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GAA Interprovincial Championship

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A Railway Cup medal (1995)

The GAA Interprovincial Championship (Template:Lang-ga) or Railway Cup (Corn an Iarnróid) is the name of two annual Gaelic football and hurling competitions held between the provinces of Ireland. The Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster GAA teams are composed of the best players from the counties in each province. The games are organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association.

The Railway Cup was a revival of the Railway Shield[1] which ran from 1905 to 1907 (football) and from 1905 to 1908 (hurling). The first Railway Cup competitions (the name is due to the donation of the trophy by Irish Rail) were held in 1927, with Munster winning the first football title and Leinster winning the first hurling title. Presently, Ulster hold the record for the most football Railway Cup wins with 30, while Munster has won the most hurling titles with 43. The longest hurling streak was Munster's six-in-a-row from 1948 to 1953, while Ulster won a football five-in-a-row from 1991 to 1995.

The Railway Cup has gone into severe decline in recent years. Some blame the GAA for this decline due to the low level of promotion given and the lack of a fixed date to be played each year.[2] The finals, held on Saint Patrick's Day, attracted huge crowds in the 1950s and 1960s, however, by the 1990s attendances at the once prestigious competition had reduced to only a few hundred. The All-Ireland Club Finals have superseded them in popularity and have taken over the Saint Patrick's Day fixture in Croke Park.

Hurling

Interprovincial Hurling Championship
Railway Cup Hurling Championship
IrishAn Corn Idir-Chúigeach
Corn an Iarnróid
CodeHurling
Founded1927
Abolished2017
RegionIreland (GAA)
TrophyRailway Cup
No. of teams3-5
Last Title holders Munster (2016) (47th title)
Most titles Munster (47 titles)
SponsorsMartin Donnelly

The GAA Interprovincial Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the M Donnelly Interpro and formerly referred to as the Railway Cup) was an annual inter-provincial hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and traditionally contested by the four historic provinces of Ireland, deciding the competition winners through a knockout format. Starting in 1927, it was contested until its abolition in 2017.[3]

Connacht, Leinster and Munster were the first participating provinces, before being joined by Ulster in 1944 and the Combined Universities in 1972. The final, traditionally held at Croke Park on St. Patrick's Day, was the culmination of a series of knock-out games, with the winning team receiving the Railway Cup. At its peak it was one of the most prestigious competitions in Gaelic games, with players regarding it as a great honour to be included on their provincial team.[4] Crowds of up to 50,000 regularly attended the final, however, interest waned since its heyday with only 562 attending the last final in 2016.[5][6]

The title was won by three different teams, all of whom won the title more than once. The all-time record-holders are Munster, who won the championship on 47 occasions.

History

After the success of the inter-county All-Ireland Championship, which had been held since 1887, the Gaelic Athletic Association launched an inter-provincial competition in 1905. Sponsored by the Great Southern and Western Railway, the Railway Shield ran until 1908 when the competition ended after Leinster retained the title for a second successive year.[7]

After a lapse of nearly 20 years, the idea of an inter-provincial tournament was resurrected. The Railway Cup, once again sponsored by the Great Southern Railways, was first held in 1927, with Ulster being the only province not to field a team. The very first match took place at Portlaoise on 21 November 1926, with Leinster beating Connacht by 7-06 to 3-05. Leinster went on to win the inaugural title after a 1-11 to 2-06 win over Munster in the final. The holding of the final at Croke Park on St. Patrick's Day (17 March) set a precedent that linked the competition to that date for many years to follow.

The 1944 Railway Cup was the first occasion when all four provinces took part, with Ulster fielding a team for the first time. They reached the 1945 final, after beating Leinster in the semi-final, but lost out to Munster. In late 1971 an application from the Universities' Council to enter a Combined Universities team was discussed by the Central Council of the Association. The proposal was readily accepted and the Combined Universities team was permitted to participate in the 1972 Railway Cup.

