The Trench Cup is the second-tier Gaelic football championship trophy for third-level education colleges, institutes of technology and universities in Ireland and England (first tier is the Sigerson Cup and third tier is Corn na Mac Léinn). The Trench Cup Championship is administered by Comhairle Ard Oideachais, the Gaelic Athletic Association's Higher Education Council.
History In 1975 moves were made by non-university colleges to set up their own knock-out Gaelic football championship tournament as a consequence of being shut out of the Sigerson Cup Championship. The initiative came from St. Joseph's Training College, Belfast. The concept of the Trench Cup was proposed by Pat Blake, Comhairle Ard Oideachais Chairman (1978–1983), and Peter McGinnity (later a Fermanagh All-Star) as a knock-out competition for all higher education colleges not in the Sigerson Cup tournament. Pat Blake purchased a trophy costing £80 sterling at Tommy Lennon's Jewellers, Smithfield Market, Belfast. The trophy was named 'The Trench Cup' after Trench House, St Joseph's Training College, Belfast.
The competition first came into existence in the 1975/76 season. The inaugural final was played between St Joseph's T.C., Belfast and the National College of Physical Education, Limerick at Croke Park. NCPE became the inaugural champions. In the 1980s the Sigerson championship was opened up to allow an increasing number of universities, regional technical colleges and institutes of higher education to participate on the basis of their league success. Subsequently, the Trench Cup became the second tier competition for the third-level institutions which were not in the Sigerson championship.
Dundalk Institute of Technology are the current Trench Cup champions, after defeating Waterford IT on a scoreline of 1-14 to 1-08 at University Ulster on 20 February 2016. This was the college's first win. Both Coláiste Phádraig and Sligo IT share the record number of Trench Cup wins, standing at five, while Garda College have three wins. The highest winning margin is that of Thomond College, Limerick over Sligo RTC of 16 points in 1977, while the largest margin in the 21st century is that of Trinity College Dublin over Hope University, Liverpool of 10 points in 2012.
The joint highest individual points scorers in any Trench Cup final are D. Duggan of Garda College in 1993 (1-07, 10 points) and Seán O'Sullivan of Limerick IT in 1999 (2-06, 10 points).
The championship is currently sponsored by the Electric Ireland. It was previously sponsored by Independent.ie (2014-2017), Irish Daily Mail (2012-2013), Ulster Bank (2007-2011), Datapac (2003-2006) and Bus Éireann (1998-2002).
Roll of honour Wins listed by college Team County Wins Winning years Sligo RTC Sligo 5 1981, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1991 Coláiste Phádraig, Droim Conrach Dublin 5 2002, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014 Thomond College Limerick 4 1976, 1977, 1982, 1988 Dundalk Institute of Technology [DkIT] Louth 4 2016, 2017, 2023, 2025 Garda College Tipperary 3 1993, 1994, 2015 Galway RTC Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology Galway 3 1989, 1996, 2022 Trinity College Dublin Dublin 3 2006, 2012, 2026Dublin Institute of Technology Dublin 3 1987, 1995, 1997 Letterkenny Institute of Technology Donegal 2 2005, 2019 Mary Immaculate College Limerick Limerick 2 2008, 2018 Institute of Technology Tallaght Dublin 2 2001, 2003 Northern Ireland Polytechnic [University of Ulster