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.
| Championship Details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 7 May 2018 – 26 August 2018 |
| Teams | 14 |
| All Ireland Champions | |
| Winners | Tipperary (10th win) |
| Captain | Colin English |
| Manager | Liam Cahill |
| All Ireland Runners-up | |
| Runners-up | Cork |
| Captain | Shane Kingston |
| Manager | Denis Ring |
| Provincial Champions | |
| Munster | Cork |
| Leinster | Galway |
| Ulster | Not Played |
| Connacht | Not Played |
| Championship Statistics | |
| Top Scorer | Evan Niland (2-28) |
← 2017 | |
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
editCentral 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
edit| 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 | |
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) |
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 Semi-Finals
edit| 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
edit| 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
editTop scorers
edit- 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
edit- 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
edit2018 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
edit- ^ "Limerick too good for Kilkenny in Under-21 hurling final". RTÉ Sport. 9 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
- ^ "Injury time drama as late Tipperary goal secures All-Ireland U21 victory over Cork". Irish Independent. 26 August 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Cork dominate U21 Hurling Team of the Year". RTE Sport. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2018.