The Connacht GAA Post-Primary Schools Senior A Hurling Championship is an annual inter-schools hurling competition organised by the Connacht Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association. It is the highest inter-schools hurling competition in the province of Connacht, and has been contested every year, except on two occasions, since 1938.
The final, usually held in February, serves as the culmination of a round robin and knockout series of games played between October and January. Eligible players must be under the age of 19.
The Connacht Colleges Championship is an integral part of the wider All-Ireland Colleges Championship. The winners and runners-up of the Connacht final, like their counterparts in the Munster and Leinster Championships, advance to the All-Ireland quarter-finals or semi-finals.
The title has been won at least once by 14 different schools, 8 of which have won the title more than once. The all-time record-holders are St Mary's College, who have won the competition 25 times.
While hurling championships for schools in Leinster and Munster had been organised since 1918, it would be another 20 years before a similar competition was established in Connacht.[2] Participation was limited to voluntary secondary schools. Roscommon CBS were the winners of the inaugural championship and claimed a second consecutive title in 1939.[3] They remain the only County Roscommon school to have won the title, as County Galway schools have claimed every available title since then.
St Mary's College dominated the early years of the championship, winning 20 of their titles between 1940 and 1967. Presentation College, Athenry and Our Ladys College, Gort shared nine titles during the 1970s, before st Joseph's College, Garbally emerged as a new force in the 1980s. St Raphael's College, Loughrea won five titles throughout the nineties, while they also became the first Connacht team to win the Dr Croke Cup.[4] Gort Community School dominated the championship at the turn of the century, winning all ten of their titles in a 12-year period between 1999 and 2010. Mercy Colleges, a team made up of players from St Raphael's, Loughrea and Mercy College, Woodford, became the first amalgamation to win the title in 2013.[5] Since then, Presentation College, Athenry have emerged to become the dominant force.[6]
Current format
Participating teams
The following five teams participated in the 2023 championship:
The championship begins with a group stage of five teams. Each team meets the others in the group once in a round-robin format. The first-ranked team automatically qualifies for the final. The second and third-ranked teams play off in a lone semi-final.
Qualification for the All-Ireland Championship
As of 2014, the winners and runners up of the Connacht Championship qualify for the All-Ireland Colleges Championship. The runners-up qualify for the quarter-finals, while on some occasions the champions receive a bye to the semi-final stage (however, this is done in rotation with the Munster and Leinster champions).
Sponsorship
Mezzino Student Accommodation became the title sponsor of the championship for a five-year period in September 2020.[7]
Trophy and medals
The John Ryan Cup is the current prize for winning the championship. It is named in honour of John Ryan who won a colleges title with Presentation College, Athenry in 1976 before being part of the Galway team that won the All-Ireland SHC title in 1980.[8][9] The cup is held by the winning team until the following year's final. In accordance with GAA rules, the Connacht Council awards a set of gold medals to the championship winners.