Jordanstown] Antrim 2 1980, 1983 Institute of Technology Tralee / MTU Tralee Kerry 2 2010, 2024 Cork RTC Cork Institute of Technology Cork 2 1979, 2020 Institute of Technology Blanchardstown Dublin 1 2013 St Mary’s, Strawberry Hill, London [St Mary's University College, Twickenham] Middlesex, England 1 2004 Cadet College, The Curragh Kildare 1 2000 Limerick Institute of Technology Limerick 1 1999 University of Ulster Coleraine Derry 1 1998 Athlone RTC [Athlone Institute of Technology] Westmeath 1 1992 NIHE Limerick [University of Limerick] Limerick 1 1984 St Joseph’s Training College, Belfast [St Mary's University College, Belfast] Antrim 1 1978 The Cups That Cheered: A History of the Sigerson, Fitzgibbon and Higher Education Gaelic Games, Dónal McAnallen, 2012, The Collins Press, Cork, p. 345
Finalists who have not won the Trench Cup: Liverpool Hope University Liverpool John Moore's University Magee College, Derry (now UU Magee)
Winners listed by year
1975/76 National College of Physical Education 1976/77 Thomond College 1977/78 St Joseph's Training College 1978/79 Cork RTC 1979/80 Northern Ireland Polytechnic 1980/81 Sligo RTC 1981/82 Thomond College 1982/83 Northern Ireland Polytechnic 1983/84 NIHE Limerick 1984/85 Sligo RTC 1985/86 Sligo RTC 1986/87 Dublin IT 1987/88 Thomond College 1988/89 Galway RTC 1989/90 Sligo RTC 1990/91 Sligo RTC 1991/92 Athone RTC 1992/93 Garda College 1993/94 Garda College 1994/95 Dublin IT 1995/96 Galway RTC 1996/97 Dublin IT 1997/98 UU Coleraine 1998/99 Limerick IT 1999/00 Army Cadet College 2000/01 IT Tallaght 2001/02 Coláiste Phádraig, Droim Conrach 2002/03 IT Tallaght 2003/04 St Mary's College Strawberry Hill 2004/05 Letterkenny IT 2005/06 Trinity College Dublin 2006/07 Coláiste Phádraig, Droim Conrach 2007/08 Mary Immaculate College 2008/09 Coláiste Phádraig, Droim Conrach 2009/10 IT Tralee 2010/11 Coláiste Phádraig, Droim Conrach 2011/12 Trinity College Dublin 2012/13 Blanchardstown IT 2013/14 Coláiste Phádraig, Droim Conrach 2014/15 Garda College 2015/16 Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) 2016/17 Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) 2017/18 Mary Immaculate College Limerick 2018/19 Letterkenny Institute of Technology 2019/20 Cork Institute of Technology 2020/21 Not held due to Covid-19 pandemic 2021/22 Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT)
Winning captains listed by year Year Player College County 1975/76 Brian Mullins N.C.P.E., Limerick Dublin 1976/77 Pat SpillaneIrish Times, 1 March 1976, p. 3Irish Independent, 29 March 1977, p. 10; Irish Independent, 26 April 1977, p. 18 Thomond College, Limerick Kerry 1977/78 St Joseph's T.C., Belfast 1978/79 Diarmuid Mac Cartaigh Cork RTC Cork 1979/80 Kevin McCabe Northern Ireland Polytechnic Tyrone 1980/81 John ClarkeIrish Press 16 April 1981, p. 16 Sligo RTC 1981/82 Brian LaddenJohn O'Callaghan (2013) Plassey's Gaels: A History of the GAA at NIHE, NCPE, Thomond College and the University of Limerick, 1972—2012, pp 75 and 78 Thomond College, Limerick Kerry 1982/83 Anthony McArdlePersonal communication, John "Tommy-Joe" Farrell, UU Jordanstown GAA Hon Secretary 1981, Chairman of CAO 1987-89 Northern Ireland Polytechnic Armagh 1983/84 Noel Hayes NIHE Limerick Cork 1984/85 Gary WalshIrish Independent 8 May 1985, p. 11 Sligo RTC Donegal 1985/86 Sligo RTC 1986/87 Fergus RowleyMatch scores and names provided by Joseph Moran, former DIT GAA manager, personal communication; The Sligo Champion, 12 June 1987, Sport, p. viii, Trench