Sponsorship

Iarnród Éireann became the first title sponsor of the championship, serving in that capacity from 1991 until 1993. After a sponsor-less decade, businessman Martin Donnelly offered financial support in terms of sponsorship in 2002.[8] He withdrew his sponsorship of the competition in 2014.[9]

Venues

Croke Park in Dublin hosted every final between 1927 and 1977.
The newly-built Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork hosted the 1978 final.
Semple Stadium in Thurles hosted five finals, including the last one in 2016.

Early rounds

Fixtures in the early rounds of the Railway Cup were usually played at a neutral venue that was deemed halfway between the participating teams. On occasions, Connacht and Ulster received home advantage, hosting semi-finals at Pearse Stadium, Duggan Park, Parkmore Sportsfield, Corrigan Park and Casement Park. The midlands regularly provided venues for Leinster-Connacht and Munster-Connacht matches, with O'Moore Park, O'Connor Park, St. Brendan's Park, St. Cronan's Park and MacDonagh Park being used.

Final

The final was played at Croke Park in Dublin every year from 1927 until 1977. A decline in popularity, coupled with the All-Ireland Club Championship taking the St. Patrick's Day slot at Croke Park, led to the Railway Cup final being moved around the country for the following 25 years. Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Semple Stadium, Cusack Park, Breffni Park, Nowlan Park and a number of smaller grounds all hosted the final at various stages

In 2003, the final was held in the Giulio Onesti Sports Complex in Rome.[10] The success of that overseas trip led GAA chiefs to look into the possibility of making the staging of the final in Europe a regular date in the calendar.[11] The final never returned to Europe, however, the 2005 final took place at the Irish Cultural Centre in Boston, while the 2009 final was held at Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club in Abu Dhabi.

The final returned to Croke Park for one final time in 2014, while Semple Stadium hosted the very last Railway Cup final in 2016.

Managers

Managers in the Railway Cup were involved in the day-to-day running of the team, including the training, team selection, and sourcing of players. The manager was usually assisted by a team of two or three selectors and a backroom team consisting of various coaches.

Winning managers
Manager Team Wins Winning years
John Conran Leinster 3 2006, 2008, 2009
Noel Skehan Leinster 2 2002, 2003
Joe Dooley Leinster 2 2012, 2014
Vincent Mullins Connacht 1 2004
Joe O'Leary Munster 1 2005
Michael Ryan Munster 1 2007
Liam Sheedy Munster 1 2013
Anthony Daly Munster 1 2016

Roll of Honour

Province Wins Years won
MunsterMunster 47 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2016
LeinsterLeinster 28 1927, 1932, 1933, 1936, 1941, 1954, 1956, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014
ConnachtConnacht 11 1947, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1999, 2004
Ulster
Ulster
0 Second place: 1945, 1992, 1993, 1995

Records and statistics

Final

Teams

Individual

Team

By decade

The most successful team of each decade, judged by number of Railway Cup titles, is as follows:

  • 1920s: 2 for Munster (1928–29)
  • 1930s: 7 for Munster (1930-31-34-35-37-38-39)
  • 1940s: 8 for Munster (1940-42-43-44-45-46-48-49)
  • 1950s: 8 for Munster (1950-51-52-53-55-57-58-59)
  • 1960s: 6 for Munster (1960-61-63-66-68-69)
  • 1970s: 7 for Leinster (1971-72-73-74-75-77-79)
  • 1980s: 6 for Connacht (1980-82-83-86-87-89)
  • 1990s: 4 for Munster (1992-95-96-97)
  • 2000s: 5 for Leinster (2002-03-06-08-09)
  • 2010s: 2 each for Leinster (2012–14) and Munster (2013-16)
Gaps

Longest gaps between successive Railway Cup titles:

Top scorers

All time
Rank Name Team Goals Points Total
1 Christy Ring Munster 43 106 235
2 Eddie Keher Leinster 19 124 181
3 Jimmy Doyle Munster 15 72 117
4 Jimmy Smyth Munster 15 28 73
5 Niall Healy Connacht 1 65 68
By year
Year Top scorer Team Score Total
1994 Pat Potterton Leinster 2-05 11
1995 Michael Cleary Munster 0-17 17
1996 Gary Kirby Munster 4-08 20
1997 Johnny Dooley Leinster 0-18 18
1998 Charlie Carter Leinster 1-09 12
1999 Tommy Dunne Munster 1-10 13
2000 Joe Deane Munster 1-11 14
2001 Alan Browne Munster 2-13 19
2002 Eddie Brennan Leinster 2-06 12
Henry Shefflin Leinster 0-12
2003 Henry Shefflin Leinster 4-06 18
Eugene Cloonan Connacht 3-09
2004 Niall Healy Connacht 0-12 12
Eoin Kelly Munster
2005 James Young Leinster 0-19 19
2006 Eugene Cloonan Connacht 2-15 21
2007 Eoin Kelly Munster 1-20 23
2008 Eoin Kelly Munster 1-12 15
2009 Niall Healy Connacht 1-13 16
2010 No competition
2011 No competition
2012 Richie Power Leinster 1-15 18
2013 Patrick Horgan Munster 0-15 15
2014 Conor Cooney Conancht 0-19 19
2015 No competition
2016 Séamus Callanan Munster 1-14 17
In a single game
Year Top scorer Team Score Total
2000 Charlie Carter Leinster 1-07 10
2001 Alan Browne Munster 1-08 11
2002 Joe Deane Munster 2-02 8
2003 Henry Shefflin Leinster 2-04 10
2004 Niall Healy Connacht 0-11 11
2005 James Young Leinster 0-12 12
2006 Eugene Cloonan Connacht 2-06 12
2007 Eoin Kelly Munster 1-10 13
2008 Richie Power Leinster 0-09 9
2009 Niall Healy Connacht 1-06 9
Henry Shefflin Leinster
2010 No competition
2011 No competition
2012 Richie Power Leinster 0-10 10
2013 Neil McManus Ulster 1-07 10
2014 Eoin Larkin Leinster 0-12 12
2015 No competition
2016 Séamus Callanan Munster 1-07 10
In finals
Final Top scorer Team Score Total
1927 Matty Power Leinster 1-02 5
1928 John Joe Callanan Munster 2-00 6
1929 Connie Keane Munster 3-01 10
1930 Tommy Treacy Munster 3-00 9
1931 Matty Power Leinster 2-01 7
1932 Martin Kennedy Munster 3-01 10
1933 Martin Kennedy Munster 3-01 10
1934 Mick Mackey Munster 3-00 9
1935 Seán Harrington Munster 1-00 3
Mick Hennessy Munster
Martin Kennedy Munster
Johnny Dunne Leinster
Locky Byrne Leinster
Matty Power Leinster
1936 Johnny Dunne Leinster 1-02 5
1937 Mick Mackey Munster 0-04 4
1938 Johnny Quirke Munster 3-00 9
1939 Mick Flynn Leinster 1-00 3
Mick Mackey Munster
John Mackey Munster
Locky Byrne Munster
Jim Mullane Munster
Paddy Phelan Leinster 0-03
Ned Wade Munster
1940 Jimmy Phelan Leinster 3-01 10
1941 Jim Langton Leinster 1-02 5
1942 Mossy McDonnell Leinster 3-01 10
1943 Jim Langton Leinster 2-04 10
1944 John Mackey Munster 2-00 6
M. Nestor Connacht
1945 Johnny Quirke Munster 2-02 8
1946 Christy Ring Munster 1-07 10
1947 Hubert Gordon Connacht 1-00 3
Tadhg Kelly Connacht
