Down Senior Hurling Championship

The Down Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Morgan Fuels Down GAA Senior Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Down SHC) is an annual hurling competition contested by top-tier Down GAA clubs. The Down County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association has organised it since 1903.

Portaferry are the title holders, defeating Ballygalget by 2-24 to 2-13 in the 2025 final.

History

Faugh-a-Ballagh won the inaugural Down SHC in 1903.

The competition has been won by ten teams, nine of which have won it more than once. Ballycran is the most successful team in the tournament's history, having won it 27 times. No team outside Ballycran, Portaferry and Ballygalget have won the title since Kilclief's 23rd victory in 1956.

Format

Introduced in 1903 as the Down Senior Hurling Championship, it was initially a straight knockout tournament open only to senior-ranking club teams, with its winner reckoned as the Down county champion. In its present format, six clubs play each other in a group stage. The top four teams proceed to a knock-out stage.

Teams

2026 teams The 6 teams competing in the 2025 Down Senior Hurling Championship are: Club Location Colours Position in 2025 In championship since Championship titles Last championship title BallycranRubaneBlack and amberSemi-finals?272021 BallygalgetArds PeninsulaGreen and whiteRunners-up?212017 BredaghBallynafeighMaroon and whiteSemi-finals?0— CarryduffCarryduffPurple and goldGroup stage20240— Liatroim FontenoysLeitrimGreen, white and yellowGroup stage202321928 PortaferryPortaferryBlue and yellowChampions?252025

Honours

The Jeremiah McVeagh Cup is the current prize for winning the championship. It was presented by nationalist Member of Parliament Jeremiah McVeagh to the Down County Board in 1913 and has been presented to the championship winners ever since..

Traditionally, depending on the venue, the victory presentation takes place at a special rostrum in the main grandstand or on a podium on the pitch. The cup is decorated with ribbons in the colours of the winning team. During the game the cup actually has both teams' sets of ribbons attached and the runners-up ribbons are removed before the presentation. The winning captain accepts the cup on behalf of his team before giving a short speech. Individual members of the winning team then have an opportunity to come to the rostrum to lift the cup, which is held by the winning team until the following year's final.

In accordance with GAA rules, the County Board awards a set of gold medals to the championship winners.

The winners of the Down Senior Championship, as well as being presented with the Jeremiah McVeagh Cup, qualify to represent their county in the subsequent Ulster Senior Club Hurling Championship.

