Connacht Colleges Senior Hurling Championship
{{Short description|Hurling competition in Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox GAA tournament
| name = Connacht GAA PPS Senior A Hurling Championship
| currentlyrunning =
| image =
| caption =
| irish = Craobh Chonnacht
| code = Hurling
| founded = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1938}}
| abolished =
| region = Connacht
| trophy = John Ryan Cup
| teams = 5
| firstwin = File:Colours of Cork.svg Roscommon CBS
| title holders = File:Colours of Mayo.svg St Raphael's College
| currentordinal = 9
| super = th
| most titles = File:Colours of Down.svg St Mary's College
| mostordinal = 25
| sponsors = Mezzino
| tv =
| motto =
| website = [https://connachtgaa.ie/ Official website]
}}
The Connacht GAA Post-Primary Schools Senior A Hurling Championship is an annual inter-schools hurling competition organised by the Connacht Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association. It is the highest inter-schools hurling competition in the province of Connacht, and has been contested every year, except on two occasions, since 1938.
The final, usually held in February, serves as the culmination of a round robin and knockout series of games played between October and January. Eligible players must be under the age of 19.
The Connacht Colleges Championship is an integral part of the wider All-Ireland Colleges Championship. The winners and runners-up of the Connacht final, like their counterparts in the Munster and Leinster Championships, advance to the All-Ireland quarter-finals or semi-finals.
The title has been won at least once by 14 different schools, 8 of which have won the title more than once. The all-time record-holders are St Mary's College, who have won the competition 25 times.
St Raphael's College are the current (2024) champions.{{cite web|url=https://galwaybayfm.ie/sports/raphaels-crowned-connacht-pps-senior-a-hurling-champions-commentary-and-reaction/|title=Raphaels crowned Connacht PPS Senior A Hurling Champions – Commentary and Reaction|publisher=Galway Bay FM website|date=5 February 2024|access-date=17 February 2024|first=|last=}}
History
While hurling championships for schools in Leinster and Munster had been organised since 1918, it would be another 20 years before a similar competition was established in Connacht.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/cbc-power-into-first-harty-cup-final-in-101-years/37754769.html|title=CBC Power into first Harty Cup final in 101 years|publisher=Irish Independent|date=28 January 2019|access-date=27 July 2022|first=|last=}} Participation was limited to voluntary secondary schools. Roscommon CBS were the winners of the inaugural championship and claimed a second consecutive title in 1939.{{cite web|url=https://www.gaaroscommon.ie/county/history/|title=A brief history|publisher=Roscommon GAA website|date=|access-date=27 July 2022|first=|last=}} They remain the only County Roscommon school to have won the title, as County Galway schools have claimed every available title since then.
St Mary's College dominated the early years of the championship, winning 20 of their titles between 1940 and 1967. Presentation College, Athenry and Our Ladys College, Gort shared nine titles during the 1970s, before st Joseph's College, Garbally emerged as a new force in the 1980s. St Raphael's College, Loughrea won five titles throughout the nineties, while they also became the first Connacht team to win the Dr Croke Cup.{{cite web|url=https://connachttribune.ie/st-raphael-s-boys-make-a-little-piece-of-hurling-history/|title=St. Raphael's boys make a little piece of hurling history|publisher=Connacht Tribune|date=30 May 2013|access-date=27 July 2022|first=|last=}} Gort Community School dominated the championship at the turn of the century, winning all ten of their titles in a 12-year period between 1999 and 2010. Mercy Colleges, a team made up of players from St Raphael's, Loughrea and Mercy College, Woodford, became the first amalgamation to win the title in 2013.{{cite web|url=https://connachttribune.ie/big-double-bill-of-schools-hurling-is-down-for-decision/|title=Big double bill of schools hurling is down for decision|publisher=Connacht Tribune|date=20 August 2013|access-date=27 July 2022|first=|last=}} Since then, Presentation College, Athenry have emerged to become the dominant force.{{cite web|url=https://www.hoganstand.com/Article/Index/297366|title=Athenry's Finn knows what his side are capable of|publisher=Hogan Stand|date=29 March 2019|access-date=27 July 2022|first=|last=}}
Current format
=Participating teams=
The following five teams participated in the 2023 championship:
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Team
! Location ! Colours |
|---|
| Coláiste Bhaile Chláir
| Blue and white |
| Gort Community School
| Gort | Black and white |
| Presentation College
| Athenry | Maroon and white |
| St Brigid's College
| Loughrea | Blue and navy |
| St Raphael's College
| Loughrea | Green and red |
=Championship=
The championship begins with a group stage of five teams. Each team meets the others in the group once in a round-robin format. The first-ranked team automatically qualifies for the final. The second and third-ranked teams play off in a lone semi-final.
