The Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the FBD Insurance Tipperary County Senior Hurling Championship) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in the county of Tipperary in Ireland.
The series of games are played during the summer and autumn months with the county final currently being played at Semple Stadium in October. The prize for the winning team is the Dan Breen Cup. Initially played as a knock-out competition on a divisional basis, the championship currently features a group stage followed by a knock-out stage.
The Tipperary County Championship is an integral part of the wider Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship. The winners of the Tipperary county final join the champions of the other four hurling counties to contest the provincial championship.
16 teams currently participate in the Tipperary County Championship. The title has been won at least once by 25 different teams. The all-time record-holders are Thurles Sarsfields, who have won a total of 36 titles.
The 2025 Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship was won by Loughmore–Castleiney for the sixth time in their history after they defeated Nenagh Éire Óg in the final by 2-22 to 1-22.
History Beginnings
Following the foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in 1884, new rules for Gaelic football and hurling were drawn up and published in the United Irishman newspaper. County committees were quickly established, with the Tipperary County Board affiliating in 1886. Over the course of the following year, 130 clubs registered with the GAA in Tipperary, making it the strongest county in the country. After difficulties in organising the early championships, the title has been awarded every year except on one occasion since 1894. Civil unrest at the height of the War of Independence resulted in the 1920 championship being cancelled.
Team dominance
Since the beginning, the championship has seen periods of dominance by various teams. Tubberadora became the preeminent team of the first decade, before being superseded by Thurles Sarsfields. After winning the inaugural title in 1887, the Thurles-based club won six championships from a possible nine between 1904 and 1911. Toomevara made their first big breakthrough in 1910 and won titles at regular intervals over the course of the next twenty years. Boherlahen-Dualla won the first of four successive championship titles in 1915 and won a grand total of ten up to and including the 1941 championship. Thurles Sarsfields bounced back in 1929 after an eleven-year period in the doldrums. Over the course of the next 45 years the club established itself as the standard bearer of club hurling in Tipperary by winning 21 titles during this period. The club reached its peak by winning ten titles in eleven championship seasons between 1955 and 1965. Roscrea won their first championship in 1968 before completing a three-in-a-row in 1970. The club won further titles in 1972, 1973 and 1980. Moneygall and Kilruane MacDonagh's shared five titles between 1975 and 1979, while Borris-Ileigh won three titles throughout the 1980s. After failing to win a championship in over thirty years, Toomevara returned to the top table in 1992. Over the course of the next sixteen years the club claimed 11 championship titles. Thurles Sarsfields also returned to their winning ways after a 31-year barren spell by claiming the 2005 championship. They have since become the most successful team of the 21st century by winning eight championships.
Format
The Tipperary senior hurling championship was among the most complicated system in Ireland as it has striven to accommodate from 25 to 32 teams. A knockout divisional system and group backdoor system was used to accommodate these teams. The county championship was run on a divisional basis with teams in the divisional finals going into the county quarter-finals and proceeding from there.
A new format was introduced in 2014, with the county championship divided into two sections of 16 teams each, nowadays called Senior and Premier Intermediate Championship. Each section is divided into four groups of four teams with games played on a round robin basis. Originally teams from both sections could qualify for the knockout stages, as do the four divisional champions. Since 2017 only teams from the first section can qualify.
As of 2026 the first placed team of the 4 groups qualifies for the quarter-finals. The second placed face the divisional champions in a preliminary Quarter-final. If the divisional champions are among the top 2 teams, some 2nd placed teams qualify directly for the Quarter-finals. From this stage onward a single-elimination knock-out tournament is played.
The bottom 4 teams face off in a knock-out with the team losing two matches being relegated to the Premier Intermediate Championship.
Teams
2026 teams The 16 teams competing in the 2026 Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship are: ClubLocationDivisionColoursPosition in 2025In championship sinceChampionship titlesLast championship title Borris–IleighBorrisoleighNorthMaroon and whiteGroup stage?72019 Cashel King CormacsCashelWestRed and GreenQuarter-finals202511991 Clonoulty–RossmoreClonoultyWestGreen and goldPreliminary Quarter-finals?42018 Drom & InchBouladuffMidGreen and whiteSemi-finals?12011 Holycross–BallycahillHolycrossMidGreen and whiteSemi-finals?41990 JK BrackensTemplemore, Clonmore and KilleaMidBlack and whitePreliminary Quarter-finals20200— KiladanganPuckaneNorthBlue and goldPreliminary Quarter-finals?22023 Kilruane MacDonagh'sCloughjordanNorthWhite and blackQuarter-finals?62022 Loughmore–CastleineyLoughmore and CastleineyMidGreen and redChampions?52024 Moycarkey–BorrisLittletonMidRed and goldQuarter-finals?121984 MullinahoneMullinahoneSouthGreen and redGroup stage202112002 Nenagh Éire ÓgNenaghNorthSky blue and navy blueRunners-up?11995 RoscreaRoscreaNorthRed and whiteGroup stage202361980 Thurles SarsfieldsThurlesMidBlue and whiteGroup stage?362017 ToomevaraToomevaraNorthGreen and goldQuarter-finals?212008 Upperchurch–Drombane Upperchurch and DrombaneMidBlack and amberPIHC Champion202611894
Sponsorship
For four years between 2013 and 2016, the championship was sponsored by Clean Ireland Recycling. In August 2016, the Tipperary County Board announced that they had signed a three-year sponsorship deal with Tipperary Water. Since 2019 FBD is the official sponsor of the championship.
