The Joe McDonagh Cup () is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association. The cup forms the second-tier of Hurling for senior county teams (the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship is the first-tier trophy). It is contested by the six county teams ranked 12–17 in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. Each year, the champions of the Joe McDonagh Cup are promoted to their provincial championship, and the lowest finishing team is relegated to the Christy Ring Cup. The cup is named in honour of Joe McDonagh, the former president of the GAA who died in 2016. The last of the five tiers to be established, the competition was contested for the first time in 2018.
The title has been won by six different counties, two of whom have won the title more than once. The all-time record-holders are Antrim and Carlow, who have won the championship on two occasions. Laois are the title holders, defeating Carlow by 1-27 to 1-18 in the 2026 final.
History
Creation
At the GAA's Special Congress on 30 September 2017, a new provincial hurling championship system featuring five-team round-robin groups in both Leinster and Munster was accepted. This restructure necessitated the removal of four counties from the Leinster Championship. These four teams joined the 2017 Christy Ring Cup finalists - Antrim and Carlow - in creating the new Tier 2 Championship. The proposal was carried by a narrow margin with 62% voting in favour (a majority of at least 60% was required).
An amendment to the motion from Laois, Offaly and Meath was carried by 87%. This would see the two Joe McDonagh Cup finalists participating in preliminary All-Ireland quarter-finals against the third-placed team in both Leinster and Munster with the Joe McDonagh Cup teams having home advantage.
Development The competition has reduced and increased its participants between 5 and 6 teams throughout its history.
Team changes 9 county teams have participated in at least one edition of the McDonagh Cup. Kerry have been ever-presents, never being promoted or relegated, while Offaly hold the dubious distinction of being the only team to fall from the tier-one Leinster championship into the Joe McDonagh and immediately into the hurling's third-tier, the Christy Ring Cup, in successive seasons — in 2018 and 2019.
Format history
2021 In 2021, teams were divided into 2 groups to lessen the fixtures due to impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gaelic games.
Joe McDonagh Cup moments Carlow 2-26 - 1-24 Westmeath (1 July 2018): Carlow won the inaugural Joe McDonagh Cup, defeating Westmeath in Croke Park. Kerry 1-18 - 1-16 Offaly (15 June 2019): Kerry relegated Offaly in round 5 of the group stage. This was Offaly's second relegation in a row, previously being relegated from the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship. Down 3-16 - 6-22 Antrim (24 April 2022): This was the first championship meeting between the counties since the Ulster Senior Hurling Championship was suspended. The 2015 Ulster final was their last meeting, Antrim also being victorious on that day. Offaly 2-23 - 0-26 Laois (8 June 2024): Offaly won their first ever Joe McDonagh Cup in what was a historical week for the county as they also won the 2024 All-Ireland Under-20 Hurling Championship against Tipperary with many dual players. Kildare 2-26 - 1-19 Laois (8 June 2025): Kildare won their first ever Joe McDonagh Cup title after defeating Laois in Croke Park. Having only been promoted from the Christy Ring Cup the previous season, Kildare completed a remarkable rise by winning the competition at the first attempt and securing promotion to the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship. Down 1-22 - 0-23 Antrim (18 April 2026): Down defeated Antrim in the opening-round Joe McDonagh Cup clash at Pearse Park, with Donal Hughes scoring a last-gasp winning goal. The victory came after Down had also beaten Antrim earlier in the 2026 National Hurling League, signalling a growing shift in the balance of power within Ulster hurling.
Format Group stage Group stage: There are six teams in the Cup. During the course of a season (from May to June) each team plays the others once (a single round-robin system) for a total of five games. Teams receive two points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points. The top two teams in the group contest the Joe McDonagh Cup final. The third, fourth and fifth-placed team are eliminated from the championship and the 6th-placed team is relegated to the Christy Ring Cup.
Tie-breakers In the event of teams finishing on equal points, the tie shall be decided by the following means (in the order specified):
Where two teams only are involved – the outcome of the meeting of the two teams Score difference – subtracting the total "Scores Against" from the total "Scores For" Highest Total "Score For" Highest Total "Goals For" A Play-Off
Knockout stage Final: The top two teams in the group stage contest the final. The winning team are declared champions.
Between 2018 and 2025 (excluding the 2020 and 2021 editions which were effected by the Covid-19 Pandemic) the winners and runners up of the Joe McDonagh Cup also competed in that year's GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship at the preliminary quarter-final stage.
There are reports that this same-year link between the competitions may be severed in the future.
Promotion At the end of the championship, the winning team is promoted to the provincial championship for the following season. Which provincial championship depends on the provincial allegiance of the winner: if the winners are from Connacht, Leinster or Ulster, they are automatically promoted to the following year's Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, with their place in the following year's Joe McDonagh Cup taken by the bottom-placed team in that year's Leinster Championship. From 2023 onwards, if the winners are from Munster, they are automatically promoted to the following year's Munster Senior Hurling Championship, with their place in the following year's Joe McDonagh Cup taken by the bottom-placed team in the provincial championship that contains six teams. The previous format only allowed Kerry access to the Munster Championship via a playoff if they won the Joe McDonagh Cup.
