| Walsh Cup | |
|---|---|
Current season or competition: 2024 Walsh Cup | |
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| Irish | Corn Bhreatnach |
| Code | Hurling |
| Founded | 1954 |
| Region |  Leinster (GAA) |
| Trophy | Thomas Walsh Memorial Cup |
| No. of teams | 9 (2024) |
| Title holders | Wexford (18th title) |
| Most titles | Kilkenny (20 titles) |
| Sponsors | Dioralyte |
| Motto | Commitment, Community, Respect |
| Official website | leinstergaa.ie |
The Walsh Cup (Irish: Corn Bhreatnach)[1] is an annual hurling competition staged in Ireland by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) since 1954. Contested by the top county teams from the provinces of Leinster, Ulster and Connacht, the tournament consists of a round-robin group stage, followed by a knockout stage. Formerly sponsored by Bord na Móna, it was known as the "Bord na Móna Walsh Cup" and is now the "Dioralyte Walsh Cup" since 2024.[2] Prior to 2018, third-level colleges also competed.
The Walsh Cup is part of a series of GAA tournaments known as the Leinster GAA Series, along with the Kehoe Cup (second-tier hurling teams) and the O'Byrne Cup (Gaelic football). The money generated by these competitions helps address hardship suffered by players and ordinary members of the GAA in Leinster. This scheme is the only one of its kind offered by a provincial GAA council.[3] Apart from this, the competitions provide an opportunity for the county teams to prepare for the upcoming National Hurling League.
Eight teams currently participate in the Walsh Cup, most of which are from the province of Leinster; some county teams from Ulster and Connacht also compete. The tournament has been won at least once by nine different teams, six of which have won the title more than once. The all-time record-holders are Kilkenny, who have won the competition 20 times.[4][5]
- ^ "Torthaí Peile agus Iomána, 11-18 Nollaig, 2018".
- ^ "Bord na Móna O'Byrne cup set to get 2015 underway". Bord na Móna. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- ^ "Leinster GAA joins forces with Bord na Móna to boost hardship fund". Bord na Móna. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- ^ Tom Ryall (2000). Comhairle Laighean 1900-2000: Céad Bliain de Chluichí Gaelacha (PDF). Leinster GAA. pp. 33–34. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
- ^ "Leinster Results Archive – 2000-2016" (PDF). Leinster GAA. 2016. p. 8. Retrieved 20 January 2016.