Qualification for subsequent competitions
The Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship winners qualify for the subsequent Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship. This place is reserved for club teams only as divisional and amalgamated teams are not allowed in the provincial championship.
Venues Early rounds
Fixtures in the group stage and early knock-out rounds of the championship are usually played at a neutral venue that is deemed halfway between the participating teams. Some of the more common venues include MacDonagh Park, St. Cronan's Park and St. Michael's Park. All games from the quarter-finals onward are played at Semple Stadium.
Final
The final is usually played at Semple Stadium, previously Thurles Sportsfield.
Managers
Managers in the Tipperary Championship are involved in the day-to-day running of the team, including the training, team selection, and sourcing of players. Their influence varies from club-to-club and is related to the individual club committees. The manager is assisted by a team of two or three selectors and a backroom team consisting of various coaches.
+ Winning managers (1999–present)ManagerTeamWinsWinning yearsTommy MaherThurles Sarsfields42014, 2015, 2016, 2017Michael GleesonThurles Sarsfields22009, 2010Éamonn KellyLoughmore–Castleiney22024, 2025Tom RyanToomevara11999Pad Joe WhelehanToomevara12000Seán StackToomevara12001John LeahyMullinahone12002Michael ConnollyToomevara12003Seán HehirToomevara12004Ger CunninghamThurles Sarsfields12005Pat HerbertToomevara12006Éamonn SweeneyLoughmore–Castleiney12007Vincent McKennaToomevara12008Teddy KennedyDrom & Inch12011Séamus QuinnThurles Sarsfields12012Declan LaffanLoughmore–Castleiney12013John DevaneClonoulty–Rossmore12018Johnny KellyBorris–Ileigh12019Brian LawlorKiladangan12020Frankie McGrathLoughmore–Castleiney12021Liam O'KellyKilruane MacDonaghs12022John O'MearaKiladangan12023
Trophy
The winning team is presented with the Dan Breen Cup. A native of Donohill, Dan Breen (1894-1969) was a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. In later years, he was a Fianna Fáil politician.
Roll of honour
By club # Club Titles Runners-up Championships won Championships runner-up 1 Thurles Sarsfields 36 13 1887, 1904, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1911, 1929, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1942, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1952, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1974, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 1894, 1960, 1968, 1970, 1979, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2021, 2023 2 Toomevara 21 11 1890, 1910, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1919, 1923, 1930, 1931, 1960, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008 1889, 1911, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1925, 1929, 1958, 1961, 1996, 2024 3 Moycarkey–Borris 12 3 1899, 1900, 1903, 1905, 1926, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1937, 1940, 1982, 1984 1931, 1943, 1962 4 Boherlahan–Dualla 11 4 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1922, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1941, 1996 1914, 1930, 1953, 1995 5 Borris–Ileigh 7 7 1949, 1950, 1953, 1981, 1983, 1986, 2019 1947, 1952, 1955, 1972, 1977, 1988, 20176 Roscrea 6 11 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1980 1936, 1945, 1954, 1963, 1967, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1985 Kilruane MacDonaghs 6 11 1901 (De Wets), 1977, 1978, 1979, 1985, 2022 1901, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1907 (De Wets),1944, 1959, 1973, 1975, 1980, 1986 Loughmore–Castleiney 6 4 1988, 2007, 2013, 2021, 2024, 2025 1983, 1987, 2014, 20209 Clonoulty–Rossmore 4 6 1888, 1989, 1997, 2018 1927, 1928, 1951, 1998, 2010, 2011 Holycross–Ballycahill 4 3 1948, 1951, 1954, 1990 1964, 1989, 1991 11 Tubberadora 3 4 1895, 1896, 1898 12 Carrick Davins 2 3 1966, 1967 1902, 1965, 1969 Kiladangan 2 3 2020, 2023 2016, 2019, 2022 Moneygall 2 0 1975, 197615 Upperchurch–Drombane 1 0 1894 Suir View 1 2 1897 1895, 1896 Horse and Jockey 1 2 1899 1897, 1898 Ballytrasna 1 0 1901 Éire Óg Annacarthy 1 2 1943 1941, 2004 Carrick Swans 1 3 1947 1935, 1946, 1950 Moyne–Templetuohy 1 0 1971 Cappawhite 1 0 1987 Cashel King Cormacs 1 4 1991 1939, 1940, 1990, 1994 Nenagh Éire Óg 1 7 1995 1993, 1999, 2006, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2025 Mullinahone 1 1 2002 1997 Drom & Inch 1 4 2011 2005, 2007, 2009, 201226 Lorrha 0 5 1905, 1948, 1956, 1966, 1984 Mid Selection 0 2 1919, 1924 Killenaule 0 2 1932, 1942 Racecourse 0 1 1910 Tipperary O'Leary's 0 1 1912 North Tipperary 0 1 1887 Kilmoyler 0 1 1923 Glengoole 0 1 1908 Kickhams 0 1 1949 Na Piarsaigh 0 1 1957 Silvermines 0 1 1974
List of finals