The 2018 Christy Ring CupFor official fixtures and results see Christy Ring Cup at gaa.ie was the 14th staging of the Christy Ring Cup hurling championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2005. It is the third tierHurling tiers - 1. All-Ireland (Liam MacCarthy Cup) 2. Joe McDonagh Cup 3. Christy Ring Cup 4. Nicky Rackard Cup 5. Lory Meagher Cup of senior inter-county hurling. The competition began on 12 May 2018 and ended on 23 June 2018.
Carlow were the 2017 champions, beating Antrim in the final. Both teams were included in the counties competing in the newly created Joe McDonagh Cup. Roscommon lost their play-off match against Mayo in 2017 – normally Roscommon would have been relegated but they remained in the 2018 Christy Ring Cup as a result of the restructuring of the hurling championship tiers.
Kildare were the 2018 Chrisy Ring champions, defeating London by 3–19 to 1–11 in the final. Kildare lost the relegation/promotion game against Antrim and remained in the Christy Ring Cup for 2019.
Team changes
To Championship Relegated from the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
None
Promoted from the Nicky Rackard Cup
Armagh Derry
From Championship Promoted to the Joe McDonagh Cup
Antrim Carlow
Relegated to the Nicky Rackard Cup
None
Format
Beginning in 2018, the Christy Ring Cup changed to an initial stage of two groups of four teams. Previously it was a double elimination tournament. The top two teams from both groups advance to the semi-finals. In 2018, teams at the bottom of each group will automatically be relegated to the Nicky Rackard Cup for 2019. In subsequent years, the bottom teams will meet in a relegation playoff to decide the one team relegated to the following year's Nicky Rackard Cup.
The Christy Ring champions contest a promotion/relegation playoff with the second bottom team in the Joe McDonagh Cup with the winner earning the right to compete in the 2019 Joe McDonagh Cup.
Following the creation of the Joe McDonagh Cup in 2018, the Christy Ring Cup was reclassified as tier 3 (it was previously tier 2).
Teams General Information CountyCup TitlesLast Cup TitlePosition in 2017 championshipArmagh0 -Runners-up (Nicky Rackard Cup)Derry0 -Champions (Nicky Rackard Cup) Down12013Semi-finals Kildare12014Quarter-finals London12012Quarter-finals Mayo0 -Round 2 Roscommon0 -Round 2 Wicklow0 -Semi-finals
Personnel and kits CountyManagerCaptain(s)SponsorArmaghDerry Down KildareJoe QuaidBrady Family LondonClayton Hotels MayoIntersport Elvery's Roscommon Wicklow
Group stage
Group 1
Group 1 Table
TeamQualification 1 Kildare33008958316Advance to Knockout Stage2 Wicklow32017264843Roscommon31024871-2224 Mayo30034663-170Relegation to Nicky Rackard Cup
Group 1 Rounds 1 to 3
Group 1 Round 1
Group 1 Round 2
Group 1 Round 3
Group 2
Group 2 Table
TeamQualification 1 London32018860284Advance to Knockout Stage2Derry320189652443 Down320192692344 Armagh300339114-750Relegation to Nicky Rackard Cup
London, Derry and Down all finished on 4 points and were ranked on score difference.
Group 2 Rounds 1 to 3
Group 2 Round 1
Group 2 Round 2
Group 2 Round 3
Knockout stage
Bracket
Semi-finals
The Group 1 winners play the Group 2 runners-up and the Group 2 winners play the Group 1 runners-up.
Final
Relegation/promotion playoff
Antrim retain their place in the Joe McDonagh Cup for 2019, while Kildare remain in the Christy Ring Cup for 2019.
Stadia and locations
CountyLocationProvinceStadium(s)CapacityNeutral venueDublinLeinsterCroke Park82,300 ArmaghArmaghUlsterAthletic Grounds18,500 DerryDerryUlsterCeltic Park22,000 DownNewryUlsterPáirc Esler20,000 KildareNewbridgeLeinsterSt Conleth's Park8,200 LondonSouth RuislipBritainMcGovern Park3,000 MayoCastlebarConnachtMacHale Park25,369 RoscommonRoscommonConnachtDr Hyde Park25,000 WicklowAughrimLeinsterAughrim County Ground7,000
Stadiums and locations CountyLocationStadiumArmaghArmaghAthletic GroundsDerryBallinascreenDean McGlinchey Park DownBallycranMcKenna Park KildareNewbridgeSt Conleth's Park LondonSouth RuislipMcGovern Park MayoCastlebarMacHale Park RoscommonRoscommonDr Hyde Park WicklowAughrimJoule Park
Championship statistics Top scorers
Overall Updated to 2 June 2018
Rank Player Club Tally Total Matches Average1Cormac O'DohertyDerry1-2831215.502Daithí SandsDown6-052337.66Paul SheehanDown0-232337.664Andy O'BrienWicklow1-192237.33Barry CormackKildare0-222237.336Aaron SheehanLondon0-212137.007Daniel GlynnRoscommon1-172036.668Martin FitzgeraldKildare5-041936.33Kenny FeeneyMayo0-191936.3310Colin NelsonLondon1-131635.33
In a single game Rank Player Club Tally Total Opposition1Cormac O'DohertyDerry1-1720Down2Barry CormackKildare0-1515Roscommon3Aaron SheehanLondon0-1313Wicklow4Daithí SandsDown3-0312ArmaghMartin FitzgeraldKildare3-0312Roscommon6Jack SheridanKildare2-0511WicklowCormac O'DohertyDerry0-1111London8Aaron SheehanLondon0-1010DerryDaniel GlynnRoscommon0-1010Wicklow
Miscellaneous
Kildare won their 1st championship in 4 years, winning the 2014 Christy Ring Cup.
See also
2018 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2018 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship 2018 Munster Senior Hurling Championship 2018 Joe McDonagh Cup 2018 Nicky Rackard Cup 2018 Lory Meagher Cup
References