British University Hurling Championship

The British University Hurling Championship is an annual Hurling competition held for universities in Great Britain. It is organised by the BUGAA[1] which is a branch of the Higher Education GAA committee which oversees Gaelic Games in Universities. Unlike its sister competition, the British University Gaelic Football Championship, this competition is not overseen by the British Universities Sports Association as yet. The best players each year are chosen for an all-star team to play the Scottish Universities Shinty Team. The trophies for British University Gaelic Games Championships memorialise students who were pioneers of Gaelic Games at British Universities. The Michael O'Leary Cup is awarded to the winner of the British University Hurling Championship. It was presented to BUGAA by The Friary, Dundee.[2] The Cup is named after a founder member of the hurling club at the University of Glasgow who died in 2001.[3]

Michael O'Leary Cup
Current season or competition:
2012/13 Michael O'Leary Cup
IrishCorn Michael O'Leary
CodeHurling (British University Championship)
Founded2001/02
RegionThird-Level Institutions (GAA)
Title holdersRobert Gordon University (th title)
First winnerUniversity of Abertay, Dundee
Most titlesEdinburgh Napier University (7 titles)
Official website[1]

History

The British University Hurling Championship took longer to get off the ground than its Gaelic Football counterpart, notwithstanding the long history of hurling v shinty tests between Irish and Scottish University teams. In 2001/02 efforts to organise a British Intervarsity Championship finally bore fruit, given an extra stimulus by the exhibition game played by Combined Universities selections of Ireland in 2000.[3][4] The inaugural British University Hurling Championship was held in Glasgow at Pearse Park in April 2002. The initial tournament involved 'regional' teams plus the University of Abertay as the single university team, the inaugural winner managed by a Kilkenny native, Fr Eugene O'Sullivan.[5] From academic year 2002–03 onwards the championship has been contested by single university teams.

The first single-university championship final was a local derby between the University of Dundee and the University of Abertay, Dundee, when the former took the title. The University of Dundee became the first British and Scottish University to compete in the Fergal Maher Cup Division 3 Hurling Championship.[6][4] The University of Dundee has won the British University Hurling Championship three times, the University of Abertay once, the University of Glamorgan once, and Edinburgh Napier University seven times. The championship has been hosted in Glasgow, Dundee, Manchester and Solihull, near Birmingham.

The dominance of Scottish universities in this championship reflects the strong diaspora of Irish students at Scottish Universities as well as the presence of shinty clubs on campus which has helped in no small way to promote and develop the kindred Irish sport.[3][4]

Roll of Honour

Colleges by Wins
Team County Wins Last win
Edinburgh Napier University Midlothian 7 2012/13
University of Dundee Angus 3 2005/06
University of Abertay, Dundee Angus 1 2001/02
University of Glamorgan
(now University of South Wales)		 Glamorgan 1 2004/05

Michael O'Leary Cup Champions
  • 2001/02 University of Abertay, Dundee
  • 2002/03 University of Dundee
  • 2003/04 University of Dundee
  • 2004/05 University of Glamorgan
    (now University of South Wales)
  • 2005/06 University of Dundee
  • 2006/07 Edinburgh Napier University
  • 2007/08 Edinburgh Napier University
  • 2008/09 Edinburgh Napier University
  • 2009/10 Edinburgh Napier University
  • 2010/11 Edinburgh Napier University
  • 2011/12 Edinburgh Napier University
  • 2012/13 Edinburgh Napier University
  • 2013/14 Edinburgh Napier University
  • 2014/15 Liverpool John Moores University
  • 2015/16 Robert Gordon University

Captains of Winning Teams
Year Captain College County
2001/02 Richie McRedmond University of Abertay, Dundee Offaly
2002/03 University of Dundee
2003/04 University of Dundee
2004/05 University of Glamorgan
(now University of South Wales)
2005/06 University of Dundee
2006/07 Edinburgh Napier University
2007/08 Conor Delaney[7] Edinburgh Napier University Kilkenny
2008/09 Edinburgh Napier University
2009/10 Shane Bennett[8] Edinburgh Napier University Waterford
2010/11 Edinburgh Napier University
2011/12 Timmy O'Connell[9] Edinburgh Napier University Tipperary
2012/13 Edinburgh Napier University
2015/16 Gary Murphy Robert Gordon University Cork