Jerry O'Riordan Munster
Josie Gallagher Connacht 0-03
1948 Vin Baston Munster 2-00 6
1949 Christy Ring Munster 2-03 9
1950 Christy Ring Munster 0-04 4
1951 Christy Ring Munster 1-04 7
1952 Christy Ring Munster 3-03 12
1953 Séamus Bannon Munster 2-00 6
Nicky Rackard Leinster
Ned Wheeler Leinster
Pat Stakelum Munster 1-03
1954 Christy Ring Munster 0-03 3
Jim Langton Leinster
1955 Christy Ring Munster 2-04 10
1956 Nicky Rackard Leinster 2-06 12
1957 Christy Ring Munster 3-05 14
1958 Mick Kenny Leinster 1-04 7
1959 Christy Ring Munster 4-05 17
1960 Jimmy Doyle Munster 2-00 6
Paddy Barry Munster
Jimmy Smyth Munster
Padge Kehoe Leinster 0-06
1961 Jimmy Doyle Munster 2-06 12
1962 Liam Devaney Munster 0-05 5
1963 Denis Heaslip Leinster 3-00 9
Jimmy Doyle Munster 2-03
1964 Eddie Keher Leinster 2-05 11
1965 Mick Bermingham Leinster 2-02 8
1966 Frankie Walsh Munster 2-07 13
1967 Eddie Keher Leinster 2-06 12
1968 Mick Roche Munster 0-04 4
1969 Paddy Fahy Connacht 3-01 10
Jimmy Doyle Munster 1-07
1970 Eddie Keher Leinster 0-07 7
1971 Eddie Keher Leinster 0-09 9
1972 Eddie Keher Leinster 1-06 9
1973 Eddie Keher Leinster 0-07 7
1974 Eddie Keher Leinster 1-07 10
1975 Eddie Keher Leinster 0-07 7
1976 Eddie Keher Leinster 2-02 8
1977 Tony Doran Leinster 1-03 6
Eddie Keher Leinster 0-06
1978 Ned Buggy Leinster 0-08 8
1979 John Connolly Connacht 1-04 7
1980 Seán Silke Connacht 1-00 3
1981 Éamonn Cregan Munster 1-06 9
1982 P. J. Molloy Connacht 2-02 8
1983 Martin Cuddy Leinster 1-00 3
1984 John Fenton Munster 0-05 5
1985 Nicky English Munster 2-00 6
1986 Noel Lane Connacht 2-01 7
1987 Ger Fennelly Leinster 0-05 5
1988 Michael Connolly Connacht 0-07 7
Mark Corrigan Leinster
1989 Éanna Ryan Connacht 2-02 8
1990 No competition
1991 Michael McGrath Connacht 1-04 7
Michael Cleary Munster 0-07
1992 Séamus Downey Ulster 1-02 5
Michael Cleary Munster
1993 Eamon Morrissey Leinster 1-04 7
1994 Tom Dempsey Leinster 0-05 5
Liam Burke Connacht
1995 Michael Cleary Munster 0-08 8
1996 Gary Kirby Munster 1-04 7
1997 Johnny Dooley Leinster 0-10 10
1998 David Cuddy Leinster 0-05 5
1999 Tommy Dunne Munster 1-05 8
2000 Charlie Carter Leinster 1-07 10
2001 Alan Browne Munster 1-08 11
2002 Eoin McGrath Munster 2-01 7
Henry Shefflin Leinster 0-07
Tommy Dunne Munster
2003 Eugene Cloonan Connacht 2-03 9
2004 Eoin Kelly Munster 0-12 12
2005 Ben O'Connor Munster 0-07 7
James Young Leinster
2006 Eugene Cloonan Connacht 0-09 9
2007 Niall Healy Connacht 0-11 11
2008 Richie Power Leinster 0-09 9
2009 Henry Shefflin Leinster 1-06 9
2010 No competition
2011 No competition
2012 Richie Power Leinster 0-10 10
2013 Patrick Horgan Munster 0-09 9
2014 Eoin Larkin Leinster 0-12 12
2015 No competition
2016 T. J. Reid Leinster 1-06 9

