The NCU Challenge Cup, also called the NCU Senior Challenge Cup and the NCU Senior Cup, is the most important provincial cricket knock-out cup of the NCU jurisdiction in Ireland. The competition began in 1887, with eleven clubs participating in the first competition, North Down eventually beating North of Ireland in the final at Ormeau.Gerard Siggins (2005), Green Days:Cricket in Ireland 1792-2005. Nonsuch Publishing Ltd., p.39

The Cup is open to teams playing in the Premier League and Section 1 of the NCU Senior League. It is sponsored by Arthur J Gallagher and marketed as the Arthur J Gallagher Challenge Cup.

Matches consist of one 50-over innings per side. Where matches are interrupted or delayed because of weather, the number of overs may be reduced to a minimum of 20. Duckworth Lewis is employed where a match is interrupted after it has started.

The most successful club in the competition is North Down with 32 victories (1 shared).

CSNI are the current holders after beating Instonians in the 2026 Final.

List of finals Source for finals up to 2002: J. Clarence Hiles (2003), A History of Senior Cricket in Ulster. Comber: Hilltop Publications Ltd.

1880s

SeasonWinnersRunners-upVenueMatch Scores1887North DownNorth of IrelandOrmeauNorth 47 (Turner 5/23) and 107North Down 159 (Patton 34, Andrews 30)North Down won by an innings and 5 runs.1888North DownUlsterOrmeauUlster 85 (W Turner 4/22) and 38 (W Turner 6/6)North Down 47 (McGowan 5/21, Reid 5/24) and 77-5 (J Andrews 40no)North Down won by 5 wickets.1889North of IrelandArmaghOrmeauArmagh 65 (Cuming 8/29) and 104 (Hughes 4/28)North 94 (Tarleton 4/40) and 77-2 (Staunton 37no)North won by 8 wickets.

1890s

SeasonWinnersRunners-upVenueMatch Scores1890North DownFinal not played.1891North DownNorth of IrelandOrmeauNorth 176 (Hughes 38, W Turner 4/53) and 82 (Cuming 38, W Turner 7/31)North Down 157 (Lindsay 75no, Hughes 5/60) and 102-8 (Couper 6/49)North Down won by 2 wickets.1892North DownBallymoneyOrmeauNorth Down 282 (Combe 93, H W Andrews 56)Ballymoney 36 (Graham 6/21, W Turner 4/14) and 67 (W Turner 7/21)North Down won by an innings and 179 runs.1893North DownUlsterOrmeauUlster 76 (W Turner 4/25) and 89 (W Turner 4/35, Killen 4/26)North Down 198 (Milling 46, Reid 6/52)North Down won by an innings and 33 runs.1894North DownHolywoodUlster Cricket GroundNorth Down 87 and 30 (Beggs 7/13, E Hughes 3/15)Holywood 62 (W Turner 5/28) and 33 (W Turner 6/12, O Andrews 4/13)North Down won by 22 runs.1895UlsterArmaghCliftonvilleArmagh 77 (Stewart 5/15, Reid 4/37) and 106 (Reid 4/38)Ulster 105 (Gaukrodger 32, Martin 5/47) and 79-7 (McCrum 3/21)Ulster won by 3 wickets.1896CliftonvilleHolywoodOrmeauHolywood 130 (Higgett 7/49) and 90 (Hamilton 4/17, Higget 3/27)Cliftonville 94 (Erskine 8/42) and 128-6 (Beggs 4/28, Erskine 2/38)Cliftonville won by 4 wicket.1897North DownNorth of IrelandOrmeauNorth Down 176 (O Andrews 73, Gillespie 7/73) and 229 (O Andrews 100)North 112 (Newett 58, W Turner 6/44) and 119 (W Turner 6/35)North Down won by 174 runs.1898North DownUlsterOrmeauNorth Down 225 (Milling 80, Taylor 61, Reid 6/69)Ulster 52 (Graham 8/22) and 97 (Niblock 6/20, Graham 3/35)North Down won by an innings and 76 runs.1899HolywoodUlsterCliftonvilleHolywood 189 (Harrington 46, Imrie 5/64) and 79-9Ulster 60 (Erskine 5/30 inc hat-trick, Thomas 4/22) and 207 (Cleland 72no, Reynolds 49)Holywood won by 1 wicket.

1900s

SeasonWinnersRunners-upVenueMatch Scores1900North of IrelandNorth DownOrmeauNorth 206 (Thompson 110) and 3-0North Down 94 (Reid 5/5, Ferris 4/29) and 114 (Reid 5/32)North won by 10 wickets.1901North of IrelandFinal not played.1902North of IrelandHolywoodCliftonvilleHolywood 60 (Reid 5/13) and 257 (Holloway 65, S C B Erskine 64)North 226 (Davidson 70, Thompson 50, Smith hat-trick) and 94-2 (Taylor 38no)North won by 8 wickets.1903North of IrelandUlsterCliftonvilleNorth 198 (Andrews 94, Milliken 4/67)Ulster 62 (Andrews 5/22, Reid 4/28) and 77 (Andrews 4/26)North won by an innings and 59 runs.1904North of IrelandNorth DownOrmeauNorth 195 (Andrews 43) and 131 (Niblock 5/13)North Down 104 (Andrews 5/32) and 45 (Gardiner 6/21)North won by 177 runs.1905HolywoodNorth DownUlster Cricket GroundNorth Down 66 (Anderson 5/25) and 120 (D R Taylor 72no, Anderson 5/59)Holywood 152 and 35-5Holywood won by 5 wickets.1906North of IrelandNorth DownUlster Cricket GroundNorth Down 115 (Andrews 7/34) and 105 (Wood 5/24)North 107 (Bruce 5/50, Niblock 5/36) and 117-7 (Bruce 4/48)North won by 3 wickets.1907North of IrelandHolywoodOrmeauHolywood 91 (Bruce 7/30) and 102 (Bruce 5/50, Andrews 4/47)North 177 (Anderson 4/71) and 17-1North won by 9 wickets.1908North DownCliftonvilleOrmeauNorth Down 250 (McDonald 45, Coulter 45no, Moore 4/58) and 35-2Cliftonville 76 (Graham 5/32, Crawford 5/43) and 204 (Wood 58, Graham 4/82)North Down won by 8 wickets.1909UlsterNorth DownOrmeauUlster 457 (Diamond 96, Jackson 92, Reynolds 80, Patrick 75, Glover 4/82)North Down 149 (Davidson 36, Coulter 43, Patrick 4/44, Milliken 4/50) and 219 (Andrews 97, Milliken 7/69)Ulster won by an innings and 89 runs.

1910s

SeasonWinnersRunners-upVenueMatch Scores1910North of IrelandQueen's UniversityOrmeauNorth 224 (Moore 106, Birtill 70, Forsyth 5/51, Haydock 4/72)Queen's 60 (Birtill 6/24) and 133 (Andrews 5/53)North won by an innings and 31 runs.1911UlsterCliftonvilleOrmeauUlster 171 (Martin 4/37, Moore 4/48) and 170 (Stevenson 59no, Moore 6/77)Cliftonville 209 (Tyndall 47, Milliken 7/73) and 50 (Milliken 6/23)Ulster won by 82 runs.1912North of IrelandUlsterOrmeauUlster 67 (Andrews 5/17, Pollock 5/50) and 110 (S.H. Jackson 52no, Andrews 9/44)North 141 (Andrews 57, S. Jackson 4/59) and 41-3North won by 7 wickets.1913North DownWaringstownOrmeauNorth Down 423 (W. Andrews 111, Anderson 80, Jas. Andrews 411)Waringstown 156 (Anderson 49, Coulter 4/37) and 170 (Scott 47, Taylor 4/46)North Down won by an innings and 97 runs.1914WaringstownNorth DownOrmeauWaringstown 155 (Coulter 5/35) and 127 (Coulter 7/34)North Down 107 (T. McKenzie 4/24) and 104 (T. McKenzie 8/42)Waringstown won by 71 runs.1915no competition1916no competition1917no competition1918no competition1919North DownNorth of IrelandUlster Cricket GroundNorth Down 175 (Pollock 4/44) and 202 (Andrews 48, Anderson 43)North 201 (McClinton 96no, Maxwell 5/59) and 107 (Maxwell 3/33)North Down won by 69 runs.

1920s

SeasonWinnersRunners-upVenueMatch Scores1920North DownCliftonvilleOrmeauCliftonville 60 (Lea 5/26, Maxwell 4/14) and 102 (Maxwell 5/44, Lea 5/48)North Down 108 (Haydock 5/31, Stevenson 4/28) and 60-0North Down won by 10 wickets.1921WaringstownNorth DownOrmeauNorth Down 135 (H. McKenzie 4/20, Williamson 4/52) and 74 (Williamson 6/33, T. McKenzie 4/32)Waringstown 159 (Williamson 42, Hill 5/35) and 54-8 (Hiatt 4/26)Waringstown won by 2 wickets.1922CliftonvilleWaringstownOrmeauCliftonville 155 (McCully 62, T. McKenzie 7/47) and 44 (T. McKenzie 6/29)Waringstown 100 (Walker 6/35) and 32 (Bowers 5/13)Cliftonville won by 67 runs.1923DownpatrickHolywoodOrmeauHolywood 76 (Fleming 7/39) and 134 (Anderson 56, Fleming 5/55)Downpatrick 201 (Harman 54no, Morrison 50, Barklie 4/61 inc hat-trick) and 13-0 (Sproule 5/54)Downpatrick won by 10 wickets. 1924North DownWaringstown OrmeauWaringstown 78 (Shields 4/8, Johnston 4/33) and 130 (Scott 37, Johnston 3/11)North Down 70 (Williamson 6/33) and 139-9 (Anderson 42, Williamson 3/53)North Down won by 1 wicket.1925North of IrelandCliftonvilleOrmeauCliftonville 78 (Pollock 5/60) and 178 (McDonald 59, Pollock 5/37)North 151 (Walton 49) and 106-0 (Walton 53no, Pollock 42no)North won by 10 wickets.1926North DownNorth of IrelandOrmeau North Down 337 (Jas McDonald 80, Taylor 55no) and 240 (Jas McDonald 57, Shields 51no)North 157 (Shields 5/51) and 150 (Sproule 35, Jas McDonald 5/41)North Down won by 270 runs.1927North DownHolywoodOrmeau Holywood 99 (Jas McDonald 4/27) and 59 (Jas McDonald 8/18)North Down 169 (Anderson 4/48, Parsons 4/33)North Down won by an innings and 11 runs.1928North DownNorth of IrelandUlster Cricket GroundNorth 177 (Shields 6/30) and 101 (Macdonald 4/40)North Down 221 (T. J. McDonald 60, Vint 5/52, Douglas 4/23) and 59-3North Down won by 7 wickets.1929LisburnNorth DownOrmeau North Down 52 (T. Martin 5/15) and 141 (T. Martin 4/37)Lisburn 165 (Keery 50, Hunter 48, Shields 4/58) and 29-5 (Shields 3/14)Lisburn won by 5 wickets.

1930s

SeasonWinnersRunners-upVenueMatch Scores1930UlsterNorth DownOrmeauUlster 169 (McCleery 71) and 130 (Shields 4/50)North Down 93 (McCleery 5/29) and 101 (Jas Macdonald 40)Ulster won by 105 runs.1931North DownUlsterOrmeauNorth Down 119 (Graham 40) and 256 (T. F. Macdonald 108, McCleery 4/86)Ulster 74 (Jas Macdonald 8/26) and 155 (H. Jackson 70, Jas Macdonald 5/53)North Down won by 146 runs.1932North DownArmaghOrmeauArmagh 121 (Barnes 40, T. J. Macdonald 4/12) and 118 (Livingstone 63, Morgan 5/50, Jas Macdonald 4/39)North Down 137 (Barnes 7/49) and 107-5 (T. J. Macdonald 39no)North Down won by 5 wickets.1933WoodvaleLurganOrmeauLurgan 193 (Leathem 57no) and 118Woodvale 452 (Matier 118, Carroll 101)Woodvale won by an innings and 141 runs.1934North DownWoodvaleOrmeauNorth Down 238 (T. J. Macdonald 66, McCleery 6/66) and 147 (Billingsley 6/48)Woodvale 157 (Jas Macdonald 5/48) and 97 (Shields 6/13)North Down won by 131 runs.1935North DownCliftonvilleOrmeauNorth Down 303 (Jas Macdonald 159no)Cliftonville 114 (Jas Macdonald 3/32) and 183 (Jas Macdonald 5/61, Shields 4/32)North Down won by an innings and 6 runs.1936North DownWoodvaleCliftonvilleWoodvale 82 (Clarke 6/33) and 77 (Clarke 7/36)North Down 112 (T. J. Macdonald 35) and 49-6 (Armstrong 4/17)North Down won by 4 wickets.1937WoodvaleNorth DownCliftonvilleNorth Down 331 (McKibbin 80, J. Shields 67, W. Shields 57, T. J. Macdonald 49, Billingsley 5/83) and 129 (Armstrong 4/21)Woodvale 226 (McCutcheon 56, Posnett 52, Mills 4/54, Clarke 4/69) and 237-9 (Wilson 58no, McCleery 50, Jas Macdonald 5/60)Woodvale won by 1 wicket.1938North of IrelandDonacloneyCliftonville Donacloney 67 (R. N. Morgan 5/35, Boyd 4/8 inc. hat-trick) and 105 (R. N. Morgan 5/49, F. Jackson 4/10)North 189 (McCullough 5/68, Craig 4/73)North won by an innings and 17 runs.1939WoodvaleNorth DownOrmeauNorth Down 68 (Armstrong 7/17) and 81 (Armstrong 5/35)Woodvale 153 (Wilson 62, Jas Macdonald 6/43)Woodvale won by an innings and 4 runs.

1940s