History
In 1954, the Leinster Council established inter-county competitions in both the codes of hurling and Gaelic football in an effort to raise funds to supplement the medical bills of players who were in financial difficulty. This scheme was the first of its kind to be offered by a provincial GAA council. The hurling competition became known as the Walsh Cup, named after Kilkenny man, Tom Walsh, who served as Chairman of the Leinster Council from 1948 to 1950 and also as Minister for Agriculture in the de Valera government of the early fifties. The competition started as a knockout tournament for the 12 counties in Leinster. During the fifties, sixties and seventies, the tournament was played after the All-Ireland Championship during the months of September, October and November. In the eighties, it was played before the All-Ireland, during April and May. Since the early nineties, the competition has been played from January to February.
In 2003, Down were the first non-Leinster team to enter the Walsh Cup as there was no equivalent pre-season tournament in Ulster. They continued to compete every year until 2008, after which they moved to the Kehoe Cup. Antrim followed suit when they joined the competition in 2005, competing strongly each year and even winning the tournament in 2008. In November 2011, Antrim decided to withdraw from the 2012 competition due to the appointment of a new management team, but then returned to the competition in 2013. Galway were the first Connacht team to enter the Walsh Cup which came about in 2009 as part of their move from the Connacht Championship to the Leinster Championship in a bid to play hurling in a more competitive environment. They continue to compete in the tournament and also managed to win it in 2010. The first third-level team to enter the Walsh Cup was UCD who won the tournament on their debut in 2004.
In 2009, GMIT and NUIG of Connacht entered into the tournament along with the Galway hurlers. While NUIG continue to compete in the tournament, GMIT have moved to the Kehoe Cup since 2010. Dublin College, DIT, also joined in 2009 and continue to compete in the Walsh Cup.
Read more about this topic: Walsh Cup (hurling)
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