2020 Cork Premier Senior Hurling Championship

The 2020 Cork Premier Senior Hurling Championship was the inaugural staging of the Cork Premier Senior Hurling Championship and the 132nd staging overall of a championship for the top-ranking hurling teams in Cork. The draw for the group stage placings took place on 19 November 2019. The championship was scheduled to begin on 17 April 2020, however, it was postponed indefinitely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gaelic games. The championship began on 31 July 2020 and ended on 4 October 2020.
Imokilly were the [2019 Cork (city)|Cork Senior Hurling Championship|defending champions], however, they failed to qualify for the knockout stage after being beaten by University College Cork in the divisional final. Ballyhea were relegated from the championship after being beaten in a playoff by Bishopstown.
The final was played on 4 October 2020 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork, between Blackrock and Glen Rovers, in what was their first meeting in a final in 42 years. Blackrock won the match by 4–26 to 4-18 - the first ever to be settled in extra time - to claim their 33rd championship title overall and a first title since 2002.
Blackrock's Alan Connolly was the championship's top scorer with 5-52.

Format change

On 26 March 2019, three championship proposals were circulated to Cork club delegates. A core element running through all three proposals, put together by the Cork GAA games workgroup, was that there be a group stage of 12 teams followed by a knock-out stage, straight relegation and one team from the divisions/colleges section to enter at the preliminary quarter-final stage. On 2 April 2019, a majority of 136 club delegates voted for Option A which would limit the number of participating club teams to 12 and see one round of games played in April and two more in August – all with county players available.
The championship was scheduled to begin in April 2020, however, it was postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic in Ireland. When the championship resumed, time constraints led to a revision of the format, with the play-offs for the second best and third best third placed teams being abolished. The knockout stage was further reduced, with the best-ranking team from the group stage receiving a bye to the semi-finals and the other five qualifying teams joining the divisional/colleges section winner in contesting three quarter-finals.

Team changes

From Championship

Regraded to the Cork Senior A Hurling Championship

Participating teams

Clubs

The club rankings were based on a championship performance 'points' system over the previous four seasons.

Team	Location	Colours	Seeding	Ranking
Glen Rovers	Blackpool	Green, black and yellow	A	1
Midleton	Midleton	Black and white	A	2
Blackrock	Blackrock	Green and yellow	A	3
Erin's Own	Glounthaune	Blue and red	B	4
Sarsfields	Glanmire	Blue, black and white	B	5
St. Finbarr's	Togher	Blue and yellow	B	6
Douglas	Douglas	Green, white and black	C	7
Na Piarsaigh	Farranree	Black and yellow	C	8
Bishopstown	Bishopstown	Maroon and white	C	9
Newtownshandrum	Newtownshandrum	Green and yellow	D	10
Carrigtwohill	Carrigtwohill	Blue and gold	D	11
Ballyhea	Ballyhea	Black and white	D	12

Divisions and colleges

Team	Location	Colours
Duhallow	Duhallow	Orange and black
Imokilly	East Cork	Red and white
University College Cork	College Road	Red and black

Championship statistics

Top scorers

;Overall

Rank	Player	Club	Tally	Total	Matches	Average
1	Alan Connolly	Blackrock	5-52	67	6	11.16
2	Patrick Horgan	Glen Rovers	2-55	61	5	12.20
3	Conor Lehane	Midleton	3-30	39	3	13.00
4	Liam Healy	Sarsfields	2-30	36	4	9.00
4	Shane Kingston	Douglas	0-36	36	4	9.00
5	Pa O'Callaghan	Ballyhea	1-31	34	4	8.50
5	Shane Conway	UCC	0-34	34	4	8.50
6	Evan Sheehan	Na Piarsaigh	0-33	33	4	8.25
6	Eoghan Murphy	Erin's Own	0-33	33	5	6.60
7	Jamie Coughlan	Newtownshandrum	3-20	29	3	9.66

;In a single game

Rank	Player	Club	Tally	Total	Opposition
1	Conor Lehane	Midleton	3-11	20	Ballyhea
2	Alan Connolly	Blackrock	1-11	14	Newtownshandrum
2	Patrick Horgan	Glen Rovers	1-11	14	Blackrock
2	Shane Conway	UCC	0-14	14	Blackrock
2	Patrick Horgan	Glen Rovers	0-14	14	Erin's Own
3	Pa O'Callaghan	Ballyhea	1-10	13	Sarsfields
3	Alan Connolly	Blackrock	0-13	13	Blackrock
3	Patrick Horgan	Glen Rovers	0-13	13	Na Piarsaigh
4	Jamie Coughlan	Newtownshandrum	2-06	12	Blackrock
4	Patrick Horgan	Glen Rovers	1-09	12	St. Finbarr's
4	Alan Connolly	Blackrock	1-09	12	Erin's Own
4	Shane Kingston	Douglas	0-12	12	Sarsfields

Match records

Widest winning margin: 25 points
*St. Finbarr's 3-26 - 0-10 Carrigtwohill
Most goals in a match: 8
*Blackrock 4-26 - 4-18 Glen Rovers
Most points in a match: 60
*Blackrock 3-26 - 0-34 University College Cork
Most goals by one team in a match: 4
*Midleton 4-23 - 1-13 Ballyhea
*Sarsfields 4-15 - 1-22 Douglas
*Blackrock 4-15 - 0-18 Bishopstown
*Blackrock 4-26 - 4-18 Glen Rovers
Most goals scored by a losing team: 4
*Glen Rovers 4-18 - 4-26 Blackrock
Most points scored by a losing team: 34
*University College Cork 0-34 - 3-26 Blackrock

Miscellaneous

On 8 August 2020, Patrick Horgan from the Glen Rovers club became the first player to surpass the cumulative total of 600 points.
On 12 September 2020, Eoghan Murphy from the Erin's Own club became only the second player ever to surpass the cumulative total of 500 points.
Blackrock and Glen Rovers met each other in the final for the first time since 1978.
It was the first all city final since 1982.
It was the first final not to feature an East Cork team since 2003
Blackrock win the title for the first time since 2002..