Man of the Match/Player of the Tournament Awardees
Year MOTM Top Scorer College County Points scored
2001/02 University of Abertay, Dundee
Richie McRedmond University of Abertay, Dundee Offaly
2002/03 University of Dundee
Michael Coughlan[6] University of Dundee Galway 2–4
2004 University of Dundee
University of Dundee
2004/05 University of Glamorgan
(now University of South Wales)
University of Glamorgan
(now University of South Wales)
2005/06 University of Dundee
University of Dundee
2006/07 Edinburgh Napier University
Edinburgh Napier University 2–3
2007/08 Edinburgh Napier University
Edinburgh Napier University
2008/09 Edinburgh Napier University
Edinburgh Napier University
2009/10 Edinburgh Napier University
Edinburgh Napier University
2010/11 Edinburgh Napier University
Edinburgh Napier University
2011/12 Eamon Duane[9] Edinburgh Napier University Galway
Edinburgh Napier University
2012/13 Edinburgh Napier University
Edinburgh Napier University
2015/16 Tommy Walsh ROBERT GORDON UNIVERSITY Kilkenny

Match Details
Year Winner Score Runner-up Score Venue Date
2001–02[5] University of Abertay, Dundee Scottish Select[10] Pearse Park, Glasgow 20 April 2002
2002–03[6] University of Dundee University of Abertay, Dundee Dawson Park, Dundee 8 March 2003?
2003–04 University of Dundee won
2004–05 University of Glamorgan won
2005–06 University of Dundee 3–07 Robert Gordon University 1–00 Hough End, Manchester 26 November 2006
2006–07 Edinburgh Napier University 1–04 Robert Gordon University 0–01 Hough End, Manchester November 2006
2007–08 Edinburgh Napier University 0–14 Liverpool John Moores University 1–01 Páirc na hÉireann, Bickenhill, Solihull 10 November 2007
2008–09[11] Edinburgh Napier University 1–07 Liverpool John Moores University 0–03 Páirc na hÉireann, Bickenhill, Solihull 9 November 2008
2009–10 Edinburgh Napier University Páirc na hÉireann, Bickenhill, Solihull 15 November 2009
2010–11 Edinburgh Napier University
2011–12[9] Edinburgh Napier University 4–20 Robert Gordon University 0–07 Páirc na hÉireann, Bickenhill, Solihull 5 November 2011
2012–13[12] Edinburgh Napier University Páirc na hÉireann, Bickenhill, Solihull 6 November 2012
2015–16 Robert Gordon University 2–08 Liverpool John Moores University 0–13 Glasgow 13 February 2016

References
  1. "Universities - Britain GAA". Archived from the original on 2 March 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  2. "Dundee". Archived from the original on 4 September 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  3. Dónal McAnallen (2012). The Cups That Cheered – A History of the Sigerson, Fitzgibbon and Higher Education Gaelic Games, The Collins Press, Cork, pp. 495—509
  4. Paul Derby & David Hassan (2013). Emigrant Players: Sport and the Irish Diaspora, Routledge, pp. 232
  5. Donegal Times, 8 May 2002, http://www.donegaltimes.com/2002/05_1/sport.html
  6. "University of Dundee, Press Release".
  7. http://www.bebo.com/BlogView.jsp?MemberId=2358868879&BlogId=6183757664%5B%5D; http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=2755658516%5B%5D
  8. "Shane Bennett's speech after winning the Fergal Maher Cup 2010". YouTube.
  9. "British Universities GAA Hurling Championships Report - Higher Education".
  10. Team comprised Irish students hailing from Donegal, Cork, Galway, Kilkenny and Limerick
  11. http://www.bebo.com/BlogView.jsp?MemberId=409023136&BlogId=8137892921%5B%5D
  12. Semi-final: Edinburgh Napier University v Liverpool John Moore's University
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