Football

Managers

Managers in the Railway Cup were involved in the day-to-day running of the team, including the training, team selection, and sourcing of players. The manager was usually assisted by a team of two or three selectors and a backroom team consisting of various coaches.

Winning managers
Manager Team Wins Winning years
Brian McEniff Ulster 13 1983, 1984, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2007
Joe Kernan Ulster 3 2009, 2012, 2013
Luke Dempsey Leinster 2 2001, 2002
Val Andrews Leinster 2 2005, 2006
Ger O'Sullivan Munster 1 2008
John Tobin Connacht 1 2014
Pete McGrath Ulster 1 2016

Roll of Honour

Province Wins Years Won
Ulster 32 1942, 1943, 1947, 1950, 1956, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2016
Leinster 28 1928, 1929, 1930, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1939, 1940, 1944, 1945, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1974, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006
Munster 15 1927, 1931, 1941, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1999, 2008
Connacht 10 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1951, 1957, 1958, 1967, 1969, 2014
Combined Universities 1 1973

Records and statistics

Final

Teams
  • Most wins: 32:
    • Ulster (1942, 1943, 1947, 1950, 1956, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2016)
  • Most consecutive wins: 5:
    • Ulster (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995)

Individual

  • Most wins by a player: 8, Seán O'Neill (Ulster) 1960, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1971

Team

By decade

The most successful team of each decade, judged by number of Railway Cup titles, is as follows:

  • 1920s: 2 for Leinster (1928–29)
  • 1930s: 5 for Leinster ( 1930-32-33-35-39)
  • 1940s: 4 for Munster (1941-46-48-49)
  • 1950s: 5 for Leinster (1952-53-54-55-59)
  • 1960s: 6 for Ulster (1960-63-64-65-66-68)
  • 1970s: 5 for Munster (1972-75-76-77-78)
  • 1980s: 4 each for Ulster (1980-83-84-89) and Leinster (1985-86-87-88)
  • 1990s: 6 for Ulster (1991-92-93-94-95-98)
  • 2000s: 5 for Ulster (2000-03-04-07-09)
  • 2010s: 3 for Ulster (2012-13-16)
Gaps

Longest gaps between successive Railway Cup titles:

History

Munster's Andrew O'Shaughnessy (left) chasing Ulster's Arron Graffin in the 2008 Railway Cup hurling semi-final

Up to and including 1986, the Inter-pros were played in the Spring, with the semi-finals usually in February and the finals on Saint Patrick's Day.[12] From 1987 to 1989 then were given an Autumn slot, moving back to the Spring in 1991[12] (there was no competition in 1990).[12] 1993 saw the competition played again in the Autumn, but all others from 1991 until 2000 were played in the early part of the year,[12] with the semi-finals even being played in January in 1997, 1998 and 2000.[12] However the rescheduling of the commencement of the National Football and National Hurling Leagues to the start of the calendar year, has seen the Railway Cup moved to the latter part of the year from 2001 onwards.[12] In an effort to combat the declining popularity of the competition, some including Ulster manager Joe Kernan have suggested playing the finals as double-headers with the respective All-Ireland Club Football and All-Ireland Club Hurling Championship finals in the early part of the year in Croke Park and Semple Stadium respectively.[12] The 2009 hurling semi-finals were held in February, and the final took place in March in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.[13] Abu Dhabi joined a list of foreign cities including Boston, Paris and Rome to have hosted finals.[13] Plans to stage the 2014 Inter-Provincial finals in Texas fell through.[14]

Attendances at the matches have fallen.[15] However players seem to love playing in the competition.[15][16] Former Armagh player Martin McQuillan said it gave players not accustomed to success at county level, a chance to taste victory.[15]

On 23 February 2014, Connacht defeated Ulster by 2-19 to 1-7 at Tuam Stadium to win the Inter-provincial football championship for the first time since 1969.

Combined Universities

In 1971 the Universities Council of the GAA (Comhairle na nOllscoil) applied to the Central Council of the GAA for permission to compete in the Railway Cup football and hurling series.[17] The request had been studied by the Executive of the Central Council. The Universities Council estimated that there were about 70 inter-county players in the Sigerson and Fitzgibbon competitions studying at U.C.D, U.C.G., U.C.C., Q.U.B., T.C.D., U.U. Coleraine and St Patrick's Maynooth. At the Central Council meeting held on 23 October 1971, the proposal of Comhairle na nOllscoil was approved unanimously.[18] While the idea was looked upon positively by some elements of the Press as a way of injecting life back into this inter-provincial tournament,[17] other feared that the public would tire of this innovation as they had in the case of the Combined Universities v (Rest of) Ireland tests long before they lingered to an unlamented death[19] and doubted whether the Combined Universities would revive the Railway Cup.[20] Pat McDonnell of UCC and Cork full-back, Texaco Hurler of the Year in 1969, had the honour of captaining the first Combined Universities team to compete in the Railway Cup against Ulster at Croke Park. The University hurlers defeated Ulster in the preliminary round,[21] but were narrowly beaten by Leinster in the semi-final,[22] while the University footballers did not survive the preliminary round of the football Railway Cup.

