Leinster Colleges Senior Hurling Championship

{{Infobox GAA tournament

| name = Leinster GAA PPS Senior A Hurling Championship

| currentlyrunning =

| image =

| caption =

| irish = Craobh Iomána Iarbhunscoileanna Laighean

| code = Hurling

| founded = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1918}}

| abolished =

| region = Leinster

| trophy = Corn Uí Dhúill

| teams = 9

| firstwin = File:Colours of Dublin.svg Castleknock College

| title holders = File:Colours of Sligo.svg St Kieran's College

| currentordinal = 59

| super = th

| most titles = File:Colours of Sligo.svg St Kieran's College

| mostordinal = 59

| sponsors = Top Oil

| tv =

| motto =

| website = [https://leinstergaa.ie/ Official website]

}}

The Leinster GAA Post-Primary Schools Senior A Hurling Championship, is an annual inter-schools hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association. It is the highest inter-schools hurling competition in the province of Leinster, and has been contested every year, except on two occasions, since 1918.

The final, usually held in February, serves as the culmination of a round robin and knockout series of games played between November and January. Eligible players must be under the age of 19.

The Leinster Colleges Championship is an integral part of the wider All-Ireland Colleges Championship. The winners and runners-up of the Leinster final, like their counterparts in the Conancht Championships and Munster, advance to the All-Ireland quarter-finals or semi-finals.

The title has been won at least once by 20 different schools, 10 of which have won the title more than once. The all-time record-holders are St Kieran's College, who have won the competition 58 times.

St Kieran's College are the current champions, having beaten Kilkenny CBS in the 2024 final.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-41326828.html|title=St Kieran's coast to convincing Leinster Colleges crown|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=7 February 2024|access-date=19 February 2024|first=Pierce|last=Power}}

History

File:StKierans2006-07-10.jpg]]

The Leinster Championship, like its counterpart in Munster, was organised for the first time in 1918.{{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=}}{{cite web|url=https://leinstergaa.ie/st-kierans-dublin-north-set-top-oil-schools-hurling-glory/|title=St Kieran’s Or Dublin North Set For Top Oil Schools Hurling Glory|publisher=Leinster GAA website|date=11 February 2018|access-date=27 July 2022|first=|last=}} Participation was limited to voluntary secondary schools. Castleknock College, a school which later prohibited the playing of Gaelic games, claimed the title for the only time in their history with a 5–01 to no score defeat of O'Connell School in the final at Croke Park on 4 May 1918.{{cite web|url=https://leinstergaa.ie/st-kierans-dublin-north-set-top-oil-schools-hurling-glory/|title=St Kieran’s Or Dublin North Set For Top Oil Schools Hurling Glory|publisher=Leinster GAA website|date=11 February 2018|access-date=27 July 2022|first=|last=}} No competition took place in 1919, however, following its resumption Offaly-based Cistercian College, Roscrea won four titles in five years from 1920 to 1924.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/news/cistercian-college-seeking-all-ireland-glory/27438893.html|title=Cistercian College seeking All-Ireland glory|publisher=Irish Independent|date=1 May 2004|access-date=27 July 2022|first=|last=}}

This period of dominance was short-lived, as St Kieran's College, after winning their inaugural title in 1922, went on to win 24 titles up to 1959. In spite of this dominance, a number of Dublin schools won their first of only titles during this period, including Colasite Caoimhin (1930), Blackrock College (1935), St Joseph's CBS, Fairview (1945) and O'Connell School (1946).{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/lovely-hurling-at-blackrock-surely-theres-some-mistake/36972192.html|title=Lovely hurling at Blackrock? Surely there's some mistake...|publisher=Irish Independent|date=3 June 2018|access-date=27 July 2022|first=Brian|last=O'Connell}} Patrician College, Ballyfin became the first County Laois school to win the title in 1942, while Knockbeg College claimed County Carlow's only success in 1955.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/knockbeg-stalwarts-reunited-for-golden-jubilee-celebrations/26989201.html|title=Knockbeg stalwarts reunited for golden jubilee celebrations|publisher=Irish Independent|date=30 June 2005|access-date=27 July 2022|first=|last=}}

St Peter's College, Wexford broke the St Kieran's College hegemony by winning five titles from seven finals appearances between 1960 and 1968.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/wexford/lifestyle/boys-of-62-50-years-on/28845688.html|title=Boys of '62 50 years on|publisher=Irish Independent|date=25 September 2012|access-date=26 June 2023|first=|last=}}{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/wexford/gorey-news/localnotes/special-trip-down-memory-lane/36882601.html|title=Special trip down memory lane|publisher=Gorey Guardian|date=12 May 2018|access-date=26 June 2023|first=Brendan|last=Keane}}{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/wexford/sport/othersports/winning-peters-captains-featured-in-new-book/27433828.html|title=Winning Peter's captains featured in new book|publisher=Irish Independent|date=8 February 2007|access-date=26 June 2023|first=|last=}} St Peter's College won further titles in 1973 and 1978, however, St Kieran's College and their Kilkenny rivals Kilkenny CBS claimed seven titles between them over the course of the rest of the decade. Offaly school St Brendan's Community School won four titles between 1979 and 1986, however, St Kieran's subsequently set the all-time record by winning eight Leinster titles in-a-row between 1987 and 1994.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/birrs-success-vital-to-offaly-cause/26133521.html|title=Birr's success vital to Offaly cause|publisher=Irish Independent|date=29 November 1999|access-date=26 June 2023|first=Vincent|last=Hogan}} Their great run of success was brought to an end by Good Counsel College, Wexford, who won two titles in 1995 and 1997.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/wexford/sport/gaa/counsel-seeking-fourth-leinster-a-hurling-title-versus-final-debutants/41326535.html|title=Counsel seeking fourth Leinster ‘A’ hurling title versus final debutants|publisher=Wexford People|date=9 February 2022|access-date=26 June 2023|first=Alan|last=Aherne}}

