Kerry Senior Hurling Championship

The Kerry Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as Garvey's SuperValu Senior Hurling Championship) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1889 for the top hurling teams in the county of Kerry in Ireland.

Kerry Senior Hurling Championship
Current season or competition:
2024 Kerry Senior Hurling Championship
IrishCraobh Sinsear Iomána Chiarraí
CodeHurling
Founded1889; 135 years ago (1889)
Region Kerry (GAA)
TrophyNeilus Flynn Cup
No. of teams10
Title holders Abbeydorney (5th title)
Most titles Kilmoyley (26 titles)
SponsorsGarvey's SuperValu
Official websitehttps://www.kerrygaa.ie/

The series of games are played during the summer months, with the county final currently being played in Austin Stack Park in August. Initially played a knock-out competition, the championship currently uses a double elimination format whereby each team is guaranteed at least two games. The 2020 championship reverted to a straight knock-out format due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Kerry County Championship is an integral part of the wider Munster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship. The winners of the Kerry county final join the intermediate champions of the other five counties to contest the provincial championship.

The title has been won at least once by 21 different teams. The all-time record-holders are Kilmoyley who have won 26 titles.

Abbeydorney are the current title-holders after defeating Ballyduff by 1-17 to 1-10 in the 2024 championship final played at Austin Stack Park in Tralee.

History

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Beginnings

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The inaugural championship took place in 1889 with just five clubs entering. These were Abbeydorney, Ballyduff, Kenmare, Kilgarvan and Kilmoyley. The very first championship match was held on 10 March 1889 when Abbeydorney beat Ballyduff by 1-1 to 0-1. Walkovers and delays were regular occurrences in the early years of the championship, while no records exist for some championship finals. More clubs fielded teams as the years went on, with the championships of 1905 and 1913 being held on a league basis.[citation needed]

The championship suffered severe disruption between 1920 and 1924 due to the War of Independence and subsequent Civil War. Several championships were abandoned midway through, while the championships of 1921 and 1923 were cancelled. The last championship which failed to be completed was in 1935.[citation needed]

Club dominance

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Since the beginning, the championship has been dominated at various times by Ballyduff and Kilmoyley who are collectively known as the "big two". They have won 51 championship titles between them. Kilmoyley dominated the first 25 years of the championship, winning ten titles between 1890 and 1914. The 1920s and 1930s saw a number of first-time winners, including Austin Stacks, Causeway and Lixnaw. Crotta O'Neill's also won their first championship in 1939 and dominated the next twelve years by winning eight titles in total.[citation needed]

The second half of the 20th century was dominated by Ballyduff. The club won 19 championship titles in a forty-year period between 1955 and 1995. The only club who came close to matching their dominance was Causeway who won six championships between 1979 and 1987. The first two decades of the 21st century has seen the Kilmoyley-Ballyduff hegemony continue. Kilmoyley won their first title after a 30-year fallow period in 2001, before claiming seven more titles up to 2016. Ballyduff won five championships between 2006 and 2017.[citation needed] Kilmoyley won back to back titles in 2020-21 to give them ten titles in 20 years.

The 2022 final included a first, a live referee microphone for its national broadcast on TG4.[1] It was also the first time the Kerry County Hurling Final was shown on live national TV.[2]

Format

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Group stage

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The 9 clubs are divided into three groups of three. Over the course of the group stage, each team plays once against the others in the group, resulting in each team being guaranteed two 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 two teams in each group qualify for the quarter-finals.

Knockout stage

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Following the completion of the group stage, the top two teams from each group are ranked (1-6) in terms of points accumulated and scoring difference. The two top-ranking teams receive byes to separate semi-finals.

Quarter-finals: Teams designated 3-6 contest this round. The two winners from these two games advance to the semi-finals.

Semi-finals: The two quarter-final winners and teams designated 1-2 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.

Relegation

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The three bottom-placed teams from the group stage take part in a series of play-offs, with the losing team being relegated to the Kerry Intermediate Hurling Championship.

Qualification

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At the end of the championship, the winning team qualify to the subsequent Munster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship.

