The 2015 Christy Ring Cup was the eleventh staging of the Christy Ring Cup hurling championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2005. The cup competition began on 2 May 2015 and ended on 6 June 2014.

2015 Christy Ring Cup
Dates2 May – 6 June 2015
Teams8
ChampionsKerry (2nd title)
John Griffin (captain)
Éamonn Kelly (manager)
Runners-upDerry
Seán MacCullagh (captain)
Tom McClean (manager)
Tournament statistics
Matches played16
Top scorer(s)Shane Nolan (2-35)
2014 (Previous) (Next) 2016

Kildare were the defending champions, however, they were beaten in the semi-final.[1] Kerry won the title after defeating Derry by 1-20 to 0-12 in the final.[2]

Mayo were relegated from the Christy Ring Cup after losing a play-off with Roscommon.

Format

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The 2015 Christy Ring Cup is played in a double-elimination format. For clarity, the draw details are explained in each round below.

Team changes

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To Championship

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Relegated from the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

Promoted from the Nicky Rackard Cup

  • None

From Championship

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Promoted to the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

  • None

Relegated to the Nicky Rackard Cup

Teams

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General Information

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County Last Cup title Last Provincial title Last All-Ireland title Position in 2014 Championship Appearance
  Derry 2001 Quarter-finals 10th
  Down 2013 1997 Round 2 11th
  Kerry 2011 1891 1891 Runners-up 11th
  Kildare 2014 Champions 11th
London 2012 1901 Group Stage (Leinster Senior Hurling Championship) 5th
  Mayo 1909 Semi-finals 11th
Meath Semi-finals 10th
  Wicklow Quarter-finals 11th

Personnel and kits

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County Manager Captain(s) Sponsor

Round 1

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All eight teams play in four matches.

2 May 2015 Round 1 Kerry 2-17 - 2-10 Down Austin Stack Park
13:00 S Nolan (0-8, 7f), P Boyle (1-1), P Kelly (0-4), C Harty (1-0), D Dineen (0-1), M O'Leary (0-1), J Egan (0-1), D Butler (0-1). D Toner (1-3), J Coyle (0-4, 2f), C Egan (1-1), M McCullagh (0-1), C Woods (0-1f). Referee: J Keane
2 May 2015 Round 1 Derry 0-13 - 0-11 Mayo Owenbeg
14:00 R Convery (0-6f), J O'Dwyer (0-3), A Grant (0-2), P Henry (0-1), D Foley (0-1). K Feeney (0-9, 7f, 1'65), K McDermott (0-2).
2 May 2015 Round 1 London 2-23 - 2-23 Kildare Emerald GAA Grounds
14:00 M Duggan (1-2), P Phelan (0-5, 3f, 1'65), B Gaffney (0-4, 1f), L Hands (1-0), E Cooney (0-3), N Rogers (0-3), S Lambert (0-2, 1f), M Ivors (0-2), N Brophy (0-1), D Morkan (0-1). G Keegan (1-4), M Delaney (0-7, 5f), M Moloney (1-0), L Quinn (0-3), P Divilly (0-2), J Byrne (0-2), B Deay (0-2), D Young (0-1), M Fitzgerald (0-1), E Dempsey (0-1).
2 May 2015 Round 1 Meath 1-21 - 1-5 Wicklow St. Loman's Park
16:00 J Regan 0-10 (4fs); J Fagan 1-5; M Burke 0-2; A Douglas, S Morris, C Bird, K Keoghan 0-1 each. Report A O'Brien 1-4 (3fs,1 65), A Byrne 0-1. Referee: D Hughes (Carlow)
9 May 2015 Round 1 replay Kildare 0-19 - 3-16 London St. Conleth's Park
13:00 M Delaney 0-10 (8fs); M Moloney, B Deay, G Keegan 0-2 each; K Whelan, P Divilly, D Flaherty 0-1 each. Report M Duggan 3-3; P Phelan 0-6(5fs, 1 65); M O'Dwyer, D Morkham (1f) 0-2 each; M Ryan, N Brophy, M Ivors 0-1 each. Referee: J O'Brien (Tipperary)

Round 2

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Round 2A

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Contested by four winners from round 1

9 May 2015 Round 2A Kerry 1-23 - 2-18 Meath Austin Stack Park
12:30 S Nolan (0-12, 9f, 1 '65), C Harty (1-0), P Boyle (0-3), J Egan (0-2), D Collins (0-1), M Boyle (0-1), D Butler (0-1), S Weir (0-1), R Horgan (0-1), J O'Neill (0-1). Report J Regan (1-11, 1-0 penalty, 7f, 1 sideline cut), W McGrath (1-3), J Fagan (0-2), E Marsh (0-1), M Burke (0-1). Referee: D O'Driscoll (Limerick)
16 May 2015 Round 2A Derry 1-12 - 2-8 London Owenbeg
P Henry (1-6, 0-5f, 0-1'65), R Convery (0-3, 2f), P McCloskey (0-1), P Cleary (0-1), N Ferris (0-1). Report M O’Dwyer (2-0), P Phelan (0-6f), N Rogers (0-1), T Healy (0-1). Referee: J Keane

Round 2B

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Contested by four losers from round 1

9 May 2015 Round 2B Down 1-19 - 0-13 Wicklow McKenna Park
15:00 G Johnson 0-6; C Egan 1-3; S Dineen, F Conway and D Toner 0-2 each; P Sheehan and M Turley 0-1. Report A O'Brien 0-4; L Glynn 0-2; C Moorehouse, A Byrne, E Kearns, E Dunne, M Lee, D Staunton and E Glynn 0-1 each. Referee: O Elliott (Antrim)
16 May 2015 Round 2B Mayo 1-16 - 2-18 Kildare James Stephens Park
F Boland (0-7), K Feeney (0-7, 3f, 1'65), K Higgins (1-0), K McDermott (0-1), S Hoban (0-1). Report W Greene (2-3), M Delaney (0-7, 5f), G Keegan (0-3), M Fitzgerald (0-2), B Deay (0-2), D Flaherty (0-1). Referee: E Hasson (Derry)

Quarter-finals

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Winners of round 2B versus losers of round 2A in two games referred to as quarter finals.