The turn of the century saw St Kieran's College continue to dominate by winning 12 titles between 2000 and 2019. By that stage, vocational schools were permitted to field teams in the competition after the merging of the vocational schools' and colleges' championships in 2013. A number of amalgamated teams also enjoyed success, with Dublin Colleges claiming titles in 2001 and 2008.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/schools-help-lesser-lights-to-find-right-combination/26646768.html|title=Schools help lesser lights to find right combination|publisher=Irish Independent|date=4 April 2010|access-date=26 June 2023|first=|last=}} The success of this team in promoting hurling in Dublin resulted in the eventual creation of a Dublin South and a Dublin North team, with the latter winning the Leinster title in 2018. Offaly Schools, a team made up of players from six different schools, won their first title in 2023.

Current format

=Participating teams=

The following nine teams participated in the 2023 championship:

class="wikitable sortable"
Team ! Location ! Colours
Coláiste Eoin \| Booterstown \| Yellow, white and black
Coláiste Mhuire \| Johnstown \| Blue and green
Dublin North Schools \| North Dublin \| Blue and white
Dublin South Schools \| South Dublin \| Navy and blue
Good Counsel College \| New Ross \| Blue and white
Kilkenny CBS \| Kilkenny \| Maroon and yellow
Offaly Schools \| Offaly \| Green, white and gold
St Kieran's College \| Kilkenny \| Black and white
St Peter's College \| Wexford \| Green and white

class="wikitable sortable"

Team

! Location

! Colours

Coláiste Eoin

| Booterstown

| Yellow, white and black

Coláiste Mhuire

| Johnstown

| Blue and green

Dublin North Schools

| North Dublin

| Blue and white

Dublin South Schools

| Navy and blue

| Blue and white

| Maroon and yellow

Offaly Schools

| Offaly

| Green, white and gold

St Kieran's College

| Kilkenny

| Black and white

St Peter's College

| Wexford

| Green and white

=Championship=

The championship begins with a group stage. The six individual colleges and schools are divided into two groups of three teams. Each team meets the others in the group once in a round-robin format. The two group winners and one of the group runners-up automatically qualify for the semi-final stages. The other group runners-up play the winners of the amalgamated group teams section, who play a knockout series of games to determine a winner.

=Qualification for the All-Ireland Championship=

As of 2005, the winners and runners up of the Leinster Championship qualify for the All-Ireland Colleges Championship.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-10090483.html|title=St Kieran’s will be very difficult to dethrone|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=9 April 2005|access-date=26 June 2023|first=Brendan|last=Larkin}} 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 Connacht and Munster champions.

Sponsorship

Top Oil became the title sponsor of the championship in November 2016.{{cite web|url=https://www.top.ie/new-sponsors-of-leinster-gaa-schools/|title=Top Oil unveiled as new sponsors of Leinster GAA Schools’ Championships|publisher=Top Oil website|date=18 November 2016|access-date=27 July 2022|first=|last=}}

Trophy and medals

The Corn Uí Dhúill is the current prize for winning the championship.{{cite web|url=https://leinstergaa.ie/leinster-gaa/archive/leinster-gaa-trophies/|title=Leinster GAA Trophies|publisher=Leinster GAA website|date=|access-date=27 January 2023|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 !County !Won !Years won
1 \| St Kieran's College \| Kilkenny \| 58 \|1922, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1944, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2023, 2024
rowspan=2 \| 2 \| Kilkenny CBS \| Kilkenny \| 8 \| 1936, 1970, 1976, 1981, 1983, 2006, 2013, 2014
St Peter's College \| Wexford \| 8 \| 1960, 1962, 1964, 1967, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1982
4 \| Cistercian College, Roscrea \| Offaly \| 5 \| 1920, 1921, 1923, 1924, 1947
rowspan=2 \| 5 \| Patrician College, Ballyfin \| Laois \| 4 \| 1942, 1952, 1956, 1963
Good Counsel College \| Wexford \| 4 \| 1995, 1997, 2009, 2022
7 \| St Brendan's Community School \| Offaly \| 3 \| 1980, 1985, 1986
rowspan=3 \| 8 \| Colasite Caoimhin \| Dublin \| 2 \| 1930, 1934
O'Connell School \| Dublin \| 2 \| 1946, 1954
Dublin Colleges \| Dublin \| 2 \| 2001, 2008
rowspan=9 \| 11 \| Castleknock College \| Dublin \| 1 \| 1918
Blackrock College \| Dublin \| 1 \| 1935
St Joseph's CBS \| Dublin \| 1 \| 1945
Knockbeg College \| Carlow \| 1 \| 1955
Presentation College Birr \| Offaly \| 1 \| 1979
Coláiste Éamann Rís \| Kilkenny \| 1 \| 1998
Castlecomer Community School \| Kilkenny \| 1 \| 2007
Dublin North \| Dublin \| 1 \| 2018
Coláiste Eoin \| Dublin \| 1 \| 2020

class="wikitable sortable"

!Team

!County

!Won

!Years won

Leinster Colleges Senior Hurling Championship

History

Current format

=Participating teams=

=Championship=

=Qualification for the All-Ireland Championship=

Sponsorship

Trophy and medals

Roll of honour

List of finals

Records and statistics

=Final=

=Teams=

==By decade==

==Gaps==

See also

Sources

References