Munster Minor Hurling Championship
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2014) |
| Munster Minor Hurling Championship | |
|---|---|
Current season or competition: 2020 Munster Minor Hurling Championship | |
| Irish | Craobh Iománaíochta Mionúir na Mumhan |
| Code | Hurling |
| Founded | 1928 |
| Region | Munster (GAA) |
| Trophy | The TWA Cup |
| No. of teams | 5 |
| Title holders |  Limerick (8th title) |
| Most titles |  Tipperary (40 titles) |
| Sponsors | Electric Ireland |
| TV partner(s) | TG4 |
| Official website | Official website |
The Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Electric Ireland Munster GAA Hurling Minor Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurling competition for male players under the age of 17 in the province of Munster, and has been contested every year since the 1928 championship.
The final, usually held on the first Sunday in July, serves as the culmination of a series of games played during May and June, and the results determine which team receives the TWA Cup. The championship was previously played on a straight knockout basis whereby once a team lost they were eliminated from the championship, however, as of 2018 the championship will use a round-robin system.
The Munster Championship is an integral part of the wider GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship. The winners of the Munster final, like their counterparts in the Leinster Championship, are rewarded by advancing directly to the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland series of games. The losers of the Munster final enter the All-Ireland series at the quarter-final group stage.
Five teams currently participate in the Munster Championship. Two of the most successful teams in the championship, namely Cork and Tipperary, play their provincial hurling in the Munster Championship. Between them, these teams have won the provincial title on 72 occasions while they have also claimed 38 All-Ireland titles.
The title has been won at least once by all six of the Munster counties, five of which have won the title more than once. The all-time record-holders are Tipperary, who have won the competition 39 times. Limerick are the current champions.
Current format
Championship
There are five teams in the Munster Championship. During the course of a season (from May to June) each team plays the others once (a single round-robin system) for a total of 10 games. Teams receive two points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points and then head-to-head results. The top two teams in the group contest the Munster final.
Qualification for the All-Ireland Championship
As of the 2018 championship qualification for the All-Ireland Championship has changed due to the introduction of a quarter-final group stage The Munster champions continue to receive a bye to the All-Ireland semi-final while the defeated Munster finalists enter the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Venues
Group stage
Fixtures in the five group stage rounds of the championship are played at the home ground of one of the two teams. Each team is guaranteed two home games. These games will be played as curtain raisers to their corresponding senior fixtures.
Final
The final has historically been played at either Semple Stadium, Páirc Uí Chaoimh or the Gaelic Grounds. As of the 2018 championship, the final will be played at one of these venues as per the home and away agreements between Cork, Limerick and Tipperary at senior level.
General statistics
Performance by county
| County | Wins | Runners-up | Years won | Years runner-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tipperary | 40 | 22 | 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1973, 1976, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018 | 1929, 1936, 1941, 1948, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1992, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009 |
| 2 | Cork | 33 | 12 | 1928, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1951, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2017 | 1930, 1933, 1935, 1946, 1961, 1962, 1987, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007 |
| 3 | Limerick | 8 | 22 | 1940, 1958, 1963, 1965, 1984, 2013, 2014, 2019 | 1937, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1959, 1967, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1989, 1991, 2000, 2005, 2015, 2016, 2018 |
| 4 | Waterford | 4 | 15 | 1929, 1948, 1992, 2009 | 1928, 1931, 1934, 1947, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1968, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014 |
| Clare | 4 | 15 | 1981, 1989, 2010, 2011 | 1932, 1939, 1940, 1945, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1971, 1990, 1997, 1998 1999, 2012, 2017, 2019 | |
| 5 | Kerry | 0 | 1 | 1938 |
Biggest Munster final wins
- The most one sided Munster finals:
- 33 points – 1950: Tipperary 12–3 (39) – (6) 2–0 Clare
- 32 points – 1952: Tipperary 10–7 (37) – (5) 1–2 Clare
- 32 points – 1945: Tipperary 8–10 (34) – (2) 0–2 Clare
- 31 points – 1938: Cork 9–4 (31) – (0) 0–0 Kerry
- 25 points – 1939: Cork 8–3 (27) – (2) 0–2 Clare
- 24 points – 1956: Tipperary 10–10 (40) – (16) 4–4 Waterford
- 24 points – 1955: Tipperary 8–11 (35) – (11) 2–5 Waterford
- 24 points – 1929: Waterford 7–5 (26) – (2) 0–2 Tipperary
- 23 points – 1961: Tipperary 7–11 (32) – (9) 1–9 Cork
- 23 points – 1940: Limerick 8–3 (27) – (4) 0–4 Clare
List of Munster Finals
| All-Ireland champions | |
| All-Ireland runners-up |
Records and statistics
Teams
By decade
The most successful team of each decade, judged by number of Munster Minor Hurling Championship titles, is as follows:
- 1920s: 1 each for Cork (1929) and Waterford (1929)
- 1930s: 6 for Tipperary (1930-31-32-33-34-35)
- 1940s: 4 for Tipperary (1945-46-47-49)
- 1950s: 8 for Tipperary (1950-52-53-54-55-56-57-59)
- 1960s: 5 for Cork (1964-66-67-68-69)
- 1970s: 8 for Cork (1970-71-72-74-75-77-78-79)
- 1980s: 4 for Tipperary (1980-82-83-87)
- 1990s: 5 for Tipperary (1991-93-96-97-99)
- 2000s: 5 for Cork (2000-04-05-06-08)
- 2010s: 4 for Tipperary (2012-15-16-18)
Gaps
The longest gaps between successive Munster titles:
- 44 years: Waterford (1948–1992)
- 29 years: Limerick (1984–2013)
- 21 years: Clare (1989–2010)
- 19 years: Waterford (1929–1948)
- 19 years: Limerick (1965–1984)
- 18 years: Limerick (1940–1958)
- 17 years: Waterford (1992–2009)
- 13 years: Cork (1951–1964)
- 11 years: Tipperary (1962–1973)
- 10 years: Tipperary (1935–1945)
- 10 years: Cork (1941–1951)
Top scorers
Overall
Single game
Finals
References
- ^ "Munster MHC final: Tipp hold off Banner rally". Hogan Stand. 16 July 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
- ^ "Limerick end 29-year wait for Munster title in style". Irish Examiner. 24 July 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
- ^ "Munster MHC final replay: Treaty surge to break Deise resistance". Hogan Stand. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
- ^ "Munster MHC final: Tipp tops as Limerick run out of time". Hogan Stand. 12 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
- ^ "Powerful Tipperary minors cruise past Limerick". Irish Examiner. 10 July 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2016.