The Meath Senior B Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Ted Murtagh Clothing & Footwear Meath Senior B Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Meath SBHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association from 2024 for the second tier senior hurling teams in the county of Meath in Ireland.
| Meath Senior B Hurling Championship | |
|---|---|
Current season or competition: 2024 Meath Senior B Hurling Championship | |
| Irish | Craobh Iomána Sinsearach B na Mí |
| Code | Hurling |
| Founded | 2024 |
| Region |  Meath (GAA) |
| Trophy | Kit Mitchell Memorial Cup |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Title holders |  Longwood (1st title) |
| First winner | Longwood |
| Sponsors | Ted Murtagh Clothing & Footwear |
| Official website | Meath GAA |
In its current format, the Meath Senior B Hurling Championship is a knockout competition for the six teams who fail to qualify for the knockout stages of the Meath SHC. The competition culminates with the final match at St Loman's Park.
Longwood are the title holders after defeating Na Fianna by 1–13 to 0–14 in the 2024 final.[1]
History
editThe Meath Intermediate Championship was established in 1940 in an effort to bridge the standard of play between the Meath Senior Championship and the Meath Junior Championship. For almost 85 years, the Meath Intermediate Championship was effectively the second tier championship in the Meath hurling championship system.[2]
A review of Meath's hurling structures resulted in county committee delegates approving major changes to the championship format in February 2024. Five different format proposals were put before delegates with one winning unanimous favour and no support for the remaining four. The new format saw introduction of the Meath SBHC for teams who fail to qualify for the knockout stage of the Meath SHC.[3][4]
The very first match in the inaugural championship took place on 14 September 2024, with Dunderry beating Blackhall Gaels by 1–16 to 2–10. Longwood won the inaugural championship after beating Na Fianna in the final.
Format
editKnockout stage
editQuarter-finals: Two lone quarter-finals featuring the four lowest-placed qualifying teams from the Meath SHC group stage. The two winners from these two games advance to the semi-finals.
Semi-finals: The top two qualifying teams from the Meath SHC group stage are joined by the two quarter-final winners. The two winners from these two games advance to the final.
Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions.
Relegation
editThe two quarter-final losers take part in a relegation playoff to determine who drops to the Meath Intermediate Hurling Championship.
List of finals
edit| Year | Winners | Runners-up | Venue | # | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Score | Club | Score | |||
| 2024 | Longwood | 1-13 | Na Fianna | 0-14 | St Loman's Park | [5] |
References
edit- ^ "Senior B HC final: Longwood celebrates it's 120th birthday in style". Hogan Stand. 14 October 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ "Club Titles - Meath". Hogan Stand. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ "Delegates approve major changes to Meath GAA club championship structures at county committee meeting". Irish Independent. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ "Major alterations adopted for Meath Senior and Intermediate Hurling Championships in 2024". LMfm. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ "Championship glory for Senior Hurlers". Club Zap. 14 October 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.