Relegation The bottom team in the Joe McDonagh group stage is relegated to the third-tier Christy Ring Cup for the following year, being replaced by the champions of the Christy Ring Cup for that year. Since 2018 there has been no promotion/relegation playoff between tiers two and three. TeamQualification1st in GroupAdvance to Joe McDonagh Cup Final Winner of Cup Final Promoted to Leinster or Munster Hurling Championship.2nd in Group3rd in Group4th in Group5th in Group6th in GroupRelegated to Christy Ring Cup
Teams
2027 Cup Six counties will compete in the 2027 Joe McDonagh Cup, with Kildare relegated from the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship and Derry promoted from the Christy Ring Cup: CountyLocationStadiumProvincePosition in 2026 championshipFirst year in ChampionshipIn Championship SinceChampionship TitlesLast Championship Title AntrimBelfastCorrigan ParkUlster4th2018202622022 CarlowCarlowDr Cullen ParkLeinsterRunners-up2018202522023 DerryDerryCeltic ParkUlsterChristy Ring Cup Champion202720270— DownNewryPáirc EslerUlster3rd202120210— KildareNewbridgeSt Conleth's ParkLeinster6th (Leinster Senior Hurling Championship)2021202712025 WestmeathMullingarCusack ParkLeinster5th2018202412021
Seasons in Joe McDonagh Cup The number of years that each county has played in the Joe McDonagh Cup between 2018 and 2027. A total of 11 counties have competed in at least one season of the Joe McDonagh Cup. Carlow, Kerry and Westmeath have participated in 8 seasons. The counties in bold participate in the 2027 Joe McDonagh Cup. YearsCounties8Carlow, Kerry, Westmeath7Down6Antrim, Laois5Meath4Kildare, Offaly1Derry, London
Debut of teams YearDebutantsTotal2018 Antrim, Carlow, Kerry, Laois, Meath, Westmeath62019 Offaly12020None02021 Down, Kildare22022–2025None02026 London12027 Derry1Total11
Participation by province ProvinceNo.CountyNo.Years Leinster6Carlow72018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025, 2026Westmeath72018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024, 2025, 2026Laois62018, 2019, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026Meath52018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024Offaly42019, 2022, 2023, 2024Kildare32021, 2023, 2025 Ulster2Down62021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026Antrim52018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2026 Munster1Kerry82018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025Britain1London12026
List of Joe McDonagh Cup Counties CountyTotal yearsTotal spellsLongest spellMost recent promotionMost recent relegationTotal years absentSeasonsJoe McDonagh Cup Best finishCurrent Status (Level) (2026)Antrim4 232022Never relegated32018-2020 20221stLeinster Senior Hurling Championship1Carlow63 42023Never relegated22018 2020-2023 2025-1stJoe McDonagh Cup2Down5 15Never promotedNever relegated32021-3rdJoe McDonagh Cup2Kerry8 18Never promoted202512018-20252ndChristy Ring Cup2Kildare3 3 12025202352021 2023 20251stJoe McDonagh Cup2Laois5 322019Never relegated32018-2019 2023-1stJoe McDonagh Cup2London1 11Never promoted2026820266thJoe McDonagh Cup2Meath533Never promoted202442018 2020-2022
20246thChristy Ring Cup3Offaly4 2 32024201932019 2021-20241stLeinster Senior Hurling Championship1Westmeath6 342021Never relegated22018-2021 2024-1stJoe McDonagh Cup2
Qualification for subsequent competitions
Qualification for the All-Ireland Championship The Joe McDonagh Cup winners and runners-up qualify for the subsequent All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship at the preliminary quarter-final stage. The teams plays the third-placed teams in the Leinster and Munster championships.
All-Ireland record of Joe McDonagh Cup teams SeasonCountyRoundOpponentScore2018 CarlowPreliminary QF Limerick0-13 - 5-22 Westmeath Wexford0-16 - 2-212019 LaoisPreliminary QF Dublin1-22 - 0-23Quarter-Finals Tipperary1-18 - 2-25 WestmeathPreliminary QF Cork0-20 - 1-402020No All-Ireland path for Joe McDonagh Cup finalists2021No All-Ireland path for Joe McDonagh Cup finalists2022 AntrimPreliminary QF Cork2-19 - 3-27 Kerry Wexford0-18 - 3-302023 CarlowPreliminary QF Dublin 0-21 - 2-25 Offaly Tipperary 3-18 - 7-382024 OffalyPreliminary QF Cork3-19 - 4-25 Laois Wexford0-20 - 0-322025 KildarePreliminary QF Dublin0-13 - 3-25 Laois Tipperary0-18 - 3-32
Venues
Group stage
Fixtures in the five group stage rounds of the cup are played at the home ground of one of the two teams. Each team is guaranteed at least two home games. During the inaugural staging of the competition some teams had three home games.
Final
The Joe McDonagh Cup final is played at Croke Park as the curtain-raiser to the Leinster final on the first Sunday in July.
Managers
Winning managers #Manager(s)Winning team(s)Titles(s)Winning years1 Darren GleesonAntrim22020, 20222 Colm BonnarCarlow12018 Eddie BrennanLaois12019 Shane O'BrienWestmeath12021 Tom MullallyCarlow12023 Johnny KellyOffaly12024
Trophy and medals
At the end of the cup final, the winning team are presented with a trophy. The Joe McDonagh Cup is held by the winning team until the following year's final. The presentation is made at a special rostrum in the Ard Chomairle section of the Hogan Stand where GAA and political dignitaries and special guests view the match.
The cup is decorated with ribbons in the colours of the winning team. During the game the cup has both teams' sets of ribbons attached and the runners-up ribbons are removed before the presentation. The winning captain accepts the cup on behalf of his team before giving a short speech. Individual members of the winning team then have an opportunity to come to the rostrum to lift the cup.