Teams

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2024 Teams

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The 10 teams competing in the 2024 Kerry Senior Hurling Championship are:

Team Location Division Colours Position in 2024 In championship since Championship titles Last championship title
  Abbeydorney Abbeydorney North Kerry Black and amber Champions ? 5 2024
  Ballyduff Ballyduff North Kerry Green and white Runners-up ? 25 2017
  Ballyheigue Ballyheigue North Kerry Orange and black Semi-finals ? 5 2000
  Causeway Causeway North Kerry Maroon and white Quarter-finals ? 9 2022
  Crotta O'Neill's Kilflynn North Kerry Red and green Quarter-finals ? 10 2023
  Dr Crokes Killarney East Kerry Black and amber Preliminary quarter-finals 2021 0
  Kilmoyley Kilmoyley North Kerry Green and gold Semi-finals ? 26 2021
  Lixnaw Lixnaw North Kerry Green and gold Quarter-finals ? 9 2018
  St Brendan's Ardfert North Kerry Blue and white Quarter-finals ? 7 2013
  Tralee Parnells Tralee Tralee District Blue and white Preliminary quarter-finals 2024 2 1919

Trophy

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The Neilus Flynn Cup is presented to the winners of the championship and is named after Neilus Flynn, who captained Causeway and St Brendan's (Div.) to County Championship successes in 1932 and 1936 respectively. The Flynn family donated both the original trophy (in 1987) and the new cup to the Kerry County Board. The current trophy, which was designed by silversmith Fintan Foley, was presented for the first time to the 2018 champions, Lixnaw.

Roll of honour

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By club

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# Team Titles Runners-Up Championships won Championships runner-up
1   Kilmoyley 26 16 1890, 1892, 1894, 1895, 1900*, 1901, 1905, 1907, 1910, 1914, 1948, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1970, 1971, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2021 1889, 1891, 1893, 1903, 1908, 1946, 1950, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1965, 1983, 1988, 2007, 2014, 2018
2   Ballyduff 25 12 1891, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2017 1890, 1892, 1912, 1938, 1949, 1981, 1990, 1996, 2000, 2016, 2022, 2024
3   Crotta O'Neill's 10 10 1939, 1941, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1968, 2023 1952, 1957, 1967, 1972, 1979, 1985, 1986, 1998, 1999, 2011
4   Lixnaw 9 21 1933, 1954, 1983, 1985, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2014, 2018 1894, 1896, 1901, 1907, 1914*, 1942, 1953, 1960, 1964, 1966, 1982, 1993, 1994, 2002, 2003, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2023
  Causeway 9 8 1932, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1998, 2019, 2022 1973, 1978, 1984, 1997, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2020
6   St Brendan's 7 12 1949, 1952, 1967, 1975, 1986, 1990, 2013 1937, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1987, 1989, 1992, 2009, 2015, 2021
7   Abbeydorney 5 4 1893, 1896, 1913, 1974, 2024 1900*, 1954, 1971, 2005
  Ballyheigue 5 4 1946, 1992, 1996, 1997, 2000 1941, 1948, 1995, 2001
8   Kenmare Shamrocks 4 9 1889, 1902, 1916*, 1942 1895, 1904, 1910, 1916, 1917, 1943, 1945, 1947, 1991
10   Kilgarvan 3 5 1953, 1956, 1958 1918, 1919, 1944, 1959, 1975
  Austin Stacks 3 3 1928, 1929, 1931 1968, 1969, 1974
  Tralee Mitchels 3 0 1908, 1911, 1912
13 Tralee Celtic 2 1 1903, 1904 1902
  Tralee Parnells 2 1 1918, 1919 1911
Kilflynn Pearses* 2 0 1937, 1938
16 Killarney 1 2 1969 1951, 1970
Tullig 1 0 1916*
Tubrid 1 0 1917
Tralee 1 0 1925
St. Brendans[3] 1 0 1936
  Banna 1 0 1940
22 Boherbee 0 2 1928, 1929
Kilflynn 0 2 1931, 1933
  North Kerry 0 1 1925
  Rathmore 0 1 1932
  John Mitchels 0 1 1936
Shannon Rovers 0 1 1939
  Dingle 0 1 1940

