2018 All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship

All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship 2018
Championship Details
Dates7 May 2018 – 26 August 2018
Teams14
All Ireland Champions
WinnersTipperary (10th win)
CaptainColin English
ManagerLiam Cahill
All Ireland Runners-up
Runners-upCork
CaptainShane Kingston
ManagerDenis Ring
Provincial Champions
MunsterCork
LeinsterGalway
UlsterNot Played
ConnachtNot Played
Championship Statistics
Top ScorerEvan Niland (2-28)
← 2017

The 2018 All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship was the 55th and last staging of the All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1964. The championship began on 7 May 2018 and ended on 26 August 2018.

Limerick were the defending champions, however, they were defeated by Tipperary in the Munster semi-final.[1]

On 26 August 2018, Tipperary won the championship following a 3-13 to 1-16 defeat of Cork in the All-Ireland final.[2] This was their 10th All-Ireland title overall and their first in eight championship seasons. They were the first team ever to win the All-Ireland title after being defeated in the Munster Championship.

Format change

Central Council motions to alter the format of the championship were endorsed by the Gaelic Athletic Association's Special Congress on 30 September 2017. The proposal to allow Galway and Ulster teams as agreed by the Leinster and Ulster Councils into the Leinster Championship was backed by 72% of delegates. The original recommendation would have ended All-Ireland semi-finals as the Munster winners were set to face off against the Leinster winners from 2018 onwards. Cork argued that the All-Ireland semi-finals should be retained with the Munster champions taking on the runners-up in Leinster and vice versa. Their idea was endorsed by 78% of delegates.[3]

This was the final year of the under-21 championship as the GAA Congress voted on 24 February 2018 to change to an under-20 championship in 2019.

Team summaries

Team Colours Most recent success
All-Ireland Provincial
Carlow Green, red and yellow
Clare Saffron and blue 2014 2014
Cork Red and white 1998 2007
Dublin Blue and navy 2016
Galway Maroon and white 2011
Kilkenny Black and amber 2008 2017
Laois Blue and white 1983
Limerick Green and white 2017 2017
Offaly Green, white and gold 2000
Tipperary Blue and gold 2010 2010
Waterford White and blue 2016 2016
Westmeath Maroon and white
Wexford Purple and gold 1965 2015

Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship

Playoff Round 1

26 May 2018 Playoff Round 1 Antrim 1-19 - 3-22
(aet)		 Carlow National Sports Campus, Abbotstown
J McNaughton 0-10 (5f, 2 ’65’), C Cunning 1-3 (0-1f), G Walsh, E O’Neill 0-2 each, K Molloy, E McQuillan 0-1 each. Report C Nolan 1-11 (9f), C Whelan 1-5 (4f), P Hynes 1-2, J Wall, K McDonald, J Nolan, A Amond 0-1 each. Referee: S Stack (Dublin)
26 May 2018 Playoff Round 1 Laois 1-10 - 4-16 Dublin O'Moore Park, Portlaoise
C Comerford 0-7 (0-5f), J Cranny 1-0, S Downey, M Kavanagh & B Corby 0-1 each. Report S Currie 3-2, C Currie (0-2f, 0-1 ’65) & C Dowling (0-1f) 0-4 each, F Flanagan 1-0 OG, J McGuirk, L Gannon, F Whitely, C Costello, C Ryan & C Burke 0-1 each.

Playoff Round 2

6 June 2018 Playoff Round 2 Carlow 0-12 - 4-18 Dublin Netwatch Cullen Park, Carlow
C Nolan 0-11 (7f), C Whelan 0-1 (f). Report E Dunne 1-3, P Crummey 1-2, C Costello 1-1, C Currie 0-4 (3f), C O'Sullivan 1-0, E Conroy 0-2, C Burke 0-1, J McGuirk 0-1, D Keogh 0-1, C Dowling 0-1, R Hayes 0-1, S McCaw 0-1. Referee: B Redmond (Wexford)

Quarter-finals

13 June 2018 Quarter-final Offaly 0-08 - 1-20 Galway O'Connor Park, Tullamore
B Duignan 0-5 (0-4f, 0-1 ’65), W Mooney, C O’Brien, E Woods 0-1 each. Report E Niland 0-9 (0-8f), S Loftus 1-2, C Fahy 0-4 (0-1f), S Blehane 0-3, B Concannon, J Canning 0-1 each Referee: D Hughes (Carlow)
13 June 2018 Quarter-final Westmeath 1-13 - 2-13 Dublin Cusack Park, Mullingar
KDoyle 1-7 (7f), C Doyle 0-6 (1f) Report D Burke 2-3 (1f), C Dowling 0-4, R Hayes (2f, 1 “65”) and F Whitely 0-2 each, C Currie and E Conroy 0-1 each. Referee: J Heffernan (Wexford)

