2013 Ulster Senior Hurling Championship

{{Infobox hurling championship

| name = 2013 Ulster Senior Hurling Championship

| image =

| imagesize =

| caption =

| dates = {{Start date|2013|06|16|df=y}}
– {{End date|2013|07|8|df=y}}

| teams = 4

| champions = Antrim

| count = 53

| matches = 4

| goals =

| points =

| top scorer =

| previous year = 2012

| previous tournament = 2012 Ulster Senior Hurling Championship

| next year = 2014

| next tournament = 2014 Ulster Senior Hurling Championship

}}

The 2013 Ulster Senior Hurling Championship was the 68th installment of the annual Ulster Senior Hurling Championship held under the auspices of the Ulster GAA. Antrim were the defending champions, and secured their twelfth consecutive title in a much delayed final played against Down on 2 February 2014.

The delays, which arose from a fixture clash caused by a semi-final draw between Down and Derry, and exacerbated by a ban on inter-county training in the winter of 2013, was heavily criticised for undermining the competition. The winners, Antrim, in fact never played a single match of the 2013 Championship in 2013, having progressed automatically to the final.

Team changes

= To championship =

Entered championship

None

= From championship =

Withdrew from championship

None

Format

As the Ulster championship is of a lower standard than its Leinster and Munster counterparts, there was no entry from the Ulster Championship to the All-Ireland Championship proper. Antrim will instead enter that competition through the preliminary round of the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship.

The other Ulster teams are not eligible, and took part in the Christy Ring Cup, the second tier All-Ireland hurling championship, Down winning the competition.

Teams

= General Information =

Four counties will compete in the Ulster Senior Hurling Championship:

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"

!County

!Last Provincial Title

!Last All-Ireland Title

!Position in 2012 Championship

!Appearance

style="text-align:left" |File:Colours_of_Antrim.svg Antrim

|2012

|—

|Champions

style="text-align:left" |File:Colours_of_Armagh.svg Armagh

|—

|Quarter-finals

style="text-align:left" |File:Colours_of_Derry.svg Derry

|2001

|—

|Runners-up

style="text-align:left" |File:Colours_of_Down.svg Down

|1997

|—

|Semi-finals

= Team kits =

class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"

{{Football kit

| pattern_la=_shouldersonwhite |pattern_b=_thinwhitesides|pattern_ra=_shouldersonwhite

| title = Antrim

}}

| {{Football kit

| pattern_la=

| pattern_b=_thinwhitesides

| pattern_ra=

| leftarm=ff4500

| body=ff4500

| rightarm=ff4500

| shorts=FFFFFF

| socks=ff4500

| title = Armagh

}}

| {{Football kit

| pattern_la = _redborder

| pattern_b = _redhorizontal

| pattern_ra = _redborder

| leftarm = ffffff

| body = ffffff

| rightarm = ffffff

| shorts = ff0000

| socks = ff0000

| title = Derry

}}

| {{Football kit

| pattern_la = _redshoulders

| pattern_b = _blacksidesoutline

| pattern_ra = _redshoulders

| pattern_sh = _redsides

| pattern_so = _band_red

| leftarm = 000000

| body = ff0000

| rightarm = 000000

| shorts = 000000

| socks = 000000

| title = Down

}}

colspan="4" |Titles

| 0

| 4

colspan="4" |Last title

2012

| n/a

| 2001

| 1997

Bracket

The draw for the Ulster championship is seeded, and takes place in a single elimination format. Antrim receive a bye to the final, Derry to the semi-final.

