The Mid Cork Junior A Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the MJK Oils Junior A Hurling Championship) is an annual club hurling competition organised by the Mid Cork Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association and contested by the top-ranking junior clubs in the Muskerry region in County Cork, Ireland, deciding the competition winners through a group stage and knockout format. It is the most prestigious competition in Mid Cork hurling.
Introduced in 1925, it was initially a straight-knockout tournament. The competition went through a number of format changes since then, including the introduction of a back-door or second chance for beaten teams.
In its current format, the Mid Cork Junior A Championship begins with a group stage in late summer. The 10 participating teams are divided into two groups of five and play each other in a round-robin system. The two top-ranking teams in each group proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the final. The winner of the Mid Cork Junior Championship also qualifies for the subsequent Cork Junior A Hurling Championship.
The competition has been won by 10 different teams, nine of which have won it more than once. Cloughduv are the most successful team in the tournament's history, having won it 25 times. Ballinora are the title holders after defeating Grenagh by 0–22 to 1–11 in the 2025 final.
Format
Group stage The 9 teams are divided into three groups of three. Over the course of the group stage, each team plays once against the others in the group, resulting in each team being guaranteed at least two games. Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The teams are ranked in the group stage table by points gained, then scoring difference and then their head-to-head record. The top two teams in each group qualify for the knockout stage.
Knockout stage Quarter-finals: Two lone quarter-finals featuring the four lowest-placed qualifying teams from the group stage. Two teams qualify for the next round.
Semi-finals: The two quarter-final winners and the top two highest-placed qualifying teams from the group stage contest this round. The two winners from these games advance to the final.
Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions.
Teams
2026 Teams The 11 teams competing in the 2026 Mid Cork Junior A Hurling Championship are: Team Location Colours Position in 2025 In championship since Championship Titles Last Championship Title AghabullogueCoachford Green and whiteGroup stage2025161998 BallincolligBallincollig Green and whiteGroup stage?51990 BallinoraBallinora Green and redChampions?112025 BlarneyBlarney Red and whiteGroup stage?131993 DonoughmoreDonoughmore Black and whiteSemi-finals?0 — DripseyDripseyRed and blueGroup stage202312008 Éire ÓgOvens Red and whiteGroup stage?71977 GrenaghGrenagh Blue and goldRunners-up2022112013 InniscarraInniscarra Blue and whiteSemi-finals201992020 KilmichaelKilmichael Blue and goldGroup stage20120 — Uíbh LaoireInchigeelagh Red and white—20260—
Qualification for subsequent competitions
The Mid Cork Junior A Championship winners qualify for the subsequent Cork Junior A Hurling Championship.
Roll of honour
By club # Club Titles Runners-up Championship wins Championship runner-up 1 Cloughduv 2510 1933, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1964, 1967, 1970, 1994, 2002, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 20191929, 1944, 1949, 1953, 1961, 1963, 1965, 2004, 2012, 2016 2 Aghabullogue 167 1937, 1949, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 19981938, 1940, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1980, 2000 3 Blarney 1317 1931, 1934, 1936, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1969, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1985, 1992, 19931939, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1955, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1976, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2002, 2005, 2015 4 Grenagh 129 1958, 1966, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2012, 20131945, 1946, 1954, 1964, 1967, 2010, 2011, 2022, 2025 5 Ballinora 1110 1928, 1929, 1982, 1996, 1997, 2016, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 20251927, 1979, 1981, 1987, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2018, 20206 Inniscarra 914 1935, 1941, 1942, 1945, 1947, 1965, 1968, 1975, 20201937, 1956, 1957, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1992, 1996, 1997, 2009, 20217 Éire Óg 78 1930, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1971, 1972, 19771928, 1932, 1941, 1950, 1958, 1973, 1974, 2019 8 Ballincollig 58 1927, 1932, 1963, 1987, 19901942, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1986, 1994, 2003, 2024 9 Bride Valley 20 1925, 1926 — 10 Dripsey 12 20082007, 202311 Donoughmore07 —1933, 1935, 1943, 1952, 2001, 2008, 2013 Shournagh Valley02 —1934, 1936 Kilmichael02 —2014, 2017 Gleann na Laoi01 —1993
