2021 Joe McDonagh Cup
The 2021 Joe McDonagh Cup was the fourth staging of the Joe McDonagh Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2018.[1] The competition, which was delayed for a second successive year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gaelic games, began on 26 June 2021. The fixtures were published on 21 April 2021.[2]
Dates | 26 June – 17 July 2021 | ||
---|---|---|---|
Teams | 6 | ||
Champions | ![]() Cormac Boyle (captain) Shane O'Brien (manager) | ||
Runners-up | ![]() Paudie O'Connor (captain) Fintan O'Connor (manager) | ||
Relegated | ![]() | ||
Tournament statistics | |||
Matches played | 8 | ||
Goals scored | 19 (2.38 per match) | ||
Points scored | 351 (43.88 per match) | ||
Top scorer(s) | ![]() | ||
|
Antrim, winner of the 2020 final, were promoted to the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, while there was no relegation to or from the competition. Down and Kildare entered the competition from the Christy Ring Cup.[3]
On 17 July 2021, Westmeath won the Joe McDonagh Cup after a 2-28 to 1-24 win over Kerry in the final at Croke Park.[4] It was their first ever cup title having previously lost two finals.[5]
Meath's Jack Regan was the championship's top scorer with 1-36.
Team changes
To Championship
Relegated from the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
- None
Promoted from the Christy Ring Cup
From Championship
Promoted to the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
Relegated to the Christy Ring Cup
- None
Teams
Personnel and general information
Team | Colours | Location | Stadium | Capacity | Sponsor | Captain | Manager |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Carlow | ![]() |
Carlow | Netwatch Cullen Park | 21,000 | IT Carlow | Tom Mullally | |
Down | ![]() |
Newry | Páirc Esler | 20,000 | EOS IT Solutions | Ronan Sheehan | |
Kerry | ![]() |
Tralee | Austin Stack Park | 12,000 | Kerry Group | Paudie O'Connor | Fintan O'Connor |
Kildare | ![]() |
Newbridge | St. Conleth's Park | 8,200 | Brady Family Ham | Brian Byrne | David Herity |
Meath | ![]() |
Navan | Páirc Tailteann | 17,000 | Glenveagh Properties | Nick Weir | |
Westmeath | ![]() |
Mullingar | Cusack Park | 11,000 | Renault | Cormac Boyle | Shane O'Brien |
Group Stage
Group A table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | SF | SA | Diff | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2-42 | 1-39 | 6 | 4 | Advance to Knockout Stage |
2 | ![]() |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2-40 | 3-39 | -2 | 2 | |
3 | ![]() |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4-37 | 4-41 | -4 | 0 | Advance to Relegation playoffs |
Group A round 1
26 June 2021 Round 1 | Kildare ![]() | 3-16 - 2-22 (aet) | ![]() | St. Conleth's Park |
J Burke 2-2, J Sheridan 0-5f, B Byrne 0-4f, C Smith 1-0, D Flaherty, K Whelan, C Dowling, C Derivan, S Ryan 0-1 each. | Report | C Nolan 0-10 (0-6f), K McDonald 2-2, D English 0-3f, JM Nolan (0-1 sideline), J Nolan, J Doyle 0-2 each, R Coady 0-1. | Referee: C Cunning (Antrim) |
Group A round 2
3 July 2021 Round 2 | Carlow ![]() | 0-18 - 0-23 | ![]() | Netwatch Cullen Park |
C Nolan 0-11 (0-7f), Jon Nolan 0-3, T Joyce 0-2, JM Nolan & D English 0-1 each. | Report | N O’Brien and K Doyle 0-6 (0-4f) each, J Boyle 0-3, N Mitchell & C Doyle 0-2 each, A Clarke, A Cox, J Coll & D Clinton 0-1 each. | Referee: R McGann (Antrim) |
Group A round 3
10 July 2021 Round 3 | Westmeath ![]() | 2-19 - 1-21 | ![]() | TEG Cusack Park |
K Doyle 0-8 (0-4f), N O’Brien 0-5 (0-4f), N Mitchell 1-1, C Doyle 1-0, J Coll 0-2, R Greville, D Glennon & D McNicholas 0-1 each. | Report | J Sheridan 1-5 (0-4f), B Byrne 0-6 (0-4f, 0-1 65), P Divilly 0-3, J Burke & D Slattery 0-2 each, C Dowling, K Whelan & J Byrne 0-1 each. | Referee: C McAllister (Cork) |
Group B table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | SF | SA | Diff | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3-45 | 1-49 | 2 | 2 | Advance to Knockout Stage |
2 | ![]() |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2-48 | 4-40 | 2 | 2 | |
3 | ![]() |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2-44 | 2-28 | -4 | 2 | Advance to Relegation playoffs |
Group B round 1
26 June 2021 Round 1 | Kerry ![]() | 2-24 - 1-21 | ![]() | Austin Stack Park |