List of finals (r) = replay (aet) = after extra time

Year Winners Runners-up ClubScore ClubScore 1903 Faugh-a-Ballagh 1904 Faugh-a-Ballagh 1905 Clann na Boirce 1906 Clann na Boirce 1907 Faugh-a-Ballagh 1908 Faugh-a-Ballagh 1909 Faugh-a-Ballagh 1910 Ballyvarley 1911 No competition 1912 Kilclief 1913 Kilclief 1914 Kilclief 1915 Kilclief 1916 Kilclief 1917 Kilclief 1918 Kilclief 1919 Kilclief 1920 Kilclief 1921 No competition 1922 No competition 1923 No competition 1924 Kilclief 1925 Kilclief 1926 Portaferry 1927 Liatroim Fontenoys 1928 Liatroim Fontenoys 1929 Portaferry 1930 Faugh-a-Ballagh 1931 Kilclief 1932 Kilclief 1933 Kilclief 1934 Clann Uladh 1935 Kilclief 1936 Ballela 1937 Ballela 1938 Portaferry 1939 Kilclief 1940 Ballela 1941 Ballela 1942 Kilclief 1943 Kilclief 1944 Kilclief 1945 Kilclief 1946 Clann Uladh 1947 Kilclief 1948 Ballela 1949 Ballycran 1950 1951 Ballela 1952 Ballela 1953 Ballycran 1954 Kilclief 1955 Kilclief 1956 Kilclief 1957 Ballycran 1958 Ballycran 1959 Ballygalget 1960 Ballycran 1961 Ballycran Portaferry 1962† 1963 Portaferry 1964 Ballygalget 1965 Portaferry 1966 Ballygalget 1967 Ballycran 1968 Portaferry 1969 Portaferry 1970 Ballygalget 1971 Portaferry 1972 Ballycran Portaferry 1973 Ballygalget Ballycran 1974 Ballycran 1975 Ballygalget 1976 Ballycran 1977 Ballycran Ballygalget 1978 Portaferry Ballygalget 1979 Ballycran 1980 Ballycran 1981 Portaferry 1982 Ballygalget Ballycran 1983 Ballygalget 4–08 Ballycran 2–08 1984 Ballycran 2–10 Ballygalget 1–11 1985 Ballycran Portaferry 1986 Ballycran 3–06 Portaferry 1–11 1987 Ballycran 0–17 Ballygalget 1–08 1988 Portaferry Ballycran 1989 Portaferry 0–14 Ballycran 1–08 1990 Ballygalget 3–13 Ballycran 2–12 1991 Portaferry 0–10 Ballycran 1–05 1992 Ballygalget 0–11 Ballycran 0–10 1993 Ballycran 1–09, 2–17 (r, aet) Ballygalget 1–09, 2–15 (r, aet) 1994 Ballycran 1–10 Ballygalget 0–12 1995 Ballycran 0–16 Ballygalget 1–07 1996 Portaferry 1–14 Ballygalget 2–05 1997 Ballygalget 2–11 Portaferry 0–09 1998 Ballygalget 0–16 Portaferry 1–10 1999 Ballygalget 0–10, 1–11 (r) Portaferry 0–10, 0–08 (r) 2000 Portaferry 0–18 Ballygalget 1–08 2001 Portaferry 0–13 Ballycran 1–05 2002 Portaferry 0–14 Ballygalget 3-04 2003 Ballygalget 0–17 Portaferry 1–10 2004 Ballygalget 1–12 Portaferry 1-06 2005 Ballygalget 3–14 Ballycran 0–15 2006 Portaferry 1–15 Ballycran 0–14 2007 Ballycran 1–13 Ballygalget 0-09 2008 Ballygalget 2–13 Portaferry 0-08 2009 Ballycran 1–14 Ballygalget 0–12 2010 Ballygalget 3–19 Ballycran 1–13 2011 Ballycran 1–11 Portaferry 0–13 2012 Portaferry 3-08 Ballycran 0–11 2013 Ballygalget 1–18 Portaferry 1–11 2014 Portaferry 1–12 Ballycran 1–11 2015 Ballycran 1–15 Ballygalget 0–16 2016 Ballygalget 0-06 Ballycran 0-02 2017 Ballygalget 2–13 Portaferry 2–12 2018 Ballycran 2–13 Portaferry 1–14 2019 Ballycran 1–20 Portaferry 1–13 2020 Portaferry 2–18, 0–15 (r) Ballycran 2–18, 0–13 (r) 2021 Ballycran 2–25 (aet) Portaferry 3–20 (aet) 2022 Portaferry 1–12 Ballycran 0–132023 Portaferry0–20 Ballycran0–162024 Portaferry3–21 Ballygalget2–152025 Portaferry2–24 Ballygalget2–13

Notes † The 1962 final was abandoned.

Roll of honour # Club Titles Years won 1 Ballycran 27 1949, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021 2 Portaferry25 1926, 1929, 1938, 1963, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1978, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2012, 2014, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 3 Kilclief 23 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1925, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1939, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1954, 1955, 19564 Ballygalget21 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1973, 1975, 1982, 1983, 1990, 1992, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2017 5 Ballela 7 1936, 1937, 1940, 1941, 1948, 1951, 1952 6 Faugh-a-Ballagh 6 1903, 1904, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1930 7 Clann na Boirce 2 1905, 1906 Liatroim Fontenoys2 1927, 1928 Clann Uladh2 1934, 1946 10 Ballyvarley 1 1910

Records and statistics Final

Team

Most wins: 27: Ballycran: (1949, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021. Most consecutive wins: 9: Kilclief: (1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920)

Teams

By decade

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

1900s: 5 for Faugh-a-Ballagh (1903-04-07-08-09) 1910s: 8 for Kilclief (1912-13-14-15-16-17-18-19) 1920s: 2 each for Kilclief (1920-25), Portaferry (1926-29) and Liatroim Fontenoys (1927–28) 1930s: 5 for Kilclief (1931-32-33-35-39) 1940s: 5 for Kilclief (1942-43-44-45-47) 1950s: 3 for Ballycran (1953-57-58) and Kilclief (1954-55-56) 1960s: 4 for Portaferry (1963-65-68-69) 1970s: 5 for Ballycran (1972-74-76-77-79) 1980s: 5 for Ballycran (1980-84-85-86-87) 1990s: 5 for Ballygalget (1990-92-97-98-99) 2000s: 4 each for Portaferry (2000-01-02-06) and Ballygalget (2003-04-05-08) 2010s: 4 each for Ballygalget (2010-13-16-17) and Ballycran (2011-15-18-19) 2020s: 5 for Portaferry (2020-22-23-24-25)

Gaps

Longest gaps between successive championship titles: 25 years: Portaferry (1938–1963) 21 years: Faugh-a-Ballagh (1909–1930) 12 years: Clann Uladh (1934–1946)

Down Senior Hurling Championship

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