23 May 2015 Quarter-final Meath 2-18 - 3-23 Kildare St. Loman's Park
14:00 J Regan (1-8, 0-8fs), J Fagan (1-1), W McGrath (0-3), J Toher (0-2), E Marsh (0-2), M Burke (0-1), S Morris (0-1). Report G Keegan (2-5), M Delaney (0-9, 5fs), B Deay (1-3), D Young (0-1), F O Muineachain (0-1), E O'Neill (0-1), W Greene (0-1), D Flaherty (0-1), D Stapleton (0-1). Referee: T Carroll (Offaly)
23 May 2015 Quarter-final Down 1-22 - 1-13 London McKenna Park
G Johnson 1-9 (7f, 1 '65'), F Conway 0-3, C Woods 0-3 (3f), D Toner, S Dineen 0-2 each, J Coyle, M McCullough, D Hughes 0-1 each. Report B Gaffney 1-0 (pen), P Phelan 0-3 (1f), T Healy, N Brophy 0-2 each, M Ryan, D Morkan, E Cooney, S Lambert, L Hands, M O'Dwyer 0-1 each Referee: E Hassan (Derry)

Semi-finals

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Winners of round 2A versus winners of the two quarter-finals

30 May 2014 Semi-final Kildare 0-09 - 6-27 Kerry St. Conleth's Park
M Fitzgerald 0-2; M Delaney (f), D Flaherty, E O’Neill, P Divilly (f), G Keegan (f), D Stapleton, N Ó Muineacháin 0-1 each. Report M Boyle 4-1; S Nolan 1-7(5fs, 2 65s); P Boyle 0-5; M O’Leary 0-4; C Harty 1-1; J Egan, J Griffin, J O’Neill 0-2 each; K Carmody, B O’Leary, D Collins 0-1 each. Referee: S Cleere (Kilkenny)
30 May 2014 Semi-final Derry 0-23 - 2-12 Down Owenbeg
R Convery 0-7 (4f), P Cleary 0-6, P Henry 0-5 (4f), A Grant 0-3, P McCloskey, A Rafferty 0-1 each. Report G Johnson 1-5 (0-3f), J Coyle 1-1, S Dineen 0-2, F Conwa$y, M Ennis, D McManus, S Nicholson 0-1 each. Referee: O Elliott (Antrim)

Final

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6 June 2015 Final Kerry 1-20 - 0-12 Derry Croke Park
17:30 Shane Nolan 1-8 (0-7f), Michael O’Leary 0-3, Keith Carmody 0-3, Colum Harty 0-2, Patrick Kelly 0-2, John Egan 0-1, Daniel Collins 0-1. Report Ruairi Convery 0-5 (0-5f), Patrick Henry 0-4 (0-4f), Alan Grant 0-1, Liam Hinphey 0-1, Jonathan O’Dwyer 0-1. Referee: John Keane (Galway)

The winners of this year's Christy Ring Final are automatically promoted to play in the Qualifier Group of next year's Leinster Championship.[3]

Christy Ring/Nicky Rackard Relegation/Promotion

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Play-off

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Contested by two losers from round 2B

23 May 2015 Relegation play-off Wicklow 1-18 - 1-11 Mayo Cusack Park
13:00

Relegation/Promotion play-off

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The bottom team in this year's Christy Ring Cup plays the winner of this year's Nicky Rackard Cup.

14 June 2015 Play-off Mayo 0-13 - 2-14 Roscommon Pearse Stadium
13:45 K Feeney (0-7, 4f, 1'65), F Boland (0-3, 1f), C Scahill (0-1), D Kenny (0-1), K McDermott (0-1). Report J Coyne (2-3, 0-2f), M Kelly (0-3, 1f, 1'65), J Fallon (0-3, 2f), J Kilkenny (0-1), J Moran (0-1), R O’Meara (0-1), C Egan (0-1), K Kilkenny (0-1). Referee: D O'Driscoll

Top scorers

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Overall
Rank Player County Tally Total Matches Average
1 Shane Nolan Kerry 2-35 41 4 10.25
2 Mark Delaney Kildare 0-36 36 5 7.20
3 Jack Regan Meath 2-29 35 3 11.66
Single game
Rank Player County Tally Total Opposition
1 Jack Regan Meath 1-11 14 Kerry
2 Mikey Boyle Kerry 4-1 13 Kildare
3 Martin Duggan London 3-3 12 Kildare
Gareth Johnson Down 1-9 12 London
Shane Nolan Kerry 0-12 12 Meath
6 Gerry Keegan Kildare 2-5 11 Meath
Jack Regan Meath 1-8 11 Kildare
Shane Nolan Kerry 1-8 11 Derry
9 Shane Nolan Kerry 1-7 10 Kildare
Jack Regan Meath 0-10 10 Wicklow
Mark Delaney Kildare 0-10 10 London
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References

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  1. ^ "Lilies blitz stuns Kingdom in thrilling Ring final". Irish Independent. 8 June 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  2. ^ "Nolan inspires Kingdom to Ring Cup final win over Derry". GAA.ie. 6 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  3. ^ See motion 24 passed at 2015 GAA Annual Congress 28 February 2015