The Munster Intermediate Hurling Championship was an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) between 1961 and 2017. Teams consisted of senior, intermediate and junior club players who were not members of their county's senior panel. The competition was established to prevent the stronger counties from dominating the existing Munster Junior Hurling Championship.
The final, frequently held in July, served as the culmination of a series of games played during the early summer months, often as curtain raisers to Munster SHC games, with the results determining which team received the Sweet Afton Cup. The championship was always played on a straight knockout basis whereby once a team lost they were eliminated from the championship.
The Munster Championship was an integral part of the wider All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship. The winners of the Munster final, like their counterparts in the Leinster Championship, advanced directly to the latter stages of the All-Ireland series of games.
Seven teams have competed at various times since the inception of the Munster Championship. The title has been won at least once by all seven teams, five of whom have won the title more than once. Cork were the most successful team with 15 titles. Clare were the last winners of the title before its abolition.
Format The Munster Championship is a knockout tournament with pairings drawn at random – there are no seeds.
Each match is played as a single leg. If a match is drawn there is extra time and, if the sides still remain level, a second period of extra time is played.
The format has remained the same since the very first Munster Championship in 1961. An open draw is made in which three of the five teams automatically qualify for the semi-final stage of the competition. Two other teams play in a lone quarter-final with the winner joining the other three teams at the semi-final stage. Once a team is defeated they are eliminated from the championship.
The Munster Championship has wider implications for the All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship. The winners of the Munster final automatically qualify for the latter stages of the All-Ireland series of games. Unlike the final runners-up in the minor and senior championships, there is no 'back-door system' at intermediate level.
Five of the six counties of Munster – Clare, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford – participate in the championship. Kerry, the sixth county in the province, contested the Munster Championship until recently. Galway took part in the competition in the 1960s.
Teams
Eligible teams The championship is currently suspended but six counties would be eligible for the championship: CountyQualificationLocationStadiumProvinceChampionship TitlesLast Championship Title ClareIntermediate development teamEnnisCusack ParkMunster22016 CorkIntermediate development teamCorkPáirc Uí ChaoimhMunster152015 KerryJoe McDonagh Cup teamTraleeAustin Stack ParkMunster21973 LimerickIntermediate development teamLimerickGaelic GroundsMunster32008 TipperaryIntermediate development teamThurlesSemple StadiumMunster92013 WaterfordIntermediate development teamWaterfordWalsh ParkMunster12007
Trophies At the end of the Munster final, the winning team is presented with a trophy. The cup, named the Sweet Afton Cup, is held by the winning team until the following year's final. Traditionally, the presentation is made at a special rostrum in the stand where GAA dignitaries and special guests view the match.
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.
The present trophy was presented by Tipperary man Jerry Shelly in 1961 to commemorate the new competition.
Roll of honour CountyTitle(s)Runners-upYears wonYears runner-up Cork1561964, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2014, 20151961, 1962, 1968, 1970, 2000, 2013 Tipperary971961, 1963, 1966, 1971, 1972, 2000, 2002, 2012, 20131998, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2014Limerick371968, 1998, 20081967, 1971, 1997, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2016 Clare232011, 20161963, 2001, 2012 Kerry211970, 19731972 Waterford1520071965, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010 Galway1319621964, 1966, 1969
Team records and statistics
Biggest Munster final wins The most one sided Munster finals: 24 points – 1963: Tipperary 6–10 (28) – (4) 0–4 Clare 21 points – 2009: Cork 5–24 (39) – (18) 3–9 Waterford 20 points – 1969: Cork 4–14 (26) – (6) 0–6 Galway 13 points – 2014: Cork 4–15 (27) – (14) 2–8 Tipperary 12 points – 1964: Cork 4–13 (25) – (13) 1–10 Galway 12 points – 2007: Waterford 5–12 (27) – (15) 1–12 Limerick
Miscellaneous Cork hold the record for the longest streak of success in finals. They won four championships in-a-row between 2003 and 2006. Tipperary hold the record for the longest streak of defeated in finals. They lost three championship deciders in-a-row between 2004 and 2006. Cork hold the record for the most consecutive appearances in Munster finals. They played in four-in-a-row on two separate occasions, firstly between 1967 and 1970, and most recently between 2003 and 2006. Two counties have completed the Munster intermediate and senior double in the same year: Cork in 1969, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006 Tipperary in 1961, 1971 Waterford in 2007 Cork is the only county to have completed the Munster minor, under-21, intermediate and senior 'grand slam' in the same year. This was achieved in 1969 and again in 2005. Only one player has captained his county to Munster titles in both the intermediate and senior grades: Pat Mulcahy captained Cork to the intermediate title in 1997 and the senior title in 2006.
List of Munster Finals All-Ireland championsAll-Ireland runners-up
YearWinnersScoreRunners-upScore 1961 Tipperary 3–10 (19) Cork 2–12 (18) 1962 Galway 5–04 (19) Cork 4–06 (18) 1963Tipperary 6–10 (28) Clare 0–04 (4) 1964 Cork 4–13 (25) Galway 1–10 (13) 1965Cork 1–15 (18) Waterford 3–02 (11) 1966Tipperary 4–02 (14) Galway 1–07 (10) 1967Cork 5–14 (29) Limerick 2–12 (18) 1968 Limerick 3–08 (17) Cork 1–06 (9) 1969Cork 4–14 (26) Galway 0–06 (6) 1970 Kerry 2–13 (19) Cork 2–10 (16) 1971Tipperary 1–11 (14) Limerick 2–04 (10) 1972Tipperary 4–16 (28) Kerry 3–12 (21) 1973 Kerry Unopposed1974–96 No championship 1997Cork 1–15 (28) Limerick 1–12 (21) 1998Limerick 2–11 (17) Tipperary 0–15 (15) 1999 Cork 2–09 (15) Tipperary 1–07 (10) 2000Tipperary 1–19 (22) Cork 0–15 (15) 2001Cork 1–20 (23) Clare 1–11 (14) 2002Tipperary 4–08 (20) Waterford 2–07 (13) 2003Cork 2–12 (18) Waterford 0–11 (11) 2004Cork 0–18 (18) Tipperary 1–09 (12) 2005 Cork 2–17 (23) Tipperary 2–11 (17) 2006Cork 2–18 (24) Tipperary 2–13 (19) 2007Waterford 5–12 (27) Limerick 1–12 (15) 2008Limerick 2–16 (22) Tipperary 2–12 (18) 2009Cork 5–24 (39) Waterford 3–09 (18) 2010Cork 0–15 (15) Waterford 0–13 (13) 2011Clare 2–15 (21) Limerick 2–13 (19) 2012 Tipperary 1–18 (21) Clare 0–17 (17) 2013Tipperary 0–19 (19) Cork 0–18 (18) 2014Cork 4–15 (27) Tipperary 2–08 (14) 2015 Cork 0–20 (20) Limerick 0–18 (18) 2016 Clare 1–26 (29) Limerick 2–18 (24) 2017 Cork Unopposed
Records and statistics Top scorers All time
+ RankNameTeamGoalsPointsTotal 1 Declan Browne Tipperary 5 52 67 2 Declan Lovett Kerry 9 29 56 3 Jonathan O'Callaghan Cork 2 49 55 4 Peter O'Brien Cork 0 47 47 5 Milo Keane Clare 11 13 46 6 Ronan O'Brien Tipperary 3 33 42 7 Eoin Conway Cork 3 32 41 8 Maurice O'Sullivan Cork 4 28 40 9 Willie Griffin Limerick 2 30 36 10 Tom Larkin Tipperary 9 07 34
By year
+ YearTop scorerTeamScoreTotal1961Ray SiskCork7-03241962Vincent BarrettCork3-18271963Milo KeaneClare4-09211964Justin McCarthyCork2-08141965Seán DevlinGalway5-04191966Andy DunworthLimerick4-03151967Jerry O'ConnellCork6-03211968Martin LinanneClare5-0015Charlie McCarthyCork1-121969Séamus GillenCork3-12211970Seánie BarryCork2-13191971Declan LovettKerry2-12181972John DarcyTipperary4-01131997Maurice RocheLimerick1-17201998Kevin McCormackTipperary2-16221999Seán O'MearaTipperary0-12122000Declan BrowneTipperary5-30452001Jonathan O'CallaghanCork1-20232002Brendan HoganTipperary2-15212003Tom MoylanTipperary2-08142004Éamonn TaaffeClare3-09182005Maurice O'SullivanCork0-18182006Ronan O'BrienTipperary2-11172007Shane CaseyWaterford4-05172008Seán ChaplinClare0-13132009Maurice O'SullivanCork4-05172010Eoin ConwayCork1-25282011Niall GilliganClare1-11142012Kieran MorrisTipperary0-19192013Peter O'BrienCork0-19192014Peter O'BrienCork0-25252015Willie GriffinLimerick2-16222016Aidan McCormackTipperary0-1919
In a single game
YearTop scorerTeamScoreTotal1961Ray SiskCork5-00151962Vincent BarrettCork3-03121963Richie BrowneCork3-04131964Johnny CullotyKerry1-07101965Seán DevlinGalway3-02111966Andy DunworthLimerick4-03151967Jerry O'ConnellCork3-0211Jim McGrathCork3-021968Martin LinnaneClare4-00121969Séamus GillenCork2-10161970Seánie BarryCork2-07131971Declan LovettKerry1-07101972Matt RyanTipperary2-04101997Maurice RocheLimerick1-0710Jimmy SmiddyCork0-101998Kevin McCormackTipperary2-07131999Seán O'MearaTipperary0-0992000Declan BrowneTipperary4-12242001Jonathan O'CallaghanCork1-11142002Brendan HoganTipperary1-10132003David ClancyLimerick2-017John QuinlanCork2-01Tom MoylanTipperary1-04Tom MoylanTipperary1-04Jonathan O'CallaghanCork0-072004Éamonn TaaffeClare2-039Éamonn TaaffeClare1-06Darren DineenCork0-092005Mark KeaneLimerick1-08112006John Anthony MoranLimerick2-04102007Shane CaseyWaterford3-05142008Noel HoganTipperary2-05112009Pa KearneyWaterford3-0110Leigh DesmondCork1-072010Eoin ConwayCork1-12152011Stephen PowerWaterford1-0692012Adrian MannixCork0-0992013Peter O'BrienCork0-12122014Peter O'BrienCork1-1013Bobby DugganClare0-132015Willie GriffinLimerick2-06122016Aidan McCormackTipperary0-1414
See also Leinster Intermediate Hurling Championship Connacht Intermediate Hurling Championship Ulster Intermediate Hurling Championship
References
2008 Final Report 2011 Final report
Sources Roll of Honour on www.gaainfo.com