2025 Nicky Rackard Cup


The 2025 Nicky Rackard Cup was the twenty-first edition of the Nicky Rackard Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2005 and is the fourth-tier of Hurling for senior county teams. It is contested by six GAA county teams ranked 24–29 in the 2025 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. The competition ran from 12 April to 1 June 2025.
Donegal, winner of the 2024 final, were promoted to the Christy Ring Cup, replaced by Sligo who were relegated back to this competition. Fermanagh were promoted from the Lory Meagher Cup.
The top 2 teams from the round robin stage will play off in the final to decide the winner. The Nicky Rackard Cup Final will be played on 31 May 2025 at Croke Park in Dublin. Roscommon defeated Mayo by 3-16 to 1-24.

Team changes

To Championship

Relegated from the Christy Ring Cup
Promoted from the Lory Meagher Cup

From Championship

Promoted to the Christy Ring Cup
Relegated to the Lory Meagher Cup

Format

Cup format

Initially each of the six teams play the other five teams in single round-robin matches. The top two teams after the round robin games compete in the Nicky Rackard Cup Final.

Promotion

The Nicky Rackard Cup champions are automatically promoted to the following year's Christy Ring Cup and are replaced by the bottom-placed team in the Christy Ring Cup.

Relegation

The bottom-placed team in the Nicky Rackard Cup are automatically relegated to the following year's Lory Meagher Cup and are replaced by the Lory Meagher Cup champions. However, if New York are the Lory Meagher Cup champions, no team will be relegated from the Nicky Rackard Cup.

Teams by province

The participating teams, listed by province, with numbers in parentheses indicating final positions in the 2025 National Hurling League before the championship were:
Connacht
Leinster
Munster None participated
Ulster

Knockout stage

Final

wins the Nicky Rackard Cup.

Stadia and locations

CountyLocationProvinceStadium(s)Capacity
NeutralDublinLeinsterCroke Park82,300
ArmaghArmaghUlsterAthletic Grounds18,500
FermanaghEnniskillenUlsterBrewster Park20,000
LouthDroghedaLeinsterDrogheda Park3,500
MayoCastlebarConnachtMacHale Park25,369
RoscommonRoscommonConnachtDr Hyde Park25,000
SligoSligoConnachtMarkievicz Park18,558

Statistics

Top scorers

; Overall
RankPlayerCountyTallyTotalMatchesAverage
1Andrew Kilcullen Sligo6-4361512.20
2Darren Geoghegan Louth1-394258.40
3Shane Boland Mayo0-343456.80
4Sheá Harvey Armagh0-282855.60
5Eoin Delaney Mayo3-182764.50
6Leon Fox Louth3-162555.00
7Seán Corrigan Fermanagh1-212446.00
7Liam Lavin Mayo0-242464.00
9Seán Canning Roscommon6-052345.75
9Robbie Fallon Roscommon3-142363.83

In a single game
RankPlayerCountyTallyTotalOpposition
1Andrew Kilcullen Sligo4-0719 Fermanagh
2Andrew Kilcullen Sligo2-0915 Armagh
3Seán Canning Roscommon3-0211 Louth
4Andrew Kilcullen Sligo0-1010 Louth
5Andrew Kilcullen Sligo0-099 Roscommon
5Darren Geoghegan Louth0-099 Mayo
5Leon Fox Louth2-039 Mayo
5Shane Boland Mayo0-099 Sligo
5John Duffy Fermanagh1-069 Mayo
5Sheá Harvey Armagh0-099 Sligo
5Darren Geoghegan Louth0-099 Roscommon

Scoring events

  • Widest winning margin: 21 'points
  • * Armagh 0-11 - 1-29 Mayo
  • Most goals in a match: 9'
  • * Fermanagh 2-18 - 7-20 Sligo
  • Most points in a match: 49
  • * Mayo 1-32 - 1-17 Sligo
  • * Roscommon 4-27 - 0-22 Fermanagh
  • Most goals by one team in a match: 7
  • * Fermanagh 2-18 - 7-20 Sligo
  • Most points by one team in a match: 32
  • * Mayo 1-32 - 1-17 Sligo
  • Highest aggregate score: 65 points
  • * Fermanagh 2-18 - 7-20 Sligo
  • Lowest aggregate score: 31 points
  • * Fermanagh 0-15 - 1-13 Armagh
  • Hat-trick Heros:
  • * Andrew Kilcullen 4-07 vs Fermanagh
  • * Seán Canning 3-02 vs Louth