2018 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship

The 2018 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship is the 2018 installment of the annual Leinster Senior Hurling Championship organised by Leinster GAA.[1]

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
Tournament details
Year2018
Date12 May–8 July
Teams5
Defending championsGalway
Winners
ChampionsGalway (3rd win)
ManagerMicheál Donoghue
CaptainDavid Burke
Qualify forLeinster SHC Final
All-Ireland SHC
Runners-up
Runners-upKilkenny
ManagerBrian Cody
CaptainCillian Buckley
Promotion/Relegation
Promoted team(s)Carlow
Relegated team(s)Offaly
Other
Matches played12

This was the first year of a new format.

Galway won a second consecutive title and third ever by defeating Kilkenny in the final.

Format

A new provincial hurling championship featuring five-team round-robin groups in both Leinster and Munster and the new Joe McDonagh Cup was introduced in 2018 for an initial three-year period. The proposal was carried by a narrow margin with 62% voting in favour (a majority of at least 60% was required) at the GAA's Special Congress on 30 September 2017. The top two teams in each provincial group would contest the provincial final, with the provincial winners advancing to the All-Ireland semi-finals and the losing provincial finalists advancing to the two quarter-finals.[2]

An amendment to the motion from Laois, Offaly and Meath was carried by 87%. The third-placed teams in Leinster and Munster would compete in All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals against the two Joe McDonagh Cup finalists, with the Joe McDonagh Cup teams having home advantage.

If a non-Munster team were to win the Joe McDonagh Cup, the bottom team in the Leinster championship would be relegated to the following year's Joe McDonagh Cup and would be replaced in the following year's Leinster championship by the Joe McDonagh Cup winners. If a Munster team were to win the Joe McDonagh Cup, they would play off against the team who finished bottom in the Munster championship for the right to play in the following year's Munster championship, thereby ensuring that only Munster teams compete in the Munster championship.[3]

The restructure of hurling involved the reduction of the Leinster championship from nine teams to five while the Munster championship continued with the previous five Munster teams (Kerry previously competed in the qualifier group of the Leinster championship). A six-team Joe McDonagh Cup was created, consisting of all four teams from the 2017 Leinster qualifier group plus Antrim and Carlow, the 2017 Christy Ring Cup finalists.

Teams

The Leinster championship was contested by four counties from the Irish province of Leinster, as well as one county from the Irish province of Connacht, where the sport is only capable of supporting one county team at this level.

Team Location Stadium Capacity
Dublin Donnycarney Parnell Park 13,499
Galway Galway Pearse Stadium 26,197
Kilkenny Kilkenny Nowlan Park 27,800
Offaly Tullamore O'Connor Park 20,000
Wexford Wexford Wexford Park 25,000

Personnel and colours
Team Colours Main
Sponsor		 Captain(s) Manager(s) Most recent success
All-Ireland Provincial League
Dublin AIG Liam Rushe Pat Gilroy 1938 2013 2011
Galway Supermac's David Burke Micheál Donoghue 2017 2017 2017
Kilkenny Glanbia Cillian Buckley Brian Cody 2015 2016 2018
Offaly Carroll Cuisine David King Kevin Martin 1998 1995 1990–91
Wexford Gain Lee Chin
Matthew O'Hanlon		 Davy Fitzgerald 1996 2004 1972–73

Group table
Pos Team Pld W D L SF SA Diff Pts
1 Galway 44007-89 (110)6-62 (80)+308
2 Kilkenny 43015-76 (91)6-69 (87)+46
3 Wexford 42026-81 (99)5-68 (83)+164
4 Dublin 41039-73 (100)1-85 (88)+122
5 Offaly 40045-50 (65)14-85 (127)–620
Green background The top two teams contested the Leinster Final, with the winners advancing to the All-Ireland semi-finals and the losers advancing to the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Yellow background The third-placed team advanced to the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals.
Red background As the 2018 Joe McDonagh Cup was won by Carlow (a Leinster county), the bottom team in the Leinster group, Offaly, were relegated to the 2019 Joe McDonagh Cup.

Group matches

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Final

The winners advanced to the All-Ireland semi-finals and the losers advanced to the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

Main article: 2018 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Final
1 July 2018
16:00
Leinster Final
Galway 0-18 (18) – (18) 0-18 Kilkenny
(HT: 0-7 – 0-8)

Pts: J Canning 6, N Burke 4, C Whelan 3, C Mannion 3, C Cooney 1, J Cooney 1
Pts: TJ Reid 10, B Ryan 2, E Murphy 1 (f), E Morrissey 1, J Maher 1, G Aylward 1, J Donnelly 1, W Walsh 1
Croke Park, Dublin
Referee: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary)
Attendance: 40,703

Final replay
8 July 2018
15:00
Leinster Final Replay
Galway 1-28 (31) – (24) 3-15 Kilkenny
(HT: 1-16 – 1-7)
Gls: J Glynn 1
Pts: J Canning 10 (6f), C Mannion 6, C Whelan 4, N Burke 2, A Harte 2, J Cooney 1, J Glynn 1, C Cooney 1, J Flynn 1		 Gls: G Aylward 1, R Hogan 1, C Fennelly 1
Pts: TJ Reid 9 (6f, 1 '65'), J Holden 1, C Fogarty 1, J Maher 1, J Donnelly 1, R Hogan 1, C Fennelly 1
Semple Stadium, Thurles
Referee: James Owens (Wexford)
Attendance: 25,102

See also

References
  1. "Leinster GAA Senior Hurling Championship Draw". 18 February 2019.
  2. "GAA votes to change senior hurling championship". Irish Examiner. 30 September 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  3. "Historic day at Croke Park as Congress votes in hurling structure changes". RTE Sport. 30 September 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
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