Roll of honour notes

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  • 1900 — as Kilmoyley A
  • 1900 — as Abbeydorney B
  • 1905 and 1913 — run on a league basis
  • 1914 — as Lixnaw Davis'
  • 1916 — disputed
  • 1928, 1929, 1931 — All as Rock Street
  • Kilflynn Pearses — Divisional team (Crotta & Kilflynn)
  • St. Brendans — Divisional team (Ardfert, Causeway & Ballyheigue) [3]

List of Finals

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Legend

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  • Gold – Munster intermediate club champions
  • Silver – Munster intermediate club runners-up

List of Kerry SHC finals

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Year Winners Runners-up
Club Score Club Score
2024 Abbeydorney 1-17 Ballyduff 1-10
2023 Crotta O'Neill's 0-15 Lixnaw 1-09
2022[4] Causeway 2-15 Ballyduff 0-16
2021 Kilmoyley 1-14 St Brendan's, Ardfert 1-11
2020 Kilmoyley 2-12 Causeway 1-14
2019[5] Causeway 2-13 Lixnaw 1-13
2018[6] Lixnaw 1-16 Kilmoyley 2-11
2017[7][8] Ballyduff 4-13 Lixnaw 1-19
2016[9][10] Kilmoyley 1-17, 1-18 (R) Ballyduff 2-14, 2-13 (R)
2015[11] Kilmoyley 3–15 St Brendan's, Ardfert 1–13
2014[12] Lixnaw 1–12 Kilmoyley 0–12
2013[13][14] St Brendan's, Ardfert 0–13, 0–13 (R) Lixnaw 1–10, 0–08 (R)
2012[15] Ballyduff 1–15 Lixnaw 1–09
2011[16] Ballyduff 2–11 Crotta O'Neill's 0–15
2010[17] Ballyduff 2–18 Lixnaw 2–09
2009[18] Kilmoyley 1–19 St Brendan's, Ardfert 2–08
2008[19] Kilmoyley 2–18 Causeway 0–08
2007[20] Lixnaw 1–15 Kilmoyley 2–06
2006[21] Ballyduff 1–17 Causeway 1–11
2005[22] Lixnaw 0–17 (replay) Abbeydorney 0–06
2004[23] Kilmoyley 2–15 Causeway 2–09
2003[24] Kilmoyley 2–10 Lixnaw 1–05
2002[25] Kilmoyley 1–16 Lixnaw 2–07
2001 Kilmoyley 2–08 Ballyheigue 2–07
2000[26] Ballyheigue 1–06 Ballyduff 0–08
1999 Lixnaw 0–09 (replay) Crotta O'Neill's 1–05
1998 Causeway 1-14 Crotta O'Neill's 2-10
1997 Ballyheigue 0-13 Causeway 0-05
1996 Ballyheigue 2-09 Ballyduff 0-07
1995 Ballyduff 3-09 Ballyheigue 2-05
1994 Ballyduff 2-07 Lixnaw 0-10
1993 Ballyduff 2-10 Lixnaw 0-08
1992 Ballyheigue 1-10 St. Brendan's, Ardfert 1-09
1991 Ballyduff 0–11 Kenmare 0–07
1990 St Brendan's, Ardfert 3–08 Ballyduff 0–14
1989 Ballyduff 1–12 St Brendan's, Ardfert 0–06
1988 Ballyduff 1-05 Kilmoyley 1-04
1987 Causeway 2-11 St Brendan's, Ardfert 1-09
1986 St Brendan's, Ardfert 3-11 Crotta O'Neill's 2-04
1985 Lixnaw 2-11 Crotta O'Neill's 0-11
1984 Ballyduff 3-08 Causeway 2-03
1983 Lixnaw 1-09 Kilmoyley 1-06
1982 Causeway 2-11 Lixnaw 0-09
1981 Causeway 2-11 Ballyduff 1-10
1980 Causeway 0-11 St Brendan's, Ardfert 0-05
1979 Causeway 4-06 Crotta O'Neill's 1-12
1978 Ballyduff 0-09 Causeway 0-06
1977 Ballyduff 4-06 St Brendan's, Ardfert 1-00
1976 Ballyduff 2-08 St Brendan's, Ardfert 2-06
1975 St Brendan's, Ardfert 5-07 Kilgarvan 3-06
1974 Abbeydorney 3-08 Austin Stacks 1-04
1973 Ballyduff 1-14 Causeway 1-06