Notes 1925, 1926, 1930 and 1931 runners-up are unknown
List of finals
List of Mid Cork JAHC finals (1925–present) Year Winners Runners-up# Club Score Club Score2025Ballinora0-22Grenagh1-11 2024 Ballinora 1-08, 1-16 Ballincollig 2-05, 1-13 2023 Ballinora 0-15 Dripsey 1-09 2022 Ballinora 0-16 Grenagh 0-11 2021 Ballinora 0-17 Inniscarra 1-10 2020 Inniscarra 1-18 Ballinora 1-15 2019 Cloughduv 1-11 Éire Óg 0-11 2018 Cloughduv 2-23 Ballinora 0-09 2017 Cloughduv 1-22 Kilmichael 1-13 2016 Ballinora 1-15 Blarney 2-10 2015 Cloughduv 0-20 Blarney 0-09 2014 Cloughduv 1-16 Kilmichael 1-09 2013 Grenagh 2-18 Donoughmore 1-09 2012 Grenagh 1-15 Cloughduv 2-11 2011 Cloughduv 2-12 Grenagh 1-14 2010 Cloughduv 1-11 Grenagh 0-11 2009 Cloughduv 4-10 Inniscarra 0-13 2008 Dripsey 4-15 Donoughmore 2-10 2007 Grenagh 1-15, 2-14 (R) Dripsey 2-12, 2-07 (R) 2006 Cloughduv 2-14 Ballinora 1-09 2005 Grenagh 2-11 Blarney 1-07 2004 Grenagh 0-19 Cloughduv 3-09 2003 Grenagh 1-14 Ballincollig 2-09 2002 Cloughduv 2-13 Blarney 3-08 2001 Grenagh 3-15 Donoughmore 2-10 2000 Grenagh 2-12 Aghabullogue 1-06 1999 Grenagh Ballinora 1998 Aghabullogue Ballinora 1997 Ballinora Inniscarra 1996 Ballinora Inniscarra 1995 Grenagh Ballinora 1994 Cloughduv Ballincollig 1993 Blarney Gleann na Laoi 1992 Blarney Inniscarra 1991 Aghabullogue Ballincollig 1990 Ballincollig Blarney 1989 Aghabullogue Blarney 1988 Aghabullogue Blarney 1987 Ballincollig Ballinora 1986 Aghabullogue Ballincollig 1985 Blarney Inniscarra 1984 Aghabullogue Blarney 1983 Aghabullogue Inniscarra 1982 Ballinora Inniscarra 1981 Aghabullogue Ballinora 1980 Blarney Aghabullogue 1979 Blarney Ballinora 1978 Blarney Aghabullogue 1977 Éire Óg Aghabullogue 1976 Aghabullogue Blarney 1975 Inniscarra Aghabullogue 1974 Aghabullogue Éire Óg 1973 Aghabullogue Éire Óg 1972 Éire Óg Blarney 1971 Éire Óg Blarney 1970 Cloughduv Inniscarra 1969 Blarney Inniscarra 1968 Inniscarra Blarney 1967 Cloughduv Grenagh 1966 Grenagh Inniscarra 1965 Inniscarra Cloughduv 1964 Cloughduv Grenagh 1963 Ballincollig Cloughduv 1962 Éire Óg Ballincollig 1961 Éire Óg Cloughduv 1960 Éire Óg Ballincollig 1959 Cloughduv Ballincollig 1958 Grenagh Éire Óg 1957 Cloughduv Inniscarra 1956 Cloughduv Inniscarra 1955 Aghabullogue Blarney 1954 Aghabullogue Grenagh 1953 Cloughduv Inniscarra 1952 Aghabullogue Donoughmore 1951 Cloughduv Blarney 1950 Cloughduv Éire Óg 1949 Aghabullogue Cloughduv 1948 Cloughduv Blarney 1947 Inniscarra Blarney 1946 Blarney Grenagh 1945 Inniscarra Grenagh 1944 Blarney Cloughduv 1943 Blarney Donoughmore 1942 Inniscarra Ballincollig 1941 Inniscarra Valley Éire Óg 1940 Cloughduv Aghabullogue 1939 Cloughduv Blarney 1938 Cloughduv Aghabullogue 1937 Aghabullogue Inniscarra 1936 Blarney Shournagh Valley 1935 Inniscarra Donoughmore 1934 Blarney Shournagh Valley 1933 Cloughduv Donoughmore 1932 Ballincollig Éire Óg 1931 Blarney 1930 Éire Óg 1929 Ballinora Cloughduv 1928 Ballinora Éire Óg 1927 Ballincollig Ballinora 1926 Bridevalley 1925 Bridevalley
Records and statistics
Teams
By decade
The most successful team of each decade, judged by the number of Mid Cork Junior A Hurling Championship titles, is as follows:
1920s: 2 each for Bride Valley (1925–26) and Ballinora (1928–29) 1930s: 3 each for Blarney (1931-34-36) and Cloughduv (1933-38-39) 1940s: 4 for Inniscarra (1941-42-45-47) 1950s: 6 for Cloughduv (1950-51-53-56-57-59) 1960s: 3 for Éire Óg (1960-61-62) 1970s: 3 each for Éire Óg (1971-72-77) and Aghabullogue (1973-74-76) 1980s: 6 for Aghabullogue (1981-83-84-86-88-89) 1990s: 2 each for Aghabullogue (1991–98), Blarney (1992–93), Grenagh (1995–99) and Ballinora (1996–97) 2000s: 6 for Grenagh (2000-01-03-04-05-07) 2010s: 7 for Cloughduv (2010-11-14-15-17-18-19) 2020s: 5 for Ballinora (2021-22-23-24-25)
Gaps
Top ten longest gaps between successive championship titles:
53 years: Ballinora (1929-1982) 45 years: Inniscarra (1975-2020) 31 years: Ballincollig (1932-1963) 30 years: Éire Óg (1930-1960) 29 years: Grenagh (1966-1995) 24 years: Ballincollig (1963-1987) 24 years: Cloughduv (1970-1994) 23 years: Blarney (1946-1969) 19 years: Ballinora (1997-2016) 18 years: Aghabullogue (1955-1973)
See also Mid Cork Junior A Football Championship
External links Muskerry GAA website
References