2025 Joe McDonagh Cup

The 2025 Joe McDonagh Cup was the eighth staging of the Joe McDonagh Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2018.

Offaly, winner of the 2024 final, were promoted to the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, replaced by Carlow who were relegated back to this competition. Kildare were promoted from the Christy Ring Cup.

The top two teams from the round robin stage played off in a final to decide the winner, both finalists also advancing to the 2025 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship knock-out stages. The bottom team was relegated to Christy Ring Cup.

Team changes To Championship Relegated from the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship

Carlow

Promoted from the Christy Ring Cup

Kildare

From Championship Promoted to the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

Offaly

Relegated to the Christy Ring Cup

Meath

Format

Cup format Initially each of the six teams played the other five teams in single round-robin matches. The top two teams after the round robin games competed in the Joe McDonagh Cup final. The Joe McDonagh Cup champions and runners-up also advanced to the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals, with the Joe McDonagh Cup teams having home advantage.

Promotion If the Joe McDonagh champion was a non-Munster team, they would be automatically promoted to the following year's Leinster Championship.

Relegation The bottom-placed team in the Joe McDonagh Cup was automatically relegated to the following year's Christy Ring Cup and was replaced by the Christy Ring Cup winner.

Teams by province The participating teams, listed by province, with numbers in parentheses indicating final positions in the 2025 National Hurling League before the championship were:

Leinster (4)

Carlow (11) Kildare (16) Laois (13) Westmeath (14)

Munster (1)

Kerry (17)

Ulster (1)

Down (15)

Teams General Information Six counties will compete in the Joe McDonagh Cup: CountyLast Cup TitleLast Provincial TitleLast All-Ireland TitlePosition in 2024 ChampionshipAppearance Carlow2023 — —6th (Leinster Senior Hurling Championship)6th Down —1997 —5th5th Kerry —189118913rd8th Kildare — — —Champions (Christy Ring Cup)3rd Laois201919491915Runners-up5th Westmeath2021——4th6th

Personnel and kits CountyManagerCaptain(s)Sponsor CarlowTom MullallyKevin McDonaldSETU DownRonan SheehanCaolan Taggart and Eoghan SandsEOS IT Solutions KerryJohn GriffinTomás O'ConnorKerry Group KildareBrian DowlingRian BoranBrady Family Ham LaoisTommy FitzgeraldEnda RowlandLaois Hire WestmeathSeoirse BulfinAonghus Clarke and Killian DoyleRenault

Group Stage Table TeamQualification1 Kildare540110-1126-90 +348Advance to Final and All-Ireland Preliminary Quarter-Finals (PQ) 2 Laois531116-1279-92 +5673 Carlow531119-1107-102 +4474 Westmeath520311-11714-106 +245 Down51044-9217-128 -7526 Kerry51045-8812-128 -612Relegated to Christy Ring Cup (R)

Fixtures

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Final

Stadia and Locations

CountyLocationProvinceStadium(s)Capacity CarlowCarlowLeinsterDr Cullen Park21,000 DownRubaneUlsterMcKenna Park1,320 KerryTraleeMunsterAustin Stack Park12,000 KildareNewbridgeLeinsterSt Conleth's Park15,000 LaoisPortlaoiseLeinsterO'Moore Park22,000 WestmeathMullingarLeinsterTEG Cusack Park11,500

Statistics Top Scorers

Overall RankPlayerCountyTallyTotalMatchesAverage1 Martin Kavanagh Carlow 4-43 55 5 11.002 Killian Doyle Westmeath 1-46 49 5 9.803 David Qualter Kildare 2-67 73 5 9.404 Tomás Keyes Laois 1-43 46 5 9.205 Chris Nolan Carlow 7-12 33 5 6.606 James Duggan Laois 8-06 30 5 6.007 Paul Sheehan Down 0-28 28 5 5.608 Pádraig Boyle Kerry 1-22 25 3 8.339 James Doyle Carlow 2-13 19 5 3.8010 Pearse Óg McCrickard Down 1-14 17 5 3.60Gerry Keegan Kildare0-171753.60David O'Reilly Westmeath1-141753.60

In A Single Game RankPlayerCountyTallyTotalOpposition1Martin Kavanagh Carlow3-1221 Westmeath2James Duggan Laois5-0217 Kerry3David Qualter Kildare1-1316 Down4Killian Doyle Westmeath0-1515 Kerry5Killian Doyle Westmeath1-1114 LaoisTomás Keyes Laois0-1414 Carlow7Tomás Keyes Laois1-0811 WestmeathShane Nolan Kerry0-1111 LaoisPaul Sheehan Down0-1111 Westmeath10David Qualter Kildare0-1010 KerryPádraig Boyle Kerry1-0710 KildareChris Nolan Carlow3-0110 DownKillian Doyle Westmeath0-1010 KildareMartin Kavanagh Carlow1-0710 KildareMartin Kavanagh Carlow0-1010 Laois

Scoring events

Widest winning margin: 39 points Down 1-12 - 6-36 Laois (Round 2) Most goals in a match: 11 Westmeath 4-22 - 7-23 Carlow (Round 4) Most points in a match: 49 Laois 5-28 - 1-21 Kerry (Roynd 3) Most goals by one team in a match: 7 Westmeath 4-22 - 7-23 Carlow (Round 4) Most points by one team in a match: 36 Down 1-12 - 6-36 Laois (Round 2) Highest aggregate score: 78 points Westmeath 4-22 - 7-23 Carlow (Round 4) Lowest aggregate score: 39 points Kildare 0-19 - 1-17 Kerry (Round 1) Hat-trick Heros: Chris Nolan (Carlow) 3-01 v Down (Round 1) James Duggan (Laois) 5-02 v Kerry (Round 3) Martin Kavanagh (Carlow) 3-12 v Westmeath (Round 4)

Miscellaneous

2025 Joe McDonagh Cup

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