Semi-finals

20 June 2018 Semi-final Dublin 3-12 - 3-15 Wexford Parnell Park, Dublin
C Currie 2-7, D Burke 0-3, C O'Sullivan 0-1 E Conroy 0-1 Report S Casey 0-10, J O'Connor 1-2, S O'Gorman 0-1, A Maddock 0-1, M Dywer 2-0 Referee: D Hughes
20 June 2018 Semi-final Kilkenny 1-17 - 3-13 Galway O'Connor Park, Tullamore
J Bergin (0-7, 0-5f, 0-1 '65'), J Donnelly (1-2), R Leahy (0-3), A Mullen (0-2), C Hennessy (0-2), C Prendiville (0-1). Report E Niland (1-6, 0-3f), C Fahy (1-2), S Bleahene (1-0), K Cooney (0-4), B Concannon (0-1). Referee: A Devine (Westmeath)

Final

4 July 2018 Final Galway 4-21 - 2-26
(aet)		 Wexford O'Moore Park, Portlaoise
E Niland 1-7 (7f), T Monaghan 1-2, K Cooney 1-2, C Fahy 0-5 (1'65, 1f), S Bleahene 1-0, B Concannon 0-2, S Loftus 0-1, F Burke 0-1, C Caulfield 0-1. Wexford: Report S Casey 1-11 (9f), R O'Connor 0-7 (2f), I Carthy 1-0, S O'Gorman 0-2, J O'Connor 0-2, R White 0-2, G Molloy 0-1, R Higgins 0-1. Referee: J O'Brien (Laois)

Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship

Quarter-final

7 May 2018 Quarter-final Clare 0-13 - 3-18 Limerick Cusack Park, Ennis
17:45 A McCarthy (0-6, 0-6 frees); G Cooney, P O’Loughlin (0-2 each); S O’Loughlin, S Conway, M Corry (0-1 each). Report B Ryan (0-6); B Murphy (0-5, 0-4 frees); C Boylan, S Flanagan (1-2 each); M O’Dwyer (1-1); P O’Loughlin, D O’Connell (0-1 each). Attendance: 3,135
Referee: P Kelly (Tipperary)

Semi-finals

20 June 2018 Semi-final Cork 0-23 - 1-17 Waterford Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork
D Dalton 0-8 (frees), D Fitzgibbon 0-3, S Kingston, R O’Flynn, J O’Connor, D Connery, L Healy 0-2 each, M Coleman, C Cahalane 0-1 each. Report JP Lucey 1-2, J Prendergast 0-4 (frees), B Nolan 0-3 (frees), A Casey 0-2, P Hogan, D Lyons, N Montgomery, I Daly, C Prunty, C Lyons 0-1 each. Attendance: 3,260
Referee: J McCormack (Tipperary)
21 June 2018 Semi-final Tipperary 1-22 - 1-13 Limerick Semple Stadium, Thurles
Mark Kehoe 0-5, Lyndon Fairbrother 0-3 (0-3f), Brian McGrath 0-3 (0-3f), David Gleeson 1-0, Jake Morris 0-3, Colin English 0-3, Ger Browne 0-2, Jerome Cahill 0-1, Cian Darcy 0-1, Darragh Woods 0-1 Report Brian Murphy 0-4 (0-3f), Kevin Howard 1-0, Micheal Houlihan 0-2 (0-2f), Paddy O’Loughlin 0-2 (0-2f), Brian Ryan 0-1, Conor Boylan 0-1, Willie O’Meara 0-1, Oisin O’Reilly 0-1, Peter Casey 0-1 (0-1f) Attendance: 3,460
Referee: R McGann (Clare)

Final

4 July 2018 Final Cork 2-23 - 1-13 Tipperary Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork
D Dalton (0-7, 0-3 frees, 0-1 sc); J O’Connor (1-2); S Kingston (0-4); R O’Flynn (1-1); M Coleman (0-3, 0-1 free, 0-1 sc); L Healy (0-2); T O’Mahony, E Murphy, C Cahalane, A Myers (0-1 each). Report L Fairbrother (0-5, 0-4 frees, 0-1 ‘65); J Cahill (1-1); G Browne (0-4); D Woods (0-2); J Morris (0-1). Attendance: 6,732
Referee: J Murphy (Limerick)

