With 36 All Ireland hurling titles it’s fair to say the standard of hurling in Kilkenny must be pretty decent. How does their club championship work? What clubs dominate? What clubs hold the records?  Sportstalk takes a look. 

Twelve clubs currently participate in the Kilkenny Senior County Championship. Clara are the current title-holders after defeating O’Loughlin Gaels in the 2015 championship decider.

The twelve clubs currently competing senior are

The first Hurling champions of Kilkenny were Tullaroan in 1887.

The all-time record-holders are Tullaroan, who have won the competition 20 times. Tullaroan are currently an intermediate club and last won the senior title in 1994. In 2014 they were relegated to intermediate after being senior for over 25 years.

Four Kilkenny clubs have won the club All Ireland title. St Martins won it in 1985. Glenmore won in 1991. James Stephens have won it on three occasions – 1976, 1982 and 2005. The most wins of any side in Ireland belongs to Ballyhale Shamrocks who have won the club All Ireland an astonishing six times – 1981, 1984, 1990, 2007, 2010, 2015. The Fenians, Graigue Ballycallan and O’Loughlins Gaels have all reached the All Ireland club final without winning.

The Fenians have been senior, without getting relegated since 1969. James Stephens hold the record – they won junior in 1955 ( between 1938-1972 there was no intermediate grade so the winners of junior progressed to senior) and have held senior status since then. These two clubs hold the record for being senior in Kilkenny, without relegation by some distance.  The next closest are O’Loughlins and Ballyhale. O’Loughlins were promoted in 1996, Ballyhale in 1997. Both clubs have been senior ever since and show no sign of getting relegated any time soon.

A total of 26 different clubs, 4 of which no longer exist, have won the Kilkenny senior hurling title. A further 13 (unlucky) clubs have reached the final without winning it.

The intermediate title has been won at least once by 29 different clubs.

Bennettsbridge are the current intermediate champions and are enjoying a steady year up at senior level.  The all-time record-holders for the intermediate championship are Conahy Shamrocks, Clara and Mullinavat, who have each won the competition four times.

The third tier of Kilkenny club hurling is junior (apart from 1938-1972 when it was the second tier as there was no intermediate championship).

The junior title has been won at least once by fifty-six different clubs, quite a few of which no longer exist. The all-time record-holders for junior victories are John Locke’s, Mullinavat, Glenmore, Mooncoin, James Stephens, Thomastown and Carrickshock, who have all won the competition four times.

The 1990’s was perhaps the most competitive decade in Kilkenny. Seven different teams won the title in this decade – Glenmore, Ballyhale Shamrocks, Dicksboro, Tullaroan, Young Irelands, Dunnamaggin and Graigue Ballycallan. Fenians, James Stephens, St Martins and Clara  all reached the final in the 90’s without winning.

Carrickshock were relegated from senior to intermediate in 2015. Considering they had reached the finals of 2010 and 2013, this shows how competitive the Kilkenny senior championship is.