The Oireachtas Cup was an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association between 1939 and 1999 for the top inter-county teams in Ireland.
The series of games were usually played in the autumn months after the completion of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. The prize for the winning team was the Oireachtas Cup and a special set of gold medals for the winning team. The tournament was initially a one-off challenge game between two top teams, however, as more teams entered a straight knock-out tournament developed.
The Oireachtas Cup was a post-championship hurling competition, with large crowds at Croke Park on the day of the final. Over time, however, it fell out of favour with both players and supporters and was eventually scrapped.
The title was won at least once by eleven different counties, eight of which have won the title more than once. The all-time joint record-holders are Galway and Tipperary, who won the competition eleven times.
General statistics Performance by county # Team Wins Runners-up Years won Years runner-up 1 Galway 11 10 1950, 1952, 1958, 1976, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997 1944, 1945, 1947, 1959, 1978, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1998, 1999 Tipperary 11 2 1945, 1949, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1990 1962, 1989 2 Kilkenny 10 8 1940, 1947, 1957, 1959, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1984, 1996, 1999 1939, 1951, 1955, 1956, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1983 3 Wexford 9 14 1951, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1986, 1994 1950, 1952, 1954, 1958, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1981, 1988, 1991, 1995 4 Cork 5 9 1973, 1974, 1975, 1985, 1998 1940, 1960, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1976, 1984, 1994, 1997 5 Clare 4 3 1954, 1982, 1983, 1996 1953, 1967, 1993 6 Dublin 2 1944, 1948 Limerick 2 1 1939, 1971 1982 7 Antrim 1 1946 Waterford 1 4 1962 1948, 1957, 1974, 1992 Offaly 1 2 1995 1979, 1980 8 Laois 2 1946, 1949
List of Oireachtas Finals All-Ireland champions All-Ireland runners-up
YearWinnersRunners-upVenueCounty ScoreCounty Score 1939 Limerick 4-04Kilkenny 2-05 Croke Park 1940Kilkenny 7-11 Cork 1-06 Croke Park 1941-43Run as a Gaelic football tournament 1944Dublin 6-06 Galway 3-06 Croke Park 1945Tipperary 4-06 Galway 4-3 Croke Park 1946 (football) Antrim 2-07 Laois 0-10 Croke Park 1947Kilkenny 2-12 Galway 2-06 Croke Park 1948Dublin 3-06Waterford 2-06 Croke Park 1949Tipperary 2-08Laois 1-06 Croke Park 1950 Galway 2-09 Wexford 2-06 Croke Park 1951Wexford 4-07 Kilkenny 3-07 Croke Park 1952 Galway 3-07 Wexford 1-10 Croke Park 1953 Wexford 5-11 Clare 4-05 Croke Park 1954(R) Clare 2-083-06Wexford 2-080-12 Croke Park 1955Wexford 3-11 Kilkenny 3-04 Croke Park 1956Wexford 0-16 Kilkenny 1-09 Croke Park 1957Kilkenny 4-10Waterford 3-05 Croke Park 1958Galway 5-16 Wexford 2-04 Thurles Sportsfield 1959Kilkenny 6-06 Galway 5-08 Croke Park 1960Tipperary 4-11 Cork 2-10 Croke Park 1961(R)Tipperary 3-062-13 Wexford 2-093-04 Croke Park 1962 Waterford 4-12Tipperary 3-09 Croke Park 1963 Tipperary 4-15 Wexford 3-12 Croke Park 1964Tipperary 5-07Kilkenny 4-08 Croke Park 1965Tipperary 2-12 Kilkenny 2-07 Croke Park 1966Kilkenny 4-07 Wexford 1-07 Croke Park 1967Kilkenny 4-04 Clare 1-08 Croke Park 1968Tipperary 1-09 Cork 1-06 Thurles Sportsfield 1969Kilkenny 4-14Cork 3-10 Croke Park 1970 Tipperary 1-12Cork 0-08 Thurles Sportsfield 1971 Limerick 4-12 Wexford 3-08 Croke Park 1972(R) Tipperary 2-132-13 Wexford 2-131-08 Croke ParkNowlan Park 1973 Cork 1-08Kilkenny 1-06 Cork Athletic Grounds 1974 Cork 3-15 Waterford 1-05 The Mardyke 1975 Cork 3-13 Wexford 2-07 Croke Park 1976 Galway 1-15Cork 2-09 Croke Park 1977No final took place 1978 Wexford 0-18 Galway 1-10 Wexford Park 1979 Wexford 3-17 Offaly 5-08 Croke Park 1980 Wexford 1-19Offaly 3-05 St. Brendan's Park 1981Galway 1-15 Wexford 1-07 Páirc Uí Chaoimh 1982 Clare 3-09 Limerick 2-09 Cusack Park 1983 Clare 1-12Kilkenny 1-11 Cusack Park 1984 Kilkenny 1-11Cork 1-07 Páirc Uí Chaoimh 1985 Cork 2-11Galway 1-10 Páirc Uí Chaoimh 1986 Wexford 3-17Galway 1-22 Kenny Park 1987No tournament 1988Galway 4-15 Wexford 3-11 Bellefield GAA Complex 1989 Galway 1-19Tipperary 0-08 Cusack Park 1990 Tipperary 1-15Galway 0-07 Cusack Park 1991 Galway 2-12 Wexford 3-05 Duggan Park 1992 Galway 1-13 Waterford 0-10 Páirc an Aghasaigh 1993Galway 2-19 Clare 3-09 Kenny Park 1994 Wexford 2-07 Cork 1-08 Fraher Field 1995Offaly 2-13 Wexford 0-09 Wexford Park 1996 Clare 0-11 Kilkenny 1-04 Cusack Park 1997 Galway 0-14 Cork 0-08 Duggan Park 1998 Cork 0-15 Galway 0-10 Páirc Uí Rinn 1999Kilkenny 4-06 Galway 0-12 MacDonagh Park
References