The GAA Football All-Ireland Minor Championship Tier 2 is an annual inter-county Gaelic football competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the second tier inter-county Gaelic football competition for male players under the age of 17 in Ireland.
| GAA Football All-Ireland Minor Championship Tier 2 | |
|---|---|
Current season or competition: 2024 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship Tier 2 | |
| Irish | Craobh Peile Mionúr na hÉireann Sraith 2 |
| Code | Gaelic football |
| Founded | 2024 |
| Region | Ireland (GAA) |
| Trophy | Paul McGirr Cup |
| No. of teams | 11 |
| Title holders |  Kildare (1st title) |
| First winner | Kildare |
| Sponsors | Electric Ireland |
| Official website | http://www.gaa.ie/ |
Teams that are eliminated from the early provincial stages of the GAA Football All-Ireland Minor Championship qualify for this championship. 11 teams currently participate.
The final serves as the culmination of a series of games played during the summer months, and the results determine which team receives the Paul McGirr Cup. The All-Ireland Championship is played on a straight knockout basis whereby once a team loses they are eliminated from the championship.
Kildare are the current champions after beating Cavan by 2-12 to 1-10 in the 2024 final.
History
editThe All-Ireland Minor Football Championship was created in 1929.[1] Various formats were used in the provincial competitions, however, the All-Ireland series was, for many years, confined to the four provincial champions. A change in format resulted in the four provincial runners-up also being allowed entry to the All-Ireland series. A decision at GAA Congress in 2023 allowed for the creation of additional tiered All-Ireland competitions for counties that do not reach the provincial final stage.[2][3][4]
Format
editQualification
edit| Province | Championship | Teams progressing |
|---|---|---|
| Connacht | Connacht Minor Football Championship | 2: 3rd and 4th-placed teams |
| Leinster | Leinster Minor Football Championship | 4: Beaten quarter and semi-finalists |
| Munster | Munster Minor Football Championship | 1: 3rd-placed team |
| Ulster | Ulster Minor Football Championship | 4: Beaten quarter and semi-finalists |
Championship
editThere are 11 teams in the All-Ireland Championship. During the course of a championship season nine games are played comprising three preliminary quarter-finals, four quarter-finals, two semi-finals and a final. The championship is played as a single-elimination tournament. Each game is played as a single leg.
Trophy
editThe Paul McGirr Cup is the current prize for winning the championship. Paul McGirr of Tyrone suffered a fatal injury in an accidental collision in an Ulster Minor Championship game between Tyrone and Armagh in June 1997.[5] The trophy, donated by the McGirr family in 1998, was previously awarded to the winners of the All-Ireland Vocational Schools Championship before being repurposed as the prize for the winners of the All-Ireland U16.5 Championship. The cup was once again repurposed in 2024.[6]
List of finals
edit| Year | Winners | Runners-up | Venue | Captain(s) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Score | County | Score | ||||
| 2024 | Cavan | 2-12 | Kildare | 1-10 | Páirc Tailteann | Evan Boyle Ruaidhrí Lawlor |
[7] |
References
edit- ^ "All-Ireland Minor Football Championship: Roll Of Honour". RTÉ Sport. 20 September 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
- ^ "Congress: Structural changes made to All-Ireland minor championships". Hogan Stand. 30 September 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ "Revealed: how next year's three-tier All-Ireland minor football championship will look". Irish Examiner. 13 November 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ "EXPLAINED: How the new All-Ireland Minor football championship Tier 1, 2 and 3 competitions will work". Laois Today. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ "Tyrone teenager dies after football injury". Irish Times. 16 June 1997. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ "Paul McGirr and Seamus Heaney Cups". GAA website. 18 May 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ "Second-half goals steer Kildare to All-Ireland MFC Tier 2 title". Hogan Stand. 15 June 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.