Conor McGurk Cup
{{short description|Gaelic sports provincial competition}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox GAA tournament
|name=Conor McGurk Cup
|title holders=File:Colours of Donegal.svg Donegal
|currentordinal = 1
|sport=Hurling
|trophy=Conor McGurk Cup Trophy
|region=Ulster
|founded={{Start date and age|df=yes|2018}}
|code=Hurling
|sponsors=Bank of Ireland (as of 2018){{cite press release|url = https://www.bankofirelanduk.com/about/media-centre/press-releases/press-releases-2017/bank-of-ireland-launch-sponsorship-of-conor-mcgurk-cup/| website = bankofirelanduk.com | title = Bank of Ireland Launch Sponsorship of Conor McGurk Cup | date = 15 December 2018 }}
}}
The Conor McGurk Cup is an annual hurling competition organised by the Ulster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association. It has been held annually since 2018.{{cite web|url = https://ulster.gaa.ie/2021/12/2022-conor-mcgurk-cup-fixtures-confirmed/ | title = 2022 Conor McGurk Cup fixtures confirmed | website = ulster.gaa.ie | date = 22 December 2021 | quote = }}
The series of games are played during January. The McGurk Cup is effectively a pre-season tournament,{{cite web|url = https://www.derrynow.com/news/sport/444352/gaa-derry-opt-out-of-pre-season-conor-mcgurk-cup.html | website = derrynow.com | title = GAA: Derry opt out of pre-season Conor McGurk Cup | date = 13 December 2017 }} allowing teams to experiment prior to the opening of the National Hurling League.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}
The 2019 competition, the third year of the event, involved nine teams competing in three sections.{{cite web|url = https://ulster.gaa.ie/2019/11/official-launch-of-the-2020-conor-mcgurk-cup/ | website = ulster.gaa.ie| title = Official launch of the 2020 Conor McGurk Cup | date = 26 November 2019 | accessdate = 15 January 2022 }} The 2022 tournament involved seven teams, including both county teams and college teams.
The Down county hurling team won the 2022 final,{{cite web|url = https://www.irishnews.com/sport/hurlingandcamogie/2023/01/03/news/familiar_foes_get_conor_mcgurk_cup_underway-2968871/ | website = irishnews.com | title = Familiar foes get Conor McGurk Cup underway | date = 3 January 2023 }} followed by Donegal in the 2023 competition.{{cite web|url = https://www.irishnews.com/sport/hurlingandcamogie/2023/03/03/news/donegal_land_conor_mcgurk_cup_with_emphatic_win_over_ulster_university-3105001/ | work = Irish News | title = Donegal land Conor McGurk Cup with emphatic win over Ulster University | date = 3 March 2023 | accessdate = 4 January 2024 }}
Teams
As of 2023 the competition involved 10 teams, including:{{cite web|url = https://ulster.gaa.ie/conormcgurkcup2023/ | website = ulster.gaa.ie | title = Conor McGurk Cup 2023 | accessdate = 8 January 2023 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20230207122856/https://ulster.gaa.ie/conormcgurkcup2023/ | archivedate = 7 February 2023 | quote = There are ten teams participating in the 2023 Conor McGurk Cup [..] Two University sides (Ollscoil na Ríona and Ollscoil Uladh), seven Ulster counties (Aontroim, Ard Mhacha, An Cabhán, An Dún, Dún na nGall, Fear Manach and Muineachán) and one Leinster county (An Lú)}}
| class="wikitable" |
| Teams (10)
!County / University !Province !Cup titles !Last cup title |
|---|
| Antrim
|County |Ulster |3 |2021 |
| Armagh
|County |Ulster |0 | — |
| Cavan
|County |Ulster |0 | — |
| Donegal
|County |Ulster |2 |2024 |
| Down
|County |Ulster |2 |2022 |
| Fermanagh
|County |Ulster |0 | — |
| Louth
|County |Leinster |0 | — |
| Monaghan
|County |Ulster |0 | — |
| Queen's University Belfast
|University |Ulster |0 | — |
| Ulster University
|University |Ulster |0 | — |
List of finals
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |Year ! colspan="2" |Winners ! colspan="2" |Runners-up ! rowspan="2" |# |
| Team
!Score !Team !Score |
|---|
| 2024
|2-25 |Down |0-22 | |
| 2023
|5-28 |0-21 |
| 2022
|Down |1-22 |2-18 |
| 2021
|4-24 |Down |1-19 |
| 2020
|2-19 |Down |0-13 |
| 2019
|Down |1-19 |0-19 |
| 2018
|3-26 |Down |1-14 |
Roll of honour
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
! scope="col" |County ! scope="col" |Titles ! scope="col" |Runners-up ! scope="col" |Years Won ! scope="col" |Years Runners-up |
| align="center"
! scope="row" | File:Colours of Antrim.svg Antrim |3 |0 |2018, 2020, 2021 | — |
| align="center"
! scope="row" | File:Colours of Down.svg Down |2 |4 |2019, 2022 |2018, 2020, 2021, 2024 |
| align="center"
! scope="row" | File:Colours of Donegal.svg Donegal |2 |1 | 2023, 2024 |2022 |
| align="center"
! scope="row" | File:Colours of Down.svg Ulster University |0 |2 | — |2019, 2023 |
