2017 Christy Ring Cup
# 2017 Christy Ring Cup

The 2017 Christy Ring Cup was the 13th staging of the Christy Ring Cup hurling championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2005. The competition began on 22 April 2017 and ended on 10 June 2017.

Meath were the 2016 champions and were promoted to the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. Mayo returned to the Christy Ring Cup after gaining promotion from the Nicky Rackard Cup.

On 10 June 2017, Carlow won the Christy Ring Cup following a 5-23 to 4-15 defeat of Antrim. This was their third Christy Ring Cup title, their first in eight seasons.

## Format

The 2017 Christy Ring Cup begins in a double-elimination format which ensures that each team plays at least two games before being eliminated, and at least three games in total (including the relegation play-off). At the quarter-final stage, the competition becomes straight knockout. For clarity, the fixtures and draw details are explained in the section for each round below.

## Team changes

### To Championship

Relegated from the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

* Carlow

Promoted from the Nicky Rackard Cup

* Mayo

### From Championship

Promoted to the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

* Meath

Relegated to the Nicky Rackard Cup

* Derry

## Teams

### General Information

| County | Cup Titles | Last Cup Title | Position in 2016 championship |
| - | - | - | - |
| Antrim | 1 | 2006 | Runners-up |
| Carlow | 2 | 2009 | Group Stage (Leinster Senior Hurling Championship) |
| Down | 1 | 2013 | Semi-finals |
| Kildare | 1 | 2014 | Semi-finals |
| London | 1 | 2012 | Quarter-finals |
| Mayo | 0 | - | Champions (Nicky Rackard Cup) |
| Roscommon | 0 | - | Quarter-finals |
| Wicklow | 0 | - | Round 2 |

### Personnel and kits

| County | Manager | Sponsor |
| - | - | - |
| Antrim | Dominic McKinley Terence McNaughton | Creagh Concrete |
| Carlow | Colm Bonnar | tickets.ie |
| Down | Michael Johnston | |
| Kildare | Joe Quaid | Brady Family |
| London | | |
| Mayo | J. P. Coen | Intersport Elvery's |
| Roscommon | | John Doorly |
| Wicklow | | |

## Round 1

All eight teams play in Round 1.

## Round 2

### Round 2A

Contested by the four winners of Round 1. The winning teams advance to the semi-finals, the losing teams to the 'official' quarter-finals.

### Round 2B

Contested by the four losers of Round 1. The winning teams advance to the quarter-finals, The two losing teams contest the Relegation Playoff.

## Quarter-finals

The two losers of round 2A (who won a match and lost a match) play the two winners of round 2B (who lost a match and won a match). These two matches are referred to as quarter-finals, with the winners playing the winners of round 2A in the semi-finals.

## Semi-finals

The winners of round 2A play the winners of the two quarter-finals.

## Final

The winners of this year's Christy Ring Cup (tier 2) enter this year's All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in the preliminary round of the All-Ireland qualifiers (passed at GAA congress in February 2017). They are also promoted to play in the qualifier group of next year's Leinster Senior Hurling Championship.

## Bracket

| Round 1 Round 2B | Round 1 Round 2B | Round 1 Round 2B | Round 2A Quarter-finals | Round 2A Quarter-finals | Round 2A Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Carlow | Carlow | 2-22 | | | | | | | | | |
| Antrim | Antrim | 3-20 | Antrim | Antrim | 3-15 | | | | | | |
| Down | Down | 2-24 | Down | Down | 0-11 | | | | | | |
| Roscommon | Roscommon | 1-20 | | | | Antrim | Antrim | 4-23 | | | |
| | | | | | | Down | Down | 0-15 | | | |
| | | | London | London | 0-19 | | | | | | |
| Roscommon | Roscommon | 1-09 | Down | Down | 2-19 | | | | | | |
| London | London | 4-24 | | | | | | | Antrim | Antrim | 4-15 |
| Carlow | Carlow | 5-18 | | | | | | | Carlow | Carlow | 5-23 |
| Mayo | Mayo | 2-07 | Kildare | Kildare | 0-15 | | | |
| | | | Carlow | Carlow | 1-23 | | | |
| | | | | | | Carlow | Carlow | 0-24 | Relegation Playoff | Relegation Playoff | Relegation Playoff |
| Mayo | Mayo | 0-16 | | | | Wicklow | Wicklow | 2-08 |
| Kildare | Kildare | 0-17 | Kildare | Kildare | 2-19 | | | | Mayo | Mayo | 1-25 |
| Wicklow | Wicklow | 0-17 | Wicklow | Wicklow | 3-18 | | | | Roscommon | Roscommon | 2-12 |
| London | London | 0-16 | | | | | | | | | |

## Relegation playoff

Contested by the two losing teams from round 2B. Both these teams lost their first two matches. Normally Roscommon would have been relegated as they lost this play-off match. Due to the major reorganisation of hurling in September 2018, Roscommon remained in the Christy Ring Cup.

## Stadiums and locations

| County | Location | Province | Stadium |
| - | - | - | - |
| Antrim | Cushendall | Ulster | Páirc Mhuire |
| Carlow | Carlow | Leinster | Dr Cullen Park |
| Down | Ballycran | Ulster | McKenna Park |
| Kildare | Newbridge | Leinster | St Conleth's Park |
| London | South Ruislip | Britain | McGovern Park |
| Mayo | Ballina | Connacht | James Stephens Park |
| Roscommon | Athleague | Connacht | Athleague Sportsfield |
| Wicklow | Aughrim | Leinster | Joule Park |

## Championship statistics

### Top scorers overall

| Rank | Player | Team | Tally | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Denis Murphy | Carlow | 0-45 | 45 |
| 2 | Ciarán Clarke | Antrim | 6-25 | 43 |
| 3 | James Doyle | Carlow | 7-05 | 26 |
| 4 | Marty Kavanagh | Carlow | 4-13 | 25 |
| 4 | Neil McManus | Antrim | 2-19 | 25 |
| 6 | Kevin O'Loughlin | London | 1-21 | 24 |
| 6 | David Reidy | Kildare | 0-24 | 24 |
| 8 | Kenny Feeney | Mayo | 1-17 | 20 |
| 9 | Christy Moorehouse | Wicklow | 0-19 | 19 |
| 10 | Paul Sheehan | Down | 0-16 | 16 |

### Top scorers in a single game

| Rank | Player | Team | Tally | Total | Opposition |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Denis Murphy | Carlow | 0-16 | 16 | Antrim |
| 2 | Ciarán Clarke | Antrim | 2-09 | 15 | Carlow |
| 2 | Paul Sheehan | Down | 0-15 | 15 | Roscommon |
| 4 | Neil McManus | Antrim | 1-11 | 14 | Carlow |
| 5 | James Doyle | Carlow | 4-01 | 13 | Antrim |
| 5 | Ciarán Clarke | Antrim | 2-07 | 13 | Down |
| 5 | David Reidy | Kildare | 0-13 | 13 | Mayo |
| 8 | David Reidy | Kildare | 0-11 | 11 | Wicklow |
| 8 | Denis Murphy | Carlow | 0-11 | 11 | Antrim |
| 8 | Kenny Feeney | Mayo | 0-11 | 11 | Roscommon |