=Qualification for the All-Ireland Championship=
As of 2014, the winners and runners up of the Connacht Championship qualify for the All-Ireland Colleges Championship. The runners-up qualify for the quarter-finals, while on some occasions the champions receive a bye to the semi-final stage (however, this is done in rotation with the Munster and Leinster champions).
Sponsorship
Mezzino Student Accommodation became the title sponsor of the championship for a five-year period in September 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.con-telegraph.ie/2020/09/11/connacht-gaa-strikes-sponsorship-deal-with-mezzino-student-accommodation/|title=Connacht GAA strikes sponsorship deal with Mezzino Student Accommodation|publisher=Connaught Telegraph|date=11 September 2020|access-date=27 July 2022|first=|last=}}
Trophy and medals
The John Ryan Cup is the current prize for winning the championship. It is named in honour of John Ryan who won a colleges title with Presentation College, Athenry in 1976 before being part of the Galway team that won the All-Ireland SHC title in 1980.{{cite web|url=http://www.hoganstand.com/Galway/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=56111|title=The late John Ryan|publisher=Hogan Stand website|date=31 January 2006|access-date=4 February 2014|first=|last=}}{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/the-men-who-changed-the-face-of-galway-hurling-25965010.html|title=The men who changed the face of Galway hurling|publisher=Irish Independent|date=7 September 2005|access-date=27 January 2014|first=|last=}} The cup is held by the winning team until the following year's final. In accordance with GAA rules, the Connacht Council awards a set of gold medals to the championship winners.
Roll of honour
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| #
!Team !Won !Years won |
|---|
| align=center |1
| 25 | 1940, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1979, |
| align=center |2
| Presentation College, Athenry | 13 | 1970, 1971, 1976, 1977, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2025 |
| align=center |3
| Our Lady's College, Gort | 10 | 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1993 |
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| 4
| Gort Community School | 9 | 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 |
| St Raphael's College
| 8 | 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2004, 2020, 2023 |
| align=center |6
| St Joseph's College, Garbally | 7 | 1959, 1968, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987 |
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| 7
| Roscommon CBS | 2 | 1938, 1939 |
| St Molaise's College, Portumna
| 2 | 1961, 1962 |
| rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;"| 9
| De La Salle, Loughrea | 1 | 1948 |
| St Joseph's Patrician College
| 1 | 1958 |
| Mercy College, Woodford
| 1 | 2002 |
| Portumna Community School
| 1 | 2012 |
| Mercy Colleges
| 1 | 2013 |
| St Brigid's College, Loughrea
| 1 | 2017 |
List of finals
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;"
|+ ! style="background:blue;color:white;" | Year ! style="background:blue;color:white;" | Winners ! style="background:blue;color:white;" | Score ! style="background:blue;color:white;" | Runners-up ! style="background:blue;color:white;" | Score ! style="background:blue;color:white;" | |