In 1973 the Combined Universities footballers beat Connacht to win the Railway Cup in a final replay at Athlone.[23] This is the only occasion in the history of the Railway Cup that it was not won by a provincial team. The hurlers again beat Ulster but were again beaten by Leinster in the semi-final. In 1974 both the University hurlers and footballers reached the semi-finals, losing to Munster[24] and Leinster,[25] respectively.

The Railway Cup experiment was meeting criticism from within the Universities sector because it was interfering with University League fixtures.[26] In May 1974 Comhairle na nOllscoil decided to opt out of the Railway Cup competition.

Likely demise

The fixtures for the 2017 competition were indefinitely postponed after Connacht pulled out, citing fixture demands on players and lack of spectator interest. The Irish Times reported that the other three provinces had "indicated that they believe the end has come for the 90-year-old competition" and no dates were scheduled for the competition in 2018 and beyond.[27]

Covid-19 has cut down on sports but in 2022 possible return of all.

References

  1. ^ "G.A.A. Notes, The Kerryman, 26/03/1927, page 2
  2. ^ Hoganstand.com – GAA Football & Hurling HoganStand.com
  3. ^ Moran, Seán (24 November 2017). "Provinces accept that Railway Cup has run out of track". Irish Times. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  4. ^ Fogarty, John (1 December 2018). "Obituary: In a new era of Gaelic games, the Railway Cup ran out of line". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  5. ^ Horgan, John (28 November 2017). "Given the Rebel tradition in the competition, it's sad to see the Railway Cup fade away". The Echo. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  6. ^ Crowe, Dermot (2 December 2018). "Kavanagh documents Railway journey from the peak years to its last stop". Irish Independent. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  7. ^ Aherne, Alan (3 December 2016). "Dermot recalls an era when Railway Cups were special". Wexford People. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  8. ^ "Donnelly 'okay' with inter-pros suspension". Hogan Stand. 21 April 2010. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  9. ^ "Martin Donnelly saddened by GAA's 'disingenuous support' for Railway Cup". Irish Examiner. 24 November 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  10. ^ "Hope springs eternal in Rome". Irish Independent. 10 November 2003. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  11. ^ "Railway Cup set to stay in Europe". Irish Examiner. 11 November 2003. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Archer, Kenny (22 October 2008). "Clubbing together would be a real way to help Inter-pros". The Irish News. p. 51. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
  13. ^ a b "Inter-pros start". Gaelic Life. 20 February 2009. p. 31.
  14. ^ "Plan to host Inter-Provincial finals in the United States is shelved". RTÉ Sport. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  15. ^ a b c Scott, Ronan (17 October 2008). "Stars say the cup should stay". Gaelic Life. p. 12.
  16. ^ End of an era as GAA looks to shunt Railway Cups off line! Irish Independent, 17 February 2001
  17. ^ a b Irish Independent, 21 October 1971, p. 22
  18. ^ Sunday Independent, 24 October 1971, p. 30; Sunday Independent, 31 October 1971, p. 29
  19. ^ Irish Independent, 26 October 1871, p. 13
  20. ^ Irish Independent, 29 October 1971, p. 18
  21. ^ Irish Press, 7 February 1972, p. 15
  22. ^ Irish Press, 21 February 1972, p. 15
  23. ^ Irish Independent, 24 April 1973, p. 16
  24. ^ Irish Independent, 18 February 1974, p. 11
  25. ^ Irish Independent, 11 February 1974, p. 9
  26. ^ Sunday Independent, 13 January 1974, p. 26
  27. ^ "Provinces accept that Railway Cup has run out of track". The Irish Times. 24 November 2017.