1972 Ballyduff 2-09 Crotta O'Neill's 0-07
1971 Kilmoyley 2-12 Abbeydorney 1-12
1970 Kilmoyley 2-12 Killarney 4-04
1969 Killarney 2-06 Austin Stacks 2-05
1968 Crotta O'Neill's 1-06 Austin Stacks 1-05
1967 St Brendan's, Ardfert 1-08 Crotta O'Neill's 1-06
1966 Ballyduff 3-08 Lixnaw 3-07
1965 Ballyduff 2-11 Kilmoyley 2-03
1964 Kilmoyley 4-14 Lixnaw 5-05
1963 Kilmoyley W/O St Brendan's, Ardfert
1962 Kilmoyley 7-10 St Brendan's, Ardfert 4-03
1961 Ballyduff 5-07 St Brendan's, Ardfert 4-04
1960 Ballyduff 1-07 Lixnaw 1-05
1959 Ballyduff 3-05 Kilgarvan 2-02
1958 Kilgarvan 2-05 Kilmoyley 0-03
1957 Ballyduff 5-05 Crotta O'Neill's 2-00
1956 Kilgarvan 6-06 Kilmoyley 2-03
1955 Ballyduff 3-01 Kilmoyley 1-02
1954 Lixnaw 5-04 Abbeydorney 1-01
1953 Kilgarvan 4-04 Lixnaw 2-01
1952 St Brendan's, Ardfert 3-04 Crotta O'Neill's 2-02
1951 Crotta O'Neill's 3-03 Killarney 2-01
1950 Crotta O'Neill's 6-02 Kilmoyley 4-01
1949 St Brendan's, Ardfert 4-02 Ballyduff 2-04
1948 Kilmoyley 5-02 Ballyheigue 3-06
1947 Crotta O'Neill's 4-07 Kenmare 1-03
1946 Ballyheigue 2-01 Kilmoyley 0-02
1945 Crotta O'Neill's 5-07 Kenmare 2-05
1944 Crotta O'Neill's 9-05 Kilgarvan 2-02
1943 Crotta O'Neill's 3-03 Kenmare 1-03
1942 Kenmare 2-04 Lixnaw 2-02
1941 Crotta O'Neill's 4-03 Ballyheigue 2-03
1940 Banna 5-03 Dingle 2-03
1939 Crotta O'Neill's 8-06 Shannon Rovers 6-00
1938 Kilflynn Pearses 4-03 Ballyduff 4-01
1937 Kilflynn Pearses 7-01 St Brendan's, Ardfert 3-01
1936 St. Brendan's (Div) 5-01 John Mitchels 1-01
1935 Not Played
1934 Not Completed
1933 Lixnaw 2-01 Kilflynn 0-03
1932 Causeway 3-07 Rathmore 2-02
1931 Rock Street 8-02 Kilflynn 7-03
1930 Abandoned
1929 Rock Street 5-02 Boherbee 0-06
1928 Rock Street 4-02 Boherbee 0-02
1927 Championship Not Held
1926 Championship Not Held
1925 Tralee 8-05 North Kerry 2-03
1924 Abandoned
1923 Not Played
1922 Not Completed
1921 Not Played
1920 Abandoned
1919 Tralee Parnells W/O Kilgarvan
1918 Tralee Parnells 1-10 Kilgarvan 4-00
1917 Tubridy (game abandoned) Kenmare
1916 Tullig Gamecocks 2-04 Kenmare 2-01
1915 Not Played
1914 Kilmoyley W/O Lixnaw Davis'
1913 Abbeydorney Run on a league basis
1912 Tralee Mitchels 5-01 Ballyduff 5-00
1911 Tralee Mitchels 5-03 Tralee Parnells 1-02
1910 Kilmoyley 4-04 Kenmare 0-02
1909 Not held
1908 Tralee Mitchels 2-10 Kilmoyley 0-06
1907 Kilmoyley 1-00 Lixnaw 0-01
1906 Not held
1905 Kilmoyley Run on league basis
1904 Tralee Celtic 2-10 Kenmare 0-05
1903 Tralee Celtic 2-05 Kilmoyley 1-00
1902 Kenmare 2-02 Tralee Celtic 0-03
1901 Kilmoyley 2-09 Lixnaw 1-04
1900 Kilmoyley A 3-07 Abbeydorney B 1-02
1898-99 Not held
1897 No record of championship
1896 Abbeydorney 1-03 Lixnaw 0-04
1895 Kilmoyley 1-10 Kenmare 0-03
1894 Kilmoyley 3-07 Lixnaw 1-04
1893 Abbeydorney W/O Kilmoyley
1892 Kilmoyley W/O Ballyduff
1891 Ballyduff 1-00 Kilmoyley 0-02
1890 Kilmoyley 2-02 Ballyduff 0-00
1889 Kenmare 1-00 Kilmoyley 0-03