| 1980
| 1-07 | Portumna College | 0-06 | |
| 1981
| Our Lady's College | 2-13 | Portumna College | 0-02 | |
| 1982
| 2-07 | Our Lady's College | 0-03 | |
| 1983
| 6-12 | 0-02 | |
| 1984
| Our Lady's College | 3-04 | 1-08 | |
| 1985
| 2-09 | Our Lady's College | 1-07 | |
| 1986
| 2-03 | 1-04 | |
| 1987
| 2-08 | 0-05 | |
| 1988
| 0-08 | Portumna Community School | 0-07 | |
| 1989
| 1-07 | 1-05 | |
| 1990
| 0-09 | 0-06 | |
| 1991
| 2-07 | 0-10 | |
| 1992
| 2-12 | Portumna Community School | 1-04 | |
| 1993
| Our Lady's College | 1-08 | 1-06 | |
| 1994
| 1-12 | 3-02 | |
| 1995
| 5-13 | Portumna Community School | 1-09 | |
| 1996
| 4-05 | Portumna Community School | 1-06 | |
| 1997
| 1-12 | 1-06 | |
| 1998
| 1-12 | 0-07 | |
| 1999
| 0-13 | 1-05 | |
| 2000
| 2-19 | 0-08 | |
| 2001
| 3-18 | 0-04 | |
| 2002
| Mercy College | 1-12 | 0-08 | |
| 2003
| 3-09 | 0-04 | |
| 2004
| 3-12 | Portumna Community School | 2-11 | |
| 2005
| 6-03 | Galway City Colleges | 2-12 | |
| 2006
| 2-16 | Portumna Community School | 0-13 | |
| 2007
| 2-15 | Portumna Community School | 0-04 | |
| 2008
| 2-16 | Mercy Colleges | 0-15 | |
| 2009
| 2-14 | Portumna Community School | 0-08 | |
| 2010
| 1-13 | 2-09 | |
| 2011
| 4-08 | Mercy Colleges | 1-07 | |
| 2012
| Portumna Community School | 2-10 | Mercy Colleges | 0-12 | |
| 2013
| Mercy Colleges | 0-14 | 0-09 |
| 2014
| 1-16 | St Brigid's College | 0-16 |
| 2015
| 0-15 | St Brigid's College | 0-06 |
| 2016
| 2-17 | Gort Community School | 1-16 |
| 2017
| St Brigid's College | 1-12 | 0-14 |
| 2018
| 2-19 | Gort Community School | 1-08 |
| 2019
| 1-14 | Gort Community School | 0-10 |
| 2020
| 1-10 | 0-09 |
| 2021
| colspan=4 align=center | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2022
| 1-12 | Gort Community SChool | 1-09 |
| 2023
| 0-19 | 2-10 |
| 2024
| 0-14 | 0-12 | |
Notes:
- 1994 - The first match ended in a draw: St Mary's College 2–13, St Raphael's College 5-04.
Records and statistics
=Final=
- Most wins: 25:
- St Mary's College, Galway (1940, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1979, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994)
- Most consecutive wins: 9:
- St Mary's College, Galway (1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957)
=Teams=
==By decade==
The most successful college of each decade, judged by number of championship titles, is as follows:
- 1930s: 2 for Roscommon CBS (1938–39)
- 1940s: 6 for St Mary's College (1940-41-42-46-47-49)
- 1950s: 8 for St Mary's College (1950-51-52-53-54-55-56-57)
- 1960s: 6 for St Mary's College (1960-63-64-65-66-67)
- 1970s: 5 for Our Lady's College (1972-73-74-75-78)
- 1980s: 5 for St Joseph's College (1980-83-85-86-87)
- 1990s: 6 for St Raphael's College (1991-92-95-96-97-98)
- 2000s: 8 for Gort Community School (2000-01-03-05-06-07-08-09)
- 2010s: 7 for Presentation College, Athenry (2010-11-14-15-16-18-19)
- 2020s: 2 for Presentation College, Athenry (2022-23)
==Gaps==
Longest gaps between successive championship titles:
- 33 years: Presentation College, Athenry (1977-2010)
- 16 years: St. Raphael's College (2004-2020)
- 12 years: St Mary's College (1967-1979)
- 12 years: St Joseph's College (1968-1980)
- 9 years: St Joseph's College (1959-1968)
- 9 years: St Mary's College (1979-1988)
- 9 years: Our Lady's College (1984-1993)