2026 Joe McDonagh Cup
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| Corn Sheosaimh Mhic Dhonnacha | |
 | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Level | 2 |
| Year | 2026 |
| Trophy | Joe McDonagh Cup |
| Dates | 18 April - 6 June 2026 |
| Teams | 6 |
| Defending champions |  Kildare |
| Winners | |
| Qualify for | Joe McDonagh Cup Final |
The 2026 Joe McDonagh Cup will be the ninth staging of the Joe McDonagh Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2018.[1]
Kildare, winner of the 2025 final, were promoted to the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, replaced by Antrim who were relegated back to this competition.[2] London were promoted from the Christy Ring Cup.[3]
The top two teams from the round robin stage played off in a final to decide the winner, unlike previous years the two finalists won't advance to All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals. Instead a semi-final between the second and third-placed teams will be introduced in the 2027 Joe McDonagh Cup.[4] The bottom team will be relegated to Christy Ring Cup.
To Championship
Relegated from the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
Promoted from the Christy Ring Cup
From Championship
Promoted to the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
Relegated to the Christy Ring Cup
Format
Cup Format
Initially each of the six teams played the other five teams in single round-robin matches. The top two teams after the round robin games competed in the Joe McDonagh Cup final.
Promotion
If the Joe McDonagh champion was a non-Munster team, they would be automatically promoted to the following year's Leinster Championship. If the champion was a Munster team, they would be automatically promoted to the following year's Munster Championship. With the relegation of Kerry to the 2026 Christy Ring Cup, no Munster team is taking part in 2026, and so the winner of the cup will be promoted to the Leinster Championship for 2027.
Relegation
The bottom-placed team in the Joe McDonagh Cup was automatically relegated to the following year's Christy Ring Cup and will be replaced by the Christy Ring Cup winner.
Teams by province
The participating teams, listed by province, with numbers in parentheses indicating final positions in the 2026 National Hurling League before the championship were:
London (19)
- None Participated
Leinster (4)
Munster (1)
- None Participated
Ulster (1)
Teams
General Information
Six counties will compete in the Joe McDonagh Cup:
| County | Last Cup Title | Last Provincial Title | Last All-Ireland Title | Position in 2025 Championship | Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Antrim |
2022 | 2017 | — | 6th (Leinster Senior Hurling Championship) | 5th |
 Carlow |
2023 | — | — | 3rd | 7th |
 Down |
— | 1997 | — | 5th | 6th |
 Laois |
2019 | 1949 | 1915 | Runners-Up | 6th |
 London |
— | — | 1901 | Champions (Christy Ring Cup) | 1st |
 Westmeath |
2021 | — | — | 4th | 7th |
Personnel and kits
| County | Manager | Captain(s) | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antrim |
Davy Fitzgerald | Conal Cunning and Niall O'Connor | Fibrus |
| Carlow |
Pat Bennett | Chirs Nolan | MW Hire Group |
| Down |
Ronán Sheehan | EOS IT Solutions | |
| Laois |
Tommy Fitzgerald | David Dooley | Laois Hire |
| London |
Eoin O'Neill | Seán Glynn | Clayton Hotels |
| Westmeath |
Kevin O'Brien | Ronan Wallace | TEG |
Group Stage
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | SF | SA | Diff | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carlow |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8-37 | 2-40 | +15 | 4 | Advance to Final |
| 2 | Down |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3-45 | 2-40 | +8 | 4 | |
| 3 | Westmeath |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2-45 | 4-35 | +4 | 2 | |
| 4 | Laois |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3-40 | 4-39 | -2 | 2 | |
| 5 | Antrim |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0-45 | 3-45 | -9 | 0 | |
| 6 | London |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2-32 | 3-45 | -16 | 0 | Relegated to Christy Ring Cup |
Round 1
| 18 April 2026 Round 1 | Carlow | 4-17 (29) - (20) 1-17 | Laois | Carlow |
| 18:00 | Stadium: Netwatch Cullen Park |
| 19 April 2026 Round 1 | London | 0-15 (15) - (25) 1-22 | Westmeath | Ruislip |
| 13:00 | Stadium: McGovern Park |
Round 2
| 25 April 2026 Round 2 | Down | 2-23 (29) - (23) 2-17 | London | Ballycran |
| 13:00 | Stadium: McKenna Park |
| 25 April 2026 Round 2 | Laois | 2-23 (29) - (22) 0-22 | Antrim | Portlaoise |
| 16:00 | Stadium: Laois Hire O'Moore Park |
| 25 April 2026 Round 2 | Westmeath | 1-23 (26) - (32) 4-20 | Carlow | Mullingar |
| 16:00 | Stadium: TEG Cusack Park |
Round 3
| 9 May 2026 Round 3 | Down | v | Carlow | Ballycran |
| TBC | Stadium: McKenna Park |
| 9 May 2026 Round 3 | Westmeath | v | Laois | Mullingar |
| TBC | Stadium: TEG Cusack Park |
| 10 May 2026 Round 3 | London | v | Antrim | Ruislip |
| 13:00 | Stadium: McGovern Park |
Round 4
| 16 May 2026 Round 4 | Antrim | v | Westmeath | Belfast |
| TBC | Stadium: Corrigan Park |
| 16 May 2026 Round 4 | Laois | v | Down | Portlaoise |
| TBC | Stadium: Laois Hire O'Moore Park |
| 16 May 2026 Round 4 | Carlow | v | London | Carlow |
| 13:00 | Stadium: Netwatch Cullen Park |
Round 5
Knockout Stage
Final
| 6 June 2025 Final | First-Placed Team | v | Second-Placed Team | Dublin | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15:45 | Venue: Croke Park | ||||
| TV: RTÉ 2
|
Stadia and Locations
| County | Location | Province | Stadium(s) | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antrim |
Belfast | Ulster | Corrigan Park | 3,700 |
| Carlow |
Carlow | Leinster | Dr Cullen Park | 21,000 |
| Down |
Rubane | Ulster | McKenna Park | 1,320 |
| Laois |
Portlaoise | Leinster | O'Moore Park | 22,000 |
| London |
South Ruislip | Britain | McGovern Park | 3,000 |
| Westmeath |
Mullingar | Leinster | TEG Cusack Park | 11,500 |