S Conway ( 1-8, 0-4F, 0-1 65), S Nolan (0-4, 0-1F)), M Boyle, P Boyle (0-4 each), B Mahony ( 0-3), C Hussey (1-0), F OSullivan ( 0-1) | Report | D Sands (1-2), P Sheehan (0-5, 0-4F), O McManus (0-4F), P Óg McCrickard (0-3), D Hughes ( 0-2), C Woods (0-1 65), R McCusker, T Prender, P Savage, and E Sands (0-1 each) | Referee: C McAllister (Cork) |
Group B round 2
3 July 2021 Round 2 | Down ![]() | 1-27 - 2-16 | ![]() | McKenna Park |
P Sheehan 0-11, nine frees; R McClusker 1-1; T Prenter 0-3; D Sands 0-2; E Sands 0-2; P Savage 0-2; L Savage 0-1; C Egan 0-1; R Costello 0-1; J Doran 0-1, C Woods 0-1; O MacManus 0-1. | Report | J Regan 1-8, five frees; A Douglas 1-0; A Gannon 0-2; D Kelly 0-2; J Toher 0-2; I Bermingham 0-1; P Conneely 0-1. | Referee: P Murphy (Carlow) |
Group B round 3
10 July 2021 Round 3 | Meath ![]() | 0-28 - 1-21 | ![]() | Páirc Tailteann |
J Regan 0-11 (0-5f, 0-2 65, 0-1 s/l), P Conneely 0-6, A Douglas 0-3, P O'Hanrahan 0-2, S Quigley 0-2, I Birmingham 0-1, J Toher 0-1, A Gannon 0-1, M O'Sullivan 0-1. | Report | S Conway 0-10 (0-8f, 0-1 65), C Hussey 1-1, P Boyle 0-4 (0-1f), S Nolan 0-2, D Collins 0-1, M Boyle 0-1, M O'Connor 0-1, M Leane 0-1. | Referee: S Hynes (Galway) |
Knockout Stage
Final
17 July 2021 Final | Westmeath ![]() | 2-28 - 1-24 | ![]() | Croke Park |
N Mitchell 1-4, K Doyle 0-6 (3fs), D Glennon 0-5, C Doyle 1-2, R Greville 0-4, N O’Brien (1f), A Clarke 0-2 each, J Boyle, A Craig, D McNicholas (f) 0-1 each. | Report | P Boyle 0-7 (3fs), M Boyle 1-3, S Conway 0-4 (2fs, 1s/l), C Hussey 0-3, S Nolan, B O’Mahony 0-2 each, J Diggins, C O’Keeffe, D Collins 0-1 each. | Referee: S Cleere (Kilkenny) |
Westmeath are promoted to the 2022 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.
Relegation playoffs
17 July 2021 Playoff | Kildare ![]() | 1-15 - 0-28 | ![]() | Parnell Park |
J Sheridan 1-5 (4 frees), B Byrne 0-2 (65, 1 free), P Divilly 0-2, J Travers 0-2, J Byrne 0-1 Conor Dowling 0-1, S Ryan 0-1, G Keegan 0-1. | Report | J Regan 0-17 (13 frees), E Ó Donnchadha 0-4, S Morris 0-2, J Toher 0-2, M O’Sullivan 0-2, A Gannon 0-1. | Referee: C Cunning (Antrim) |
Kildare are relegated to the 2022 Christy Ring Cup.
Statistics
Top scorers
- Top scorer overall
Rank | Player | Club | Tally | Total | Matches | Average |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jack Regan | Meath | 1-36 | 39 | 3 | 13.00 |
2 | Shane Conway | Kerry | 1-22 | 25 | 3 | 8.33 |
3 | Jack Sheridan | Kildare | 2-18 | 24 | 3 | 8.00 |
4 | Chris Nolan | Carlow | 0-21 | 21 | 2 | 10.50 |
5 | Killian Doyle | Westmeath | 0-20 | 20 | 3 | 6.66 |
6 | Paul Sheehan | Down | 0-16 | 16 | 2 | 8.00 |
7 | Pádraig Boyle | Kerry | 0-15 | 15 | 3 | 4.00 |
8 | Niall Mitchell | Westmeath | 2-07 | 13 | 3 | 4.33 |
Niall O'Brien | Westmeath | 0-13 | 13 | 3 | 4.33 | |
10 | Brian Byrne | Kildare | 0-12 | 12 | 3 | 4.00 |
- In a single game
Rank | Player | Club | Tally | Total | Opposition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jack Regan | Meath | 0-17 | 17 | Kildare |
2 | Jack Regan | Meath | 1-08 | 11 | Down |
Jack Regan | Meath | 0-11 | 11 | Kerry | |
Shane Conway | Kerry | 1-08 | 11 | Down | |
Chris Nolan | Carlow | 0-11 | 11 | Westmeath | |
Paul Sheehan | Down | 0-11 | 11 | Meath | |
7 | Chris Nolan | Carlow | 0-10 | 10 | Kildare |
Shane Conway | Kerry | 0-10 | 10 | Meath | |
9 | Kevin McDonald | Carlow | 2-02 | 8 | Kildare |
James Burke | Kildare | 2-02 | 8 | Carlow | |
Jack Sheridan | Kildare | 1-05 | 8 | Westmeath | |
Jack Sheridan | Kildare | 1-05 | 8 | Kildare | |
Killian Doyle | Westmeath | 0-08 | 8 | Kildare |
Miscellaneous
- Westmeath's Davey Glennon became the first player to win both Joe McDonagh Cup and All-Ireland Championship winners' medals, having claimed the latter with Galway in 2017.
References
- Moran, Seán (30 September 2017). "GAA Congress approve round-robin provincial hurling championships". Irish Times. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
- "2021 McDonagh, Ring, Rackard, and Meagher Cup draws". Hogan Stand. 21 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
- Team, The42. "Herity guides Kildare to Christy Ring Cup triumph over Down in Croke Park decider". The42.
- "Westmeath end Joe McDonagh Cup hoodoo with victory over Kerry at Croke Park". Irish Independent. 17 July 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
- "Westmeath storm past Kingdom to win Joe McDonagh Cup". The 42. 17 July 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.