2018 Nicky Rackard Cup
Dates12 May 2018 – 23 June 2018
Teams9
ChampionsDonegal (2nd title)
Mickey McCann (manager)
Tournament statistics
Matches played6
Top scorer(s)Joe O'Brien (2-24)
← 2017 (Previous) (Next) 2019 →

The 2018 Nicky Rackard Cup was the 14th staging of the Nicky Rackard Cup hurling championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2005. It was the fourth tier[1] of senior inter-county hurling as of 2018.

The competition began on Saturday 12 May 2018 and ended on Saturday 23 June 2018.

Derry were the 2017 champions, beating Armagh in the final. Both teams were promoted to the 2018 Christy Ring Cup as a result of the restructuring of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. Following the withdrawal of the Fingal team from the competition in 2017, there was no relegation from the 2017 competition and Warwickshire were promoted from the 2017 Lory Meagher Cup.

Format

Beginning in 2018, the Nicky Rackard Cup changed to an initial stage of two groups, which in 2018 consisted of one group of four teams and one group of three teams. Previously it was a double elimination tournament.

The top two teams from both groups advance to the knockout semi-finals. The winners of the 2018 Nicky Rackard Cup are promoted to the 2019 Christy Ring Cup. Two teams will be relegated from the 2018 Christy Ring Cup to the 2019 Nicky Rackard Cup to make the 2019 completion into two groups of four teams.

The bottom teams from each group playoff in a relegation match with the losers playing in the 2019 Lory Meagher Cup. They are replaced by the winners of the 2018 Lory Meagher Cup.[2]

Group stage

Group 1

Table

Pos Team Pld W D L SF SA Diff Pts Qualification
1 Warwickshire33006852+166 Advance to knockout stage
2 Monaghan31116958+113
3Longford31024859-112
4Louth30124965-161 Advance to relegation playoff

Matches

Group 1 Round 1
12 May 2018 Round 1 Monaghan 4-19 – 2-11 Longford Grattan Park, Inniskeen
E Collins 1-7, M Treanor 1-3, F Rafter 0-5 (2fs) T Campbell, B McGuigan 1-0, C Boye 0-2, A Kenny, C McNally 0-1 each. Report J O'Brien 2-3, C Mullane 0-4 (3fs), P Walsh 0-2, C Kavanagh 0-1. Referee: A Ferguson (Fermanagh)
12 May 2018 Round 1 Louth 1-16 – 3-19 Warwickshire Dundalk
P Lynch 0-6 (4 fs), D Kettle 1-1, R Byrne (2fs), S Callan, S Connelly 0-2 each, J Crosbie, G Smyth, D Ryan 0-1 each. Report N McKenna (5fs), D Nugent 0-5 each, P Hoban 0-4 (3fs), S Caulfield 1-1, G Lennon, K Magee 1-0 each, P Uniacke 0-2, J Collins, N Kennedy 0-1 each. Referee: J Clarke (Cavan)
Group 1 Round 2
19 May 2018 Round 2 Warwickshire 1-21 - 3-11 Monaghan Páirc na hÉireann, Solihull
N McKenna 0-9 (5f), G Lennon 1-4, P Hoban 0-2 (1f), D Nugent 0-2, B Fallon 0-2, J Collins and S Caulfield 0-1 each. Report F Rafter 0-7 (2f), M Treanor 1-0, E Collins 1-1, T Campbell 1-1, C Boyle 0-3, P Finnegan 0-1. Referee: K Brady (Louth)
19 May 2018 Round 2 Longford 0-19 - 0-12 Louth Pearse Park, Longford
J O'Brien 0-9 (5f), P Walsh 0-5, K Murray 0-2, C Mullane, C Kavanagh, D Connell 0-1 each. Report P Lynch 0-4, (3f, 1'65), A McCrave, M Molloy, S Connolly 0-2 each, D Ryan, J Crosbie 0-1 each. Referee: T Gleeson (Dublin)
Group 1 Round 3
2 June 2018 Round 3 Louth 0-18 - 0-18 Monaghan Dowdallshill
1:00 pm P Lynch 0-10 (9f); R Byrne 0-3 (3f); G Smyth, D Kettle, S Connelly, S Kettle, M Molloy 0-1 each. Report F Rafter 0-10 (9f); M Treanor 0-2; E Collins 0-2; C Boyle, C Flynn, P Finnegan and C Power 0-1 each. Referee: G McGrath (Wexford)
2 June 2018 Round 3 Longford 0-13 - 1-13 Warwickshire Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, Longford
1:00 pm J O'Brien 0-12 (8f, 1 '65), Jody Leonard 0-1. Report N McKenna 0-9 (7f, 1 '65'), K Magee 1-0, P Hoban, S Caulfield, C Robbins, B Fallon 0-1 each. Referee: J Clarke (Cavan)

Group 2

Table

Pos Team Pld W D L SF SA Diff Pts Qualification
1 Donegal22006329+344 Advance to knockout stage
2 Tyrone21014649-32
3Leitrim20023465-310 Advance to relegation playoff

