Clare Senior Hurling Championship
| Clare Senior Hurling Championship | |
|---|---|
Current season or competition: 2016 Clare Senior Hurling Championship
|
|
| Irish | Sraith Iomána Sinsir Co. an Chláir |
| Founded | 1886 |
| Trophy | Canon Hamilