The 2017–18 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship was the 48th staging of the All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county club hurling tournament. The competition began on 8 October 2017 and ended on 24 March 2018.
The defending champion was Cuala of Dublin. Liam Mellows of Galway and Dicksboro of Kilkenny returned to the championship after long absences.
Cuala defeated Na Piarsaigh by 2–17 to 1–17 in the final replay on 24 March 2018 to win the competition. This was the club's second successive title.
Cuala's David Treacy was the competition's top scorer, finishing with 0–44.
Format
County Championships
Ireland's counties play their county championships between their senior hurling clubs. Each county decides the format for determining their county champions. The format can be knockout, double-elimination, league, etc or a combination.
Only single club teams are allowed to enter the All-Ireland Club championship. If a team which is an amalgamation of two or more clubs or a university team wins a county's championship, a club team will represent that county in the provincial championship as determined by that county's championship rules (normally it is the club team that exited the championship at the highest stage).
Provincial Championships
Leinster, Munster and Ulster organise a provincial championship for their participating county champions. Connacht discontinued their senior club championship after 2007. They do organise intermediate and junior championships and are represented in the All-Ireland senior club semi-finals by the Galway champions. Some counties enter their senior clubs in the All-Ireland intermediate club championship (tier 2) as it is recognised that club hurling is weak in those counties.
All matches are knock-out. Two ten minute periods of extra time are played each way if it's a draw at the end of normal time.
All-Ireland
The two semi-finals are usually played on a Saturday in early February. The All-Ireland Club SHC final is traditionally played at Croke Park on 17 March (St Patrick's Day).
All matches are knock-out. If it's a draw at the end of normal time in the semi-finals or final, two ten minute periods of extra time are played each way. If the score is still level at the end of extra time the match is replayed.
Initial Schedule
County championships April 2017 to November 2017 Provincial championships October 2017 to December 2017 All-Ireland semi-finals early February 2018 All-Ireland final 17 March 2018
Team summaries
TeamCountyCaptain(s)ManagerMost recent successAll-IrelandProvincialCounty Ballygalget DownBen TonerPaddy Monan20052016 Ballygunner WaterfordShane WalshFergal Hartley20012016 Blackrock CorkStephen MurphyFergal Ryan19792002 Camross LaoisZane KeenanJoe PhelanArien Delaney19962016 Castletown Geoghegan WestmeathLiam VarleyÉamonn Gallagher20122016 Cuala DublinPaul SchutteMattie Kenny201720162016 Dicksboro KilkennyOllie WalshMark Dowling1993 Dunloy AntrimJames McKeagueGregory O'Kane20092009 Kilcormac/Killoughey OffalyPeter HealionStephen Byrne20122013 Liam Mellows GalwayDavid CollinsAonghus CallananLouis Mulqueen19701970 Lisbellaw Fermanagh2016 Mount Leinster Rangers CarlowEdward CoadyBrendan Fennelly20132013 Na Piarsaigh LimerickCathal KingShane O'Neill201620152015 Sixmilebridge ClarePáidí FitzpatrickJohn O'Meara199620002015 Slaughtneil DerryChrissy McKaigueMichael McShane20162016 St. Martin's WexfordPatrick O'ConnorCiarán LyngTomás Codd2008 Thurles Sarsfields TipperaryPádraic MaherTommy Maher20122016
County Finals
Leinster County Finals
Carlow SHC
Dublin SHC
Kilkenny SHC
Laois SHC
Offaly SHC
Westmeath SHC
Wexford SHC
Munster County Finals
Clare SHC
Cork SHC
As Imokilly are an amalgamation team, Blackrock proceed to the Munster Club Championship
Limerick SHC
Tipperary SHC
Waterford SHC
Ulster County Finals
Antrim SHC
Derry SHC
Down SHC
Galway County Final
Galway SHC
Leinster
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Munster
Quarter-final
Semi-finals
Final
Ulster
Semi-finals
Final
Semi-finals
Final
Statistics Top scorers
Overall
Rank Player Club Tally Total Matches Average1David TreacyCuala0–535368.832Ronan LynchNa Piarsaigh0–323256.403Cormac O'DohertySlaughtneil2–2430310.004Pauric MahonyBallygunner1–242739.005Con O'CallaghanCuala3–152464.006Adrian BreenNa Piarsaigh1–172054.007Peter CaseyNa Piarsaigh2–111753.40Ciarán SlevinKilcormac–Killoughey0–171735.668Shane DowlingNa Piarsaigh1–111434.669Caolan BailieBallygalget2-061226.00Kevin DownesNa Piarsaigh1-091252.40
Single game Rank Player Club Tally Total Opposition1Ronan LynchNa Piarsaigh0–1515Blackrock2Pauric MahonyBallygunner1–1114Thurles SarsfieldsRonan LynchNa Piarsaigh0–1414Slaughtneil3Cormac O'DohertySlaughtneil1–1013Ballygalget4David TreacyCuala0–1212Na Piarsaigh5Niall O'BrienCastletown Geoghegan1-0811Kilcormac–KillougheyCormac O'DohertySlaughtneil0–1111DunloyPauric MahonyBallygunner0–1111SixmilebridgeJoe ColemanSt Martin's0–1111Cuala6David TreacyCuala0–1010Kilcormac–Killoughey
Awards
The Club Player Awards were initiated in 2018. Below is the first selection from hurling.
Team of the Year Seán Brennan Mike Casey Cian O'Callaghan Alan Dempsey Cathal King Seán MoranHOTY Philip Mahony Darragh O'Connell Ronan Lynch David Treacy Brendan Rogers Adrian Morrissey Adrian Breen Kevin Downes Con O'Callaghan
Hurler of the Year Seán Moran (Club) Also nominated: PLAYER NAME (Club) & PLAYER NAME (Club)
References