East Cork Junior A Hurling Championship

The East Cork Junior A Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Michael O'Connor Motor Factors East Cork Junior Hurling Championship) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Imokilly Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1926 for junior hurling teams in East Cork.

East Cork Junior A Hurling Championship
CodeHurling
Founded1926 (1926)
Region Imokilly (GAA)
TrophyJamesy Kelleher Cup
No. of teams9
Title holders Carrignavar (3rd title)
Most titles Castlemartyr (11 titles)
SponsorsMichael O'Connor Motor Factors
Official websiteEast Cork GAA

The series of games begin in June, with the championship culminating with the final in September. The championship includes a knock-out stage and a "back door" for teams defeated in the first round.

The East Cork Junior Championship is an integral part of the wider Cork Junior A Hurling Championship. The winners and runners-up of the East Cork championship join their counterparts from the other six divisions to contest the county championship.

11 clubs currently participate in the East Cork Championship. The title has been won at least once by 20 different teams. The all-time record-holders are Castlemartyr who have won 11 titles.

Carrignavar are the title-holders, defeating St Ita's by 0-18 to 1-14 in the 2023 final.

Format

Group stage

The 9 clubs are divided into three groups of three. Over the course of the group stage, each team plays once against the others in the group, resulting in each team being guaranteed two group games. Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The teams are ranked in the group stage table by points gained, then scoring difference and then their head-to-head record. The top two teams in each group qualify for the knockout stage.

Knockout stage

Following the completion of the group stage, the top two teams from each group are ranked (1-6) in terms of points accumulated and scoring difference. The two top-ranking teams receive byes to separate semi-finals.

Quarter-finals: Teams designated 3-6 contest this round. The two winners from these two games advance to the semi-finals.

Semi-finals: The two quarter-final winners and teams designated 1-2 contest this round. The two winners from these two games advance to the final.

Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions.

Relegation

The three bottom-placed teams from the group stage take part in a series of play-offs, with the losing team being relegated to the East Cork Junior B Hurling Championship.

Qualification

At the end of the championship, the winning team qualify to the subsequent Cork Junior A Hurling Championship.

Teams

2023 Teams
Team Location Colours Championship Titles Last Championship Title
Bride Rovers Rathcormac Green, white and yellow 5 1998
Carrignavar Carrignavar Red and green 3 2023
Carrigtwohill Carrigtwohill Blue and gold 9 1994
Cobh Cobh Yellow and green 3 1985
Fr. O'Neill's Ballymacoda Red and green 5 2005
Killeagh Killeagh Green and white 5 1995
Midleton Midleton Black and white 9 1990
Sarsfields Glanmire Blue, white and black 4 2016
St. Ita's Gortroe White and green 1 2021

Roll of Honour
# Team Wins Runners-up Years won Years Runners-up
1 Castlemartyr 11 4 1935, 1946, 1950, 1951, 1954, 1963, 1964, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014 1962, 1967, 1975, 2011
2 Carrigtwohill 9 5 1941, 1947, 1948, 1956, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1978, 1994 1928, 1929, 1943, 1964, 1969
Cloyne 9 4 1938, 1939, 1944, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1976, 1986, 1987 1945, 1959, 1974, 1978
Midleton 9 4 1929, 1934, 1936, 1943, 1945, 1982, 1984, 1989, 1990 1942, 1983, 1988, 1999
5 Aghada 6 7 1931, 1933, 1940, 1980, 1991, 1992 1927, 1935, 1939, 1949, 1979, 1989, 1990
Erin's Own 6 5 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 2007, 2022 2001, 2002, 2005, 2012, 2021
7 Fr. O'Neill's 5 7 1996, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005 1961, 1963, 1987, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2004
Killeagh 5 6 1967, 1970, 1971, 1988, 1995 1951, 1957, 1986, 1993, 1994, 2008
Bride Rovers 5 5 1930, 1932, 1968, 1969, 1998 1931, 1938, 1972, 1973, 1997
10 Dungourney 4 8 1972, 2006, 2011, 2015 1941, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1998, 2003, 2010
Sarsfields 4 6 1937, 1953, 2004, 2016 1926, 1936, 1968, 2007, 2009, 2013
St. Catherine’s 4 6 1957, 1981, 1983, 2017 1955, 1956, 1960, 1977, 1980, 2016
13 Cobh 3 4 1926, 1959, 1985 1952, 1958, 2014, 2022
Watergrasshill 3 3 1974, 2000, 2003 1982, 1985, 1995
Carrignavar 3 3 2008, 2012, 2023 1966, 2019, 2020
Castlelyons 3 2 1955, 1993, 1997 1954, 1996
Ballinacurra 3 0 1927, 1928, 1942 -
18 Russell Rovers 2 2 2018, 2019 2006, 2017
19 Leeside 1 3 1949 1930, 1932, 1933
Youghal 1 3 1952 1953, 1965, 1984
St. Ita's 1 3 2021 2015, 2018, 2023
Lisgoold 1 0 2020 -
23 O’Briens 0 5 - 1944, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1950
Ballymacoda 0 2 - 1934, 1937
O'Neill-Crowleys 0 1 - 1940

List of finals
Year Winners Runners-up
Club Score Club Score
2023 Carrignavar 0-18 St. Ita's 1-14
2022 Erin's Own 4-12 Cobh 2-09
2021 St Ita's 1-14 Erin's Own 1-05 [1]
2020 Lisgoold 0-17 Carrignavar 0-11 [2]
2019 Russell Rovers 1-16 Carrignavar 0-16 [3]
2018 Russell Rovers St. Ita's
2017 St. Catherine’s Russell Rovers
2016 Sarsfields St. Catherine’s
2015 Dungourney St. Ita's
2014 Castlemartyr Cobh
2013 Castlemartyr Sarsfields
2012 Carrignavar Erin's Own
2011 Dungourney Castlemartyr
2010 Castlemartyr Dungourney

Records

Gaps

Top five longest gaps between successive championship titles:

Current Championship

Group stage

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L Diff Pts Qualification
1 Cobh 2 2 0 0 +6 4 Advance to Knockout Stage
2 Killeagh 2 1 0 1 +10 2
3 Fr. O'Neill's 2 0 0 2 -16 0 Relegated

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L Diff Pts Qualification
1 Carrignavar 2 2 0 0 +5 4 Advance to Knockout Stage
2 Carrigtwohill 2 1 0 1 +4 2
3 Midleton 2 0 0 2 -9 0 Advance to relegation playoff

Group C

Pos Team Pld W D L Diff Pts Qualification
1 St. Ita's 2 1 1 0 +4 3 Advance to Knockout Stage
2 Bride Rovers 2 1 0 1 0 2
3 Sarsfields 2 0 1 1 -4 1 Advance to relegation playoff

Knockout stage
Quarter-Finals Semi-Finals Final
Carrignavar 1-23
Killeagh 2-17 Killeagh 1-12
Bride Rovers 1-17 Carrignavar 0-18
St Ita's 1-14
Cobh 0-12
St Ita's 5-12 St Ita's 2-12
Carrigtwohill 2-09

Relegation playoff

Sarsfields 2-18 - 2-20 Midleton

Fr. O'Neill's and Sarsfields are relegated

See also

References
  1. Cashman, John (31 October 2021). "Junior hurling glory at last for St Ita's and Seamus Harnedy". Echo Live. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  2. Horgan, John (31 October 2021). "Lisgoold hurlers set sights on county glory after East Cork breakthrough". Echo Live. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  3. "2019 - J A Hurling Championship - Jamesy Kelleher Cup". East Cork GAA website. 31 October 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
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