The Cork Junior A Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Co-Op Superstores Cork Junior A Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Cork JAHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Cork County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association and contested by the top-ranking junior clubs in the county of Cork in Ireland. It is the sixth tier overall in the entire Cork hurling championship system and is regarded as one of the toughest club competitions to win. The Cork Junior Championship was introduced in 1895 as a countywide competition for teams deemed not eligible for the senior grade or second-string senior teams. At the time of its creation it was the second tier of Cork hurling. In its current format, the Cork Junior A Championship begins in September following the completion of the seven Divisional Junior Championships. The 7 participating teams compete in a single-elimination tournament which culminates with the final match at Páirc Uí Rinn in October or November. The winner of the Cork Junior A Championship, as well as being presented with the John Quirke Cup, gains promotion to the Cork Premier Junior Hurling Championship. The competition has been won by 72 teams, 29 of which have won it more than once. Carrigtwohill are the most successful team in the championships history, having won it 6 times. Tracton are the title holders, defeating Killavullen by 1–15 to 1–10 in the 2024 final.

History

Officially known as the Cork Junior A Hurling Championship, it is regarded as one of the most hotly contested and most difficult to win of all the county championships. Established in 1895 as the "seconds championship", by the 1930s it developed along divisional lines due to the increased number of clubs participating. The first championship took place in 1895 when Blackrock were crowned junior champions.

Format

Current format

Quarter-finals: Six of the seven divisional champions compete in this round. The seventh divisional champion receives a bye to the next round. Three teams qualify for the next round, joining the seventh divisional champion. Semi-finals: The two semi-finals feature the three quarter-final-winning teams and the team that receives a bye. Two teams qualify for the next round. Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions.

2017-2019

First round: The seven divisional champions are seeded and are drawn to play the seven divisional runners-up. Repeat pairings from divisional finals are avoided in this round. Six teams qualify for the next round with one team receiving a bye. Quarter-finals: The three quarter-finals feature the six first round-winning teams. Three teams qualify for the next round. Semi-finals: The two semi-finals feature the three quarter-final-winning teams and the team that receives a bye from the first round. Two teams qualify for the next round. Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions.

Teams

Qualification

2024 Teams

70 clubs will compete in the 2024 Cork Junior A Hurling Championship: eight teams from Duhallow, twelve teams from Avondhu, nine teams from Muskerry, thirteen teams from Carbery, ten teams from Seandún, ten teams from Carrigdhoun and eight teams from Imokilly.

Trophy

The winning team is presented with the John Quirke Cup. Born in Milltown, County Kerry, Johnny Quirke (1911–1983) played hurling for Blackrock and was a member of the Cork senior hurling team for 14 years, during which time he won four successive All-Ireland Championships between 1941 and 1944. He served as a Cork selector for many years and was deeply involved at all levels with the Blackrock club.

Sponsorship

TSB Bank became the first title sponsor of the championship, serving in that capacity until 2005 when the Evening Echo signed a sponsorship deal. In 2020, Dairygold Co-Op Superstores were unveiled as the new title sponsor of the Cork Junior A Championship.

Roll of Honour

By club

By division

List of Finals

List of Cork JAHC finals

Records and statistics

Final

Team

Divisional winners by year (2010–present)

Sources