{{4TeamBracket-Stepladder| RD1=Quarter-final
16 June 2013, Páirc Esler, Newry

| RD2=Semi-final
30 June 2013, Athletic Grounds, Armagh
replay - 7 July 2013, Athletic Grounds, Armagh

| RD3=Final
2 February 2014, Celtic Park, Derry

|seed-width=30

|team-width=

|score-width=80

| RD1-seed1=3

| RD1-team1=25px Down

| RD1-score1=3-20 (29)

| RD1-seed2=4

| RD1-team2=25px Armagh

| RD1-score2=1-11 (14)

| RD2-seed1=2

| RD2-team1=25px Derry

| RD2-score1= 0-19 (19)
(r) 1-16 (19)

| RD2-seed2=3

| RD2-team2=25px Down

| RD2-score2= 1-16 (19)
(r) 0-25 (25)

| RD2-seed3=2

| RD2-team3=25px Derry

| RD2-score3= 0-19 (19)
(r) 1-16 (19)

| RD2-seed4=3

| RD2-team4=25px Down

| RD2-score4= 1-16 (19)
(r) 0-25 (25)

| RD3-seed1=1

| RD3-team1=25px Antrim

| RD3-score1= 4-21 (33)

| RD3-seed2=3

| RD3-team2=25px Down

| RD3-score2= 1-17 (21)

}}

Quarter-finals

=Quarter-final match=

{{footballbox

| date = 16 June 2013

| time = 3:00pm

| round = Quarter Final

| team1 = Down
25px

| score = 3-20 - 1-11
(29 - 14)

| team2 = Armagh
25px

| goals1 = C McFadden 1-3 (2f), R Wherity 1-0, M Murphy 0-3 (2f), P McBrearty 0-2, R Kavanagh, David Walsh 0-1 each.

| goals2 = M Donnelly, S Cavanagh (1f) 0-2 each, N Morgan (1f), J McMahon, C Cavanagh, S O'Neill, C McAliskey, K Coney 0-1 each.

| stadium = Páirc Esler, Newry

| referee =

| report = [http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/1606131842-down-advance-in-ulster-hurling-championship/ Report]

| attendance =

}}

Semi-finals

=Semi-final match=

{{footballbox

| date = 30 June 2013

| time = 7:00pm

| round = Semi Final

| team1 = Derry
25px

| score = 0-19 - 1-16
(19 - 19)

| team2 = Down
25px

| goals1 = O McCloskey (0-2), K Hinphey (0-4), A Grant (0-1), P Henry (0-2), P Cleary (0-1), A Kelly (0-5, one free), C Convery (0-1), T McCloskey (0-3, frees).

| goals2 = D Hughes (0-2), S Nicholson (0-1), P Braniff (0-7, five frees), P Sheehan (0-2), D Toner (1-1), G Johnson (0-1), J McCusker (0-1), M Turley (0-1).

| stadium = Athletic Grounds, Armagh

| referee = James Clarke, Cavan

| report = [http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/down-recover-to-force-replay-with-derry-1.1448565 Report]

| attendance =

}}

=Semi-final replay=

{{footballbox

| date = July 7, 2013

| time = 3:30pm

| round = Semi Final replay

| team1 = Derry
25px

| score = 1-16 - 0-25
(19 - 25)

| team2 = Down
25px

| goals1 = K Hinphey (0-2), B Rodgers (0-1), A Grant (0-1, f), T McCloskey (0-2, 1f), A Kelly (1-0), M Craig (0-3), P Henry (0-7, 4f)

| goals2 = D Hughes (0-5), K McGarry (0-2), P Braniff (0-12, 8f), P Sheehan (0-1), J Coyle (0-3), M Turley (0-1), J McCusker (0-1)

| stadium = Athletic Grounds, Armagh

| referee = Tony Carroll (Offaly)

| report = [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/northern-ireland/23212893 Report]

| attendance =

}}

Final

The final was originally scheduled for 7 July 2013{{cite web|title=Ulster Hurling final between Antrim and Down set for 3 November|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/northern-ireland/23956936|accessdate=10 September 2013}} but was postponed to allow the semi-final replay between Down and Derry to take place on that day. The final was rescheduled for 3 November 2013, and finally 2 February 2014.

{{footballbox

| date = 2 February 2014

| time =

| round = Final

| team1 = Antrim
25px

| score = 4-21 - 1-17
(33) - (21)

| team2 = Down
25px

| goals1 =

| goals2 =

| stadium = Celtic Park, Derry

| referee =

| report = [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/gaelic-games/25985601 Report]