The Galway Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Brooks Galway Senior Hurling Championship) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Galway County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in the county of Galway in Ireland.

The series of games are played during the summer and autumn months with the county final currently being played at Pearse Stadium in November. Initially played as a knock-out competition, the championship currently consists of a group stage followed by a knock-out series of games.

The Galway County Championship is an integral part of the wider All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship. The winners of the Galway county final automatically represent Connacht and join the champions of the other three provinces to contest the All-Ireland Championship.

Twenty-four teams currently participate in the Galway County Championship. The title has been won at least once by 29 different teams. The all-time record-holders are Castlegar, who have won a total of 17 titles.

Loughrea are the current title-holders, defeating St. Thomas' by 1-15 to 1-14 in the 2025 final to win their second consecutive Galway County Championship and fourth in total, having previously won the title in 1941, 2006 and 2024.

History Beginnings Following the foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1884, new rules for Gaelic football and hurling were drawn up and published in the United Irishman newspaper. In 1886, county committees were established, with the Galway County Board affiliating on 26 October 1886. The inaugural championship was played during the summer of 1887. Delays and objections were commonplace in the early years, with a number of championships remaining unfinished.

Format

Senior A

Group stage The 16 clubs are divided into four groups of four. Over the course of the group stage, each team plays once against the others in the group, resulting in each team being guaranteed three 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 team in each group qualify for the quarter-finals and the second and third placed teams in the group qualifying for the preliminary quarter-finals.

Knockout stage Following the completion of the group stage, the top three teams from each group qualify to the knockout stage with the four group winners receiving byes to separate quarter-finals.

Preliminary quarter-finals: Teams that finished second and third in the group stage contest this round. Repeat pairings are avoided. The four winners from these games advance to the quarter-finals.

Quarter-finals: The four group winners and the four preliminary quarter-final winners contest this round. Repeat pairings are avoided. The two winners from these two games advance to the semi-finals.

Semi-finals: The four quarter-final winners 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 four bottom-placed teams from the group stage take part in a series of play-offs, with the losing team being relegated to the Galway Intermediate Hurling Championship.

Qualification At the end of the championship, the winning team qualify to the subsequent All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship.

Teams

2026 Senior A Teams Source:

Team Location Championship titles Last championship title ArdrahanArdrahan111978 AthenryAthenry8 2004 CappataggleCappataggle0— CastlegarCastlegar171984 ClarinbridgeClarinbridge22010 CraughwellCraughwell41931 GortGort72014 KillimordalyKillimordaly11986 Liam MellowsRenmore92017 LoughreaLoughrea42025 MoycullenMoycullen0— Oranmore-MareeOranmore11933 SarsfieldsBullaun, New Inn and Woodlawn72015 St Thomas'Kilchreest and Peterswell72023 Tommy Larkin'sWoodford11971 TurloughmoreTurloughmore81985

Venues Early rounds

Fixtures in the opening rounds of the championship are usually played at a neutral venue that is deemed halfway between the participating teams. Some of the more common venues include Kenny Park, Duggan Park and St Brendan's Park.

Final The final has regularly been played at Pearse Stadium in Salthill.

Managers

Managers in the Galway Championship are involved in the day-to-day running of the team, including the training, team selection, and sourcing of players. Their influence varies from club-to-club and is related to the individual club committees. The manager is assisted by a team of two or three selectors and a backroom team consisting of various coaches.

+ Winning managers (1998–present)ManagerTeamWinsWinning yearsPat NallyAthenry41998, 1999, 2000, 2002Kevin LallySt. Thomas'32018, 2019, 2020Kenneth BurkeSt. Thomas'32021, 2022, 2023Johnny KellyPortumna22008, 2009John BurkeSt. Thomas'22012, 2016Tommy KellyLoughrea 22024, 2025Billy McGrathClarinbridge12001Mike MonaghanPortumna12003Billy CaulfieldAthenry12004Pat O'ConnorLoughrea12006Micheál DonoghueClarinbridge12010Mattie MurphyGort12011Frank CanningPortumna12013Gerry SpelmanGort12014Cathal MurraySarsfields12015Louis Mulqueen Liam Mellows12017

Roll of honour # Club Wins Runners-up Years won Years runners-up1 Castlegar 179 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1944, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1967, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1979, 19841912, 1933, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1974, 1982, 1983, 19872 Ardrahan 117 1894, 1895, 1896, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1910, 1949, 1974, 1975, 19781897, 1898, 1923, 1956, 1968, 19693 Liam Mellows 93 1935, 1943, 1945, 1946, 1954, 1955, 1968, 1970, 20171957, 2018, 20194 Turloughmore 86 1956, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 19851893, 1972, 1986, 1990, 2020, 2023 Athenry 85 1987, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 20041977, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2001 St. Thomas' 81 2012, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 202320257 Gort 76 1914, 1916, 1934, 1981, 1983, 2011, 20141915, 1917, 1936, 1950, 2008, 2016, 2017 Sarsfields 73 1980, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 20151994, 2000, 2002 Peterswell 72 1889, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1904, 1905, 19071902, 192810 Portumna 64 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 20131995, 2004, 2006, 201411 Tynagh 59 1920, 1922, 1923, 1925, 19281889, 1896, 1906, 1907, 1918, 1919, 1934, 1998, 1999 Kiltormer 51 1976, 1977, 1982, 1990, 1991198113 Craughwell 47 1909, 1915, 1918, 19301892, 1899, 1900, 1905, 1925, 1932, 2015 Loughrea 410 1941, 2006, 2024, 20251909, 1949, 1951, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 202215 Kilconieron 35 1908, 1912, 19191910, 1913, 1916, 1920 Mullagh 32 1906, 1929, 19321904, 196617 Clarinbridge 25 2001, 20101929, 1939, 1997, 2011, 2021 Army 24 1947, 19481941, 1945, 1946, 1955 Fohenagh 23 1959, 19601958, 1961, 1963 College Road 21 1892, 18931894 Woodford 21 1913, 1917191422 Ballinasloe 15 19511943, 1953, 1954, 1964, 1973 Killimordaly 15 19861965, 1970, 1976, 1984, 1985 Maree 13 19331938, 1940, 1967 Killimor 12 18971937, 1944 Meelick 10 1887— Derrydonnell 10 1911— Tommy Larkins 10 1971— Abbeyknockmoy 10 1988—30Carnmore06—1947, 1971, 1975, 1992, 1993, 1996Claregalway03—1895, 1901, 1911Ballinderreen02—1935, 1978Kinvara02—1979, 2007Galway City 98s01—1903Kileenadeema01—1908Galway City01—1922Leitrim01—1930St. Coleman's01—1948Meelick-Eyrecourt01—1980Cappataggle01—2024

List of finals

Legend

– All-Ireland senior club champions – All-Ireland senior club runners-up

List of Galway SHC finals