Kirk Cup

The Kirk Cup is the oldest hockey tournament in Ulster and the oldest provincial hockey trophy in Ireland. [Belfast Newsletter 18/04/1928 Page 5] It has become a tradition since the 1966-67 season for the final to be played on Boxing Day, a date previously reserved for the Anderson Cup Final. The final attracts the largest crowd of the Ulster hockey season. The cup is named after its donor, Mr. John Kirk, J.P, who was a member of the Antrim club.

In the early years of the competition it was also known as the Ulster Senior Challenge Cup.

Historical format

From the introduction of the Cup in the 1897-98 season until the major re-organisation of the Ulster Senior League for the 1969-70 season, the format was that of a knockout competition. The Cup was competed for towards the end of the season.

From the 1969-70 all the teams in Senior League Section One and Two were split into four groups. The winner of each group would go forward to an open draw for semi-final matches.

Current format

Following the reorganisation of the Ulster Senior Hockey Leagues after the 2000-01 season, the format of the competition was altered slightly. The eight teams in the Ulster Premier Hockey League are drawn into four groups. The top eight teams from Section One are drawn into these groups to create four groups of four teams each. The eight Section One teams are the relegated Premier League team from the previous season and the teams finishing in second to eighth places in the final league standings of the previous season.

Each club plays the other teams in their Group once. The winners of each Group proceed to semi-final matches, with the ties decided via an open draw.

2007-08 season

The groups for the 2007-08 competition were as follows, with the group winners in bold text:

1910s

1940s

1970s

2000s

ource

External links

* [http://www.ulsterhockey.com/ Ulster Branch of Irish Hockey Association]