2005	Glenealy	1-11	Carnew Emmets	0-06
2004	Carnew Emmets	0-16	Glenealy	1-08
2003	Glenealy	1-10	Carnew Emmets	1-07
2002	Carnew Emmets	2-12	St Patrick's	1-05
2001	Kiltegan	0-16	Glenealy	0-14
2000	Carnew Emmets	2-09	Glenealy	0-09
1999	Kiltegan	2-17	Carnew Emmets	1-08
1998	Kiltegan	1-10	Glenealy	0-03
1997	Kiltegan	1-11	St Patrick's	1-06
1996	Glenealy	3-07	Carnew Emmets	0-09
1995	Kiltegan	1-07	Carnew Emmets	1-05
1994	Kiltegan	2-10	St Patrick's	0-11
1993	Kiltegan	3-07	Glenealy	1-06
1992	St Patrick's	0-18	Carnew Emmets	2-10
1991	Carnew Emmets	1-09	Barndarrig	2-04
1990	St Patrick's	1-08	Barndarrig	0-08
1989	Carnew Emmets	2-07	St Patrick's	1-06
1988	Barndarrig	1-09	Kiltegan	1-07
1987	Kiltegan	3-06	Arklow Rock Parnells	1-08
1986	Glenealy	2-08	Carnew Emmets	2-06
1985	Arklow Rock Parnells	2-10	Kilcoole	1-09
1984	Carnew Emmets	3-09	Kiltegan	2-04
1983	Avondale	3-11	Kilcoole	1-09
1982	Arklow Rock Parnells	2-10	Carnew Emmets	0-06
1981	Carnew Emmets	3-05	Arklow Rock Parnells	0-08
1980	Carnew Emmets	1-08	Glenealy	0-09
1979	Carnew Emmets	0-14	Arklow Rock Parnells	0-04
1978	Carnew Emmets	3-06	Arklow Rock Parnells	2-02
1977	Arklow Rock Parnells	2-11	Glenealy	0-05
1976	Carnew Emmets		Avondale
1975	Glenealy	3-02	Arklow Rock Parnells	2-03
1974	Carnew Emmets	2-04	Glenealy	0-03
1973	Carnew Emmets	6-11	West District	3-06
1972^[18]	Arklow Rock Parnells		No opponents
1971	Arklow Rock Parnells		Carnew Emmets
1970	Arklow Rock Parnells	4-04	Avondale	1-04
1969	Carnew Emmets	5-10	Kilcoole	2-07
1968	Carnew Emmets	1-13	Avondale	1-03
1967	Carnew Emmets		Avondale
1966	Avondale	1-07	Carnew Emmets	1-06
1965^[19]	Carnew Emmets	1-08	Arklow Geraldines	2-04
1964	Avondale	2-10	Kilcoole	2-03
1963	St Kevin's, Bray	4-04	Kilcoole	3-01
1962	Forestry College	4-07	St Kevin's, Bray	3-03
1961	St Kevin's, Bray	8-02	Forestry College	3-05
1960	Avondale		Kilcoole
1959	Glenealy	4-04	Barndarrig	3-03
1958	Glenealy	4-07	Kilcoole	4-03
1957	Glenealy	3-02	Avondale	2-02
1956	Barndarrig	3-07	Avondale	3-04
1955	Barndarrig	5-02	Avondale	3-02
1954	Barndarrig	4-09	Kilcoole	4-01
1953	Avoca	5-07	Glenealy	2-01
1952	Bray Emmets	4-05	Avondale	2-03
1951	Barndarrig	5-07	Avondale	2-04
1950	Rathnew	5-06	Bray Emmets	2-01
1949	Avondale	2-07	Barndarrig	1-01
1948	Barndarrig	3-05	Avondale	3-03
1947	Avondale		Barndarrig
1946	Avondale		Wicklow
1945	Barndarrig		Avondale
1944	Barndarrig	5-09	Avondale	1-03
1943	Barndarrig	5-01	St Killian's (Greystones)	2-04
1942	Avondale		Barndarrig
1941	Avondale		Rathnew
1940	Avondale		Rathnew
1939	Rathnew		Avondale
1938	No Championship
1937	Rathnew	5-00	Whitestown	6-03
1936	Avondale		Ballincor (Arklow)
1935	Ballincor (Arklow)		Avondale
1934	Rathnew		Wicklow
1933	Rathnew		Avondale
1932	Rathnew	4-01	Barndarrig	2-03
1931	Avondale		Wicklow
1930	Rathnew		Avondale
1929	Rathnew		Avondale
1928	Wicklow		Baltinglass
1927	Baltinglass		Barndarrig
1926	Barndarrig		Avondale
1925	Rathnew		Avondale
1924	Barndarrig		Avondale
1923	Barndarrig		Avondale
1922	No Championship
1921	No Championship
1920	No Championship
1919	Avondale
1918	Avondale
1917	Avondale
1916	Wicklow
1915	Avondale	2-04	Wicklow	3-00
1914	No Championship
1913	Rathnew		Avondale
1912	No Championship
1911	Rathnew		Ballymoney
1910	Ballymoney
1909	No Championship
1908	Avondale
1907	No Championship
1906	Rathnew
1905	No Championship
1904	No Championship
1903	Wicklow	1-06	Baltinglass	0-01

Notes:

• 1937- Although Whitestown (Baltinglass) won on the day they were later stripped of the title and suspended for playing illegal players.
• 2008 - The first match ended in a draw: Glenealy 1-12, Carnew Emmets 1-12.^[20]
• 2016 - The first match ended in a draw: Bray Emmets 1-10, Carnew Emmets 0-12.^[21]
• 2022- The first match ended in a draw: Bray Emmets 1-16, Glenealy 1-16.^[22]

Records and statistics

Final

Team

• Most wins: 19:
  • Carnew Emmets (1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1989, 1991, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009)
• Most consecutive wins: 5:
  • Bray Emmets (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
• Most appearances in a final: 38:
  • Carnew Emmets (1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2023)
• Most appearances in a final without ever winning: 8:
  • Kilcoole (1954, 1958, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1969, 1983, 1985)
• Most defeats in a final: 19:
  • Carnew Emmets (1966, 1971, 1982, 1986, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2023)

Teams

By decade

The most successful team of each decade, judged by number of Wicklow Senior Hurling Championship titles, is as follows:

• 1910s: 2 for Rathnew (1911-13)
• 1920s: 3 for Barndarrig (1923-24-26)
• 1930s: 5 for Rathnew (1932-33-34-37-39)
• 1940s: 6 for Avondale (1940-41-42-46-47-49)
• 1950s: 4 for Barndarrig (1951-54-55-56)
• 1960s: 4 for Carnew Emmets (1965-67-68,-69)
• 1970s: 5 for Carnew Emmets (1973-74-76-78-79)
• 1980s: 4 for Carnew Emmets (1980-81-84-89)
• 1990s: 6 for Kiltegan (1993-94-95-97-98-99)
• 2010s: 6 for Glenealy (2010-11-12-13-17-18)
• 2020s: 4 for Bray Emmets (2020-21-22-23)

Gaps

Longest gaps between successive championship titles:

• 62 years: Bray Emmets (1952-2014)
• 60 years: St Patrick's (1930-1990)
• 32 years: Barndarrig (1956-1988)

See also

• Wicklow Senior Football Championship
• Wicklow Intermediate Hurling Championship
• Wicklow Junior Hurling Championship

External links

• Official Wicklow Website
• Wicklow on Hoganstand
• Wicklow Club GAA

Notes and References

1. Web site: Lightning Protection Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Launch. Wicklow GAA website. 10 July 2023. 31 October 2023.
2. Web site: Bray Emmets make history with Wicklow five in a row. Irish Examiner. 15 October 2023. 31 October 2023. Mark. Kennedy.
3. Web site: Bray Emmets crowned Wicklow Senior hurling champs for fifth year running after victory over Carnew . 15 October 2023 . Wicklow People . 31 October 2023.
4. Web site: Bray Emmets make no mistake at second attempt . 2 October 2022 . . 1 October 2022.
5. Web site: Winning the three-in-a-row is ‘massive’ says Paul Carley. 12 September 2021 . Wicklow People. 27 September 2023.
6. Web site: Christy Moorehouse hits 0-12 as Bray Emmets canter to Wicklow SHC crown . 29 September 2020 . Irish Examiner. 27 September 2020.
7. Web site: Wicklow SHC final: Bray Emmets dash Glenealy's three-in-a-row dreams . 8 October 2019 . Hogan Stand . 6 October 2019.
8. Web site: Glenealy hold off spirited Carnew to retain their crown . 31 October 2023 . Wicklow GAA website . 21 October 2018.
9. Web site: Wicklow SHC final: Glenealy gatecrash Bray's four-in-a-row party . 3 October 2017 . Hogan Stand . 1 October 2017.
10. Web site: Wicklow SHC final: Bray best in replay. 25 October 2016 . Hogan Stand . 23 October 2016.
11. Web site: Moorehouse magic helps Bray make it a double. 25 October 2023 . Wicklow People . 5 October 2015.
12. Web site: Wicklow SHC final: Bray bridge 64-year gap . 6 October 2014 . Hogan Stand . 6 October 2014.
13. News: Wicklow SHC final: four-in-a-row for Glenealy . 22 October 2013 . Hogan Stand . 21 October 2013.
14. News: Wicklow SHC final: Dunne seals three-in-a-row. 22 October 2012 . Hogan Stand . 22 October 2012.
15. News: Glenealy withstand late rally. 22 October 2023 . Irish Independent. 3 October 2011.
16. News: Mark Kennedy looks back on the Wicklow hurling championships. 22 October 2023 . Irish Independent. 22 December 2010.
17. News: Glenealy denied hat-trick of titles. 22 October 2023 . Irish Examiner. 18 October 2009.
18. News: Arklow Rocks win final without striking a ball. . 7 October 2014 . Arklow Rock Parnells website . 7 October 2014.
19. Web site: Keogh . Peter . Keogh's Corner . 16 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171005151443/https://www.pressreader.com/ireland/wicklow-people/20131218/282866548669994 . October 5, 2017 . en . 2013-12-18.
20. Web site: Glenealy dig deep to earn another crack at Carnew. 17 October 2016 . Wicklow People. 29 October 2008.
21. Web site: Nerveless Hyland forces replay. 17 October 2016 . Irish Independent . 17 October 2016.
22. Web site: No separating Bray and Glenealy in Wicklow finale. 25 September 2022. Irish Examiner. 31 October 2023. Mark. Kennedy.