The Kilkenny Junior A Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the JJ Kavanagh & Sons Junior A Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Kilkenny JAHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association and contested by junior-ranked clubs in the county of Kilkenny in Ireland. It is the fourth tier overall in the entire Kilkenny hurling championship system.
| Kilkenny Junior A Hurling Championship | |
|---|---|
| Irish | Craobh Iomána Shóisear A Chill Chainnigh |
| Code | Hurling |
| Region |  Kilkenny (GAA) |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Title holders |  Young Irelands (1st title) |
| Sponsors | JJ Kavanagh & Sons |
| Official website | Official website |
In its current format, the Kilkenny Junior Championship is played across the summer months. The 10 participating teams engage in a double elimination tournament that culminates with the final and the awarding of the Bob Aylward Cup.
Young Irelands are the current champions, after beating Dunnamaggin in the 2024 final.[1]
Format
editOverview
editRound 1: The 10 participating teams are drawn against each other in random pairings. Five matches are played with the five winning teams advancing to the quarter-finals. Four of the losing teams progress to round 2. One of the losing teams receives a bye to the quarter-finals.
Round 2: The four losing teams are drawn against each other in random pairings. Two matches are played with the two winning teams advancing to the quarter-finals.
Quarter-finals: The 8 participating teams are drawn against each other with the five first-round winners playing the two second-round winners and the losing team that received a bye. Four matches are played with the four winning teams advancing to the semi-finals.
Semi-finals: Two matches are played with the two winning teams advancing to the final.
Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions.
Promotion and relegation
editAt the end of the championship, the winning team is automatically promoted to the Kilkenny Premier Junior Hurling Championship for the following season. The two round 2 losing teams take part in a playoff, with the losing team being relegated to the Kilkenny Junior B Hurling Championship.
Sponsorship
editJJ Kavanagh & Sons have been the long-time sponsors of the Kilkenny Junior A Hurling Championship.[2]
List of finals
edit| Year | Winners | Runners-up | # | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Score | Club | Score | ||
| 2024 | Young Irelands | 2-15 | Dunnamaggin | 0-18 | |
| 2023 | Dicksboro | 1-18 | O'Loughlin Gaels | 0-19 | [3] |
| 2022 | Thomastown | w/o | Carrickshock | scr. | |
| 2021 | Mooncoin | 0-21 | Dunnamaggin | 1-16 | [4] |
References
edit- ^ "JJ Kavanagh & Sons Junior A & B and Iverk Produce Junior C County Finals". Kilkenny GAA website. 29 August 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
- ^ "JJ Kavanagh Renews Sponsorship with Kilkenny GAA". Coach Sales website. 27 April 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- ^ "Junior 'A' Hurling Champions 2023". Dicksboro GAA website. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
- ^ "Junior A – F Championship: County Finals – 27-29th August 2021". Kilkenny GAA website. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2024.