Cup: Unlucky RTC go down in extra time, Dublin Institute of Technology 2-11 Sligo Regional Technical College 2-9 Dublin Institute of Technology Dublin 1987/88 Seamus Kyne Thomond College, Limerick Patrick Condon Thomond College, Limerick Kerry 1988/89 Michael HaranConnacht Sentinel 7 March 1989, p.15 Galway RTC Sligo 1989/90 Gerard HolohanLeitrim Observer, 31 March 1990, p. 16, GAA Club News - Drumreilly Sligo RTC Leitrim 1990/91 P.J. Monaghan Sligo RTC Mayo 1991/92 John "Jack" CooneyName provided by Tony Dunne via Athlone AIT; Jack Cooney went on to captain Westmeath and became selector with Páidí Ó Sé when Westmeath won Leinster Championship in 2004 Athlone RTC Westmeath 1992/93 David O'ConnorName provided by Garda College Garda College Waterford 1993/94 Martin Coyle Garda College Mayo 1994/95 Gerry Sheridan Dublin Institute of Technology Cavan Damian Diver Dublin Institute of Technology Donegal 1995/96 Fergal CostelloConnaught Telegraph 6 March 1996, p. 11 and p. 22; Tuam Herald, 9 March 1996, p. 17 Galway RTC Mayo 1996/97 Padraig Giles Dublin Institute of Technology Dublin 1997/98 Neill McGleenanPersonal communication, David Flynn, Sports Union Development Assistant Coleraine/Magee UU Coleraine Derry 1998/99 Limerick Institute of Technology 1999/00 Padraig BrennanPersonal communication, name provided by Lt Tom Tooher, Cadet School, Military College, DFTC Army Cadet College, The Curragh Kildare 2000/01 Shane O'SullivanCaptain's name provided by Tim O'Connor, Sports & Recreation Officer, IT Tallaght Institute of Technology Tallaght Dublin 2001/02 Gareth BurnsCaptain's name provided by Tomás Fitzpatrick, GAA Officer, Coláiste Phádraig, Drumcondra Coláiste Phádraig, Droim Conrach Galway 2002/03 Damien Murray Institute of Technology Tallaght Offaly 2003/04 Cathal SmythMeath Chronicle 20 March 2004, p. 41 St Mary's College, Strawberry Hill Meath 2004/05 Neil Gallagher Letterkenny Institute of Technology Donegal 2005/06 Pearse Casey Trinity College Dublin Dublin Shane Gilleran Trinity College Dublin Roscommon 2006/07 Rory Stapleton Coláiste Phádraig, Droim Conrach Laois Brian Kavanagh Coláiste Phádraig, Droim Conrach Longford 2007/08 Andrew O'Regan Mary Immaculate College, Limerick Kerry 2008/09 Declan McKiernanAnglo-Celt 5 March 2009, p. 32 Coláiste Phádraig, Droim Conrach Cavan 2009/10 Shane Brosnan Institute of Technology Tralee Kerry Kevin Hartnett Institute of Technology Tralee Clare 2010/11 Seán Denvir Coláiste Phádraig, Droim Conrach Galway 2011/12 Tomás Corrigan Trinity College Dublin Fermanagh 2012/13 Eoin Woods Institute of Technology Blanchardstown Meath 2013/14 Sean Kelly Coláiste Phádraig, Droim Conrach Mayo 2014/15 Colm Ó Cuív Garda College, Templemore Galway 2015/16 Kieran Duffy Dundalk Institute of Technology Monaghan 2016/17 Kieran Duffy Dundalk Institute of Technology Monaghan 2017/18 Cillian Fahy Mary Immaculate College Limerick Limerick 2018/19 Callum GallagherDonegal News, 18 February 2019, Sport, p. 31 Letterkenny Institute of Technology Donegal 2018/19 Kieran MurphyCIT finish with a flourish for return to big time, Irish Examiner, 13 February 2020, Sport, page 2 Cork Institute of Technology Kerry 2020/21 Not held due to Covid-19 2021/22 Liam Costello Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology Galway
Man of the Match awardees listed by year The accolade of Man of the Match or Tournament is a recent innovation (1998). In the case of the early years of the Trench Cup, the highest scoring member of the team is designated.