Player records

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Winning captains

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Team records and statistics

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Teams

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By decade

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

Gaps

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Longest gaps between successive championship titles:

Active gaps

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Longest active gaps since last championship title:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "TG4 feature live referee mic for first time in Kerry SHC final". Hogan Stand. 8 August 2022.
  2. ^ Stack, Damian (8 July 2022). "Kerry hurling final to be broadcast live by TG4 in a first for the competition". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  3. ^ a b Kerry County Board records
  4. ^ "Causeway regain Kerry SHC title with win over Ballyduff". Irish Examiner. 8 August 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  5. ^ "Harty the giant for Causeway as they dethrone champions Lixnaw". 27 August 2019.
  6. ^ "Conway is star man for Lixnaw on day referee requires Garda escort at finale". Irish Independent. 27 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  7. ^ "Kerry SHC final: Conway comes to Lixnaw's rescue". Hogan Stand. 8 October 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  8. ^ "Kerry SHC final replay: Boyle is Ballyduff's hat-trick hero". Hogan Stand. 15 September 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  9. ^ "Kerry SHC final: Boyle forces replay". Hogan Stand. 11 September 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  10. ^ "Kilmoyley survive fightback in Kerry replay". Irish Independent. 26 September 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  11. ^ "Kilmoyley kingpins for 23rd time". Irish Examiner. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  12. ^ "Kerry SHC final replay: Eighth title for Lixnaw". Hogan Stand. 11 October 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  13. ^ "Egan saves Saints with dramatic late equaliser". Irish Examiner. 14 October 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  14. ^ "Famine over for Brendan's". Irish Examiner. 28 October 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  15. ^ "Ballyduff land 24th title". Irish Examiner. 8 October 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
  16. ^ "Kerry SHC: Ballyduff battle back to deny O'Neill's". Hogan Stand. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  17. ^ "Kerry SHC: Ballyduff power to 22nd title". Hogan Stand. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  18. ^ "Kerry SHC: Kilmoyley win record 22nd title". Hogan Stand. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  19. ^ "Kerry SHC final: Daly's Kilmoyley cruise to victory". Hogan Stand. 20 October 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  20. ^ "Lixnaw take the title in surprise win". Irish Independent. 8 October 2007. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  21. ^ "Ballyduff triumph in Kerry hurling decider". Hogan Stand. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  22. ^ "Lixnaw capture SHC title". Hogan Stand. 17 October 2005. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  23. ^ "Four in-a-row for Kilmoyley". Hogan Stand. 4 October 2004. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  24. ^ "Three-in-a-row for Kilmoyley". Hogan Stand. 6 October 2003. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  25. ^ "Kilmoyley retain Kerry SHC crown". Hogan Stand. 30 September 2002. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  26. ^ "Fifth title for Ballyheigue". Hogan Stand. Retrieved 20 April 2012.