Matches

Group 2 Round 1
12 May 2018 Round 1 Tyrone 1-12 – 1-26 Donegal Killyclogher
1:00 pm D Casey 0-7 (4f, 1 '65), B McGurk 1-0, C Kearns 0-2, L Devlin, R McKernan, D Begley 0-1 each. Report D Coulter 0-13 (9f), D Flynn 1-5, C Matthewson 0-3, G Gilmore 0-2, R McDermott, J Donnelly, C McDermott 0-1 each.
Group 2 Round 2
19 May 2018 Round 2 Donegal 2-28 - 2-08 Leitrim O'Donnell Park, Letterkenny
1:00 pm D Flynn (4f, 1 '65) 1-13, G Gilmore 1-4, J Boyle, K Campbell, L Henderson 0-2 each, C Matthewson, D Cullen, E McDermott, B Lafferty, C McDermott 0-1 each. Report C Cunniffe (4f) 1-5, B Murray 1-0, C Donovan 0-2, J Clancy 0-1. Referee: K McGeeney (Roscommon)
Group 2 Round 3
2 June 2018 Round 3 Leitrim 2-14 - 2-25 Tyrone Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, Carrick
1:00 pm C Cunniffe 0-6 (5f, '65'); C O'Donovan 0-4; C Moreton & J Glancy 1-0 (each); Z Moradi 0-2; A Duffy, J McNabola 0-1 (each). Report P O'Kelly 0-8; D Casey 1-4 (f); A Kelly 1-1; C Kearns, J Ferguson, J Kelly, T Morgan 0-2 each; R McKernan, B McGurk, D Begley, L Armstrong 0-1 each. Referee: A Ferguson (Fermanagh)

Knockout stage

Bracket

Semi-Finals Final
      
Warwickshire 1-25
Tyrone 1-14
Warwickshire 0-18
Donegal 2-19
Donegal 4-22
Monaghan 1-10

Semi-finals

The Group 1 winners play the Group 2 runners-up and the Group 2 winners play the Group 1 runners-up.

9 June 2018 Semi-final Warwickshire 1-25 - 1-14 Tyrone Dowdallshill
Report
9 June 2018 Semi-final Donegal 4-22 - 1-10 Monaghan Owenbeg
Report

Final

The semi-final winners met in the Nicky Rackard Cup final at Croke Park with the winners being promoted to the Christy Ring Cup for 2019.

Final
Warwickshire0-18 - 2-19Donegal
Niall McKenna 0-12 (8fs), Shane Caulfield 0-2, Paul Hoban 0-1 (’65), Niall Kennedy 0-1, Conor Robbins 0-1, Domhnall Nugent 0-1 (1f) Report Declan Coulter 1-9 (2fs, 1 ’65), Gerry Gilmore 0-5 (3 sidelines), Gavin Brown 1-0, Davin Flynn 0-2, Bernard Lafferty 0-2, Ciaran Mathewson 0-1.
Referee: Gearoid McGrath (Wexford)

Relegation playoff

The bottom teams in each group - the fourth placed team in group 1 and the third placed team in group 2 - meet in a relegation playoff. The winners remain in the Nicky Rackard Cup for 2019, while the losers are relegated to the 2019 Lory Meagher Cup.

Relegation final
Louth2-22 - 2-10Leitrim
  • Leitrim are relegated to the 2019 Lory Meagher Cup. Louth will remain in the 2019 Nicky Rackard Cup

Stadia and locations

Statistics

Top scorers

Overall

Rank Player County Tally Total Matches Average
1 Davin Flynn Donegal 4-31 43 4 10.75
1 Declan Coulter Donegal 1-28 31 3 10.33
1 Joe O Brien Longford 2-24 30 3 10.00
3 Niall McKenna Warwickshire 0-23 23 3 7.66
4 Fergal Rafter Monaghan 0-22 22 3 7.33
5 Paddy Lynch Louth 0-20 20 3 6.66
6 Eamon Collins Monaghan 2-10 16 3 5.33
7 Clement Cunniffe Leitrim 1-11 14 2 7.00
Damian Casey Tyrone 1-11 14 2 7.00
9 Gerry Gilmore Donegal 1-11 14 4 3.5

Single game

Rank Player Club Tally Total Opposition
1 Davin Flynn Donegal 2-11 17 Monaghan
1 Davin Flynn Donegal 1-13 16 Leitrim
2 Declan Coulter Donegal 0-13 13 Tyrone
3 Joe O'Brien Longford 0-12 12 Warwickshire
4 Eamon Collins Monaghan 1-07 10 Longford
Fergal Rafter Monaghan 0-10 10 Louth
Paddy Lynch Louth 0-10 10 Monaghan
5 Joe O'Brien Longford 2-03 9 Monaghan
Niall McKenna Warwickshire 0-09 9 Monaghan
Joe O'Brien Longford 0-09 9 Louth
Niall McKenna Warwickshire 0-09 9 Longford

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hurling tiers - 1. All-Ireland (Liam MacCarthy Cup) 2. Joe McDonagh Cup 3. Christy Ring Cup 4. Nicky Rackard Cup 5. Lory Meagher Cup
  2. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 May 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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