All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship

All-Ireland Semi-Finals

4 August 2018 Semi-final Cork 3-26 - 0-13 Wexford Nowlan Park, Kilkenny
T O'Mahony 2-02, D Dalton 0-08 (6f), L Healy 1-01, J O'Connor 0-04, S Kingston 0-04, C Cahalane 0-04, A Myers 0-02 (2f), C O'Leary 0-01. Report S Casey 0-06 (3f, 1 sideline), R White 0-02, A Maddock 0-02, D Reck 0-02, C Hearne 0-01. Referee: A Kelly (Galway)
8 August 2018 Semi-final Galway 1-17 - 3-17 Tipperary Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
E Niland 0-6 (0-6f), J Grealish 1-0, T Monaghan 0-3, B Concannon 0-2, S Loftus 0-2, S Bleahene 0-1, A Greaney 0-1, C Salmon 0-1, J Coyne 0-1. Report J Morris 1-9 (0-6f), G Browne 1-2, M Kehoe 1-1, C Darcy 0-2, R Byrne 0-1, C English 0-1, D Quirke 0-1. Referee: S Cleere (Kilkenny)

All-Ireland final

26 August 2018 Final Cork 1-16 - 3-13 Tipperary Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
17:40 C Cahalane 1-3, D Dalton 0-5 (5fs), R O’Flynn 0-3, T O’Mahony, S Kingston, B Turnbull, D Fitzgibbon, J O’Connor 0-1 each. Report J Morris 1-4 (3fs), S Nolan and C Stakelum 1-0 each, J Cahill 0-3, C Darcy 0-2, C English, G Browne, D Gleeson, and P Feehan 0-1 each. Attendance: 16,173
Referee: J Keenan (Wicklow)

Championship statistics

Top scorers

Top scorers overall
Rank Player Club Tally Total Matches Average
1 Evan Niland Galway 2-28 34 4 8.50
2 Séamus Casey Wexford 1-27 30 3 10.00
3 Declan Dalton Cork 0-28 28 4 7.00
4 Chris Nolan Carlow 1-22 25 2 12.50
5 Jake Morris Tipperary 2-17 23 4 5.75
6 Colin Currie Dublin 2-16 22 4 5.50
7 Cianan Fahy Galway 1-11 14 4 3.50
8 Donal Burke Dublin 2-06 12 2 6.00
Conor Cahalane Cork 1-09 12 4 3.00
Jack O'Connor Cork 1-09 12 4 3.00
Ger Browne Tipperary 1-09 12 4 3.00
Top scorers in a single game
Rank Player Club Tally Total Opposition
1 Chris Nolan Carlow 1-11 14 Antrim
Séamus Casey Wexford 1-11 14 Galway
3 Colin Currie Dublin 2-07 13 Wexford
4 Seán Currie Dublin 3-02 11 Laois
Chris Nolan Carlow 0-11 11 Dublin
6 Killian Doyle Westmeath 1-07 10 Dublin
Evan Niland Galway 1-07 10 Wexford
James McNaughton Antrim 0-10 10 Carlow
Séamus Casey Wexford 0-10 10 Dublin
10 Donal Burke Dublin 2-03 9 Westmeath
Evan Niland Galway 1-06 9 Kilkenny
Jake Morris Tipperary 1-06 9 Galway
Evan Niland Galway 0-09 9 Offaly

Miscellaneous

  • Cork won the Munster title for the first time since 2007.
  • Cork qualified for the All-Ireland final for the first time since 1998.
  • Tipperary became the first team to be beaten in the provincial championship and still qualify for the All-Ireland final.

Awards

2018 Bord Gáis Energy Team of the Year was announced on 17 October.[4]

  • 1 Ger Collins (Cork)
  • 2 Killian O’Dwyer (Tipperary)
  • 3 Brian McGrath (Tipperary)
  • 4 Niall O’Leary (Cork)
  • 5 Fintan Burke (Galway)
  • 6 Robert Byrne (Tipperary)
  • 7 Billy Hennessy (Cork)
  • 8 Mark Coleman (Cork)
  • 9 Ger Browne (Tipperary)
  • 10 Robbie O’Flynn (Cork)
  • 11 Rory O’Connor (Wexford)
  • 12 Cianan Fahy (Galway)
  • 13 Jake Morris (Tipperary)
  • 14 Tim O’Mahony (Cork)
  • 15 Seamus Casey (Wexford)

References

  1. ^ "Limerick too good for Kilkenny in Under-21 hurling final". RTÉ Sport. 9 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  2. ^ "Injury time drama as late Tipperary goal secures All-Ireland U21 victory over Cork". Irish Independent. 26 August 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  3. ^ Fogarty, John (30 September 2017). "Galway the winners as minor and U21 hurling championships changes backed by Special Congress". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
  4. ^ "Cork dominate U21 Hurling Team of the Year". RTE Sport. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2018.