1976 All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship

1976 All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship
All Ireland Champions
WinnersLouth (1st win)
CaptainPeadar Fahy
All Ireland Runners-up
Runners-upMayo
Provincial Champions
MunsterNot Played
LeinsterNot Played
UlsterNot Played
ConnachtLeitrim
← 1975
1977 →

The 1976 All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship was the 55th staging of the All-Ireland Junior Championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1912. Derry began the competition as defending champions, having defeated Louth in the 1975 final.[1] Louth defeated Mayo in the 1976 final to claim the county's first All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship title.

Format

Connacht was the only province to stage a junior hurling championship in 1976, which was won by Leitrim.[2] This was a standalone competition which had no bearing on the All-Ireland series. Instead, the winners of the respective 'A' and 'B' sections of the 1976 National Hurling League Division 3 would go forward to contest the All-Ireland final.[3]

Louth secured a place in the final by beating Derry in the Division 3B play-off.[4] Mayo topped Division 3A to automatically qualify for the decider.[5]

All-Ireland final

Louth led by eleven points at half-time (4-06 to 1-04) and stretched their lead to fourteen early in the second period. Despite a Mayo resurgence, they held on to win by a five-point margin.[3]

Match details

18 July 1976[3][6][7][8] Louth 6-08 - 4-09 Mayo Páirc Chiaráin, Athlone
Lowry (3-2), Murphy (1-1), McEneaney, Rice (1-0 each), Mulkearns (0-3), Toal, Byrne (0-1 each) Higgins (2-0), J. Henry, T. Henry (1-2 each), O'Keeffe (0-3), V. Henry, Murphy (0-1 each) Referee: Gerry Kirwan (Offaly)
GK 1 Pat Hartnett (Naomh Moninne)
RCB 2 Jim McGuinness (Naomh Moninne)
FB 3 Joe Delaney (Naomh Moninne)
LCB 4 Seán Walsh (Naomh Colmcille)
RHB 5 Damien Callan (Naomh Moninne)
CHB 6 Peadar Fahy (Naomh Colmcille) (c)
LHB 7 Liam McKillion (Naomh Moninne)
MF 8 Aidan Byrne (Naomh Moninne)
MF 9 Leslie Toal (Naomh Moninne)
RHF 10 Seán McEneaney (Naomh Moninne)
CHF 11 Tom Rice (Naomh Colmcille)
LHF 12 Patsy Murphy (Naomh Moninne)
RCF 13 Tony Melia (Naomh Colmcille)
FF 14 Tadhg Lowry (Wolfe Tones)
LCF 15 Seán Mulkearns (Wolfe Tones)
Substitutes:
16 Mick McGarry (Naomh Moninne) for Byrne
17 Dan Hegarty (Naomh Moninne) for McKillion
GK 1 M. Nolan
RCB 2 M. Robinson
FB 3 M. Keane
LCB 4 E. Freeman
RHB 5 M. Walsh
CHB 6 D. Delaney
LHB 7 M. O'Molloy
MF 8 T. Henry
MF 9 M. Murphy
RHF 10 J. Henry
CHF 11 S. O'Keeffe
LHF 12 V. Henry
RCF 13 M. Connolly
FF 14 M. Higgins
LCF 15 M. Kenny
Substitutes:
16 P. Clarke for Walsh
17 J. Clarke for Delaney

References

  1. ^ "GAA - Striking up the perfect tune". Derry News. 16 March 2017.
  2. ^ "Leitrim Hammer Sligo in Hurling Final". Leitrim Observer. 25 September 1976.
  3. ^ a b c "History made by County Louth hurlers". Drogheda Independent. 23 July 1976.
  4. ^ "Louth hurlers best in play-off". Irish Independent. 21 June 1976.
  5. ^ "Mayo Sport Round-Up". Western People. 17 July 1976.
  6. ^ "Louth In Early Control". Irish Press. 19 July 1976.
  7. ^ "Mayo hurlers rally in vain". Connaught Telegraph. 21 July 1976.
  8. ^ "Louth Snatch Hurling Title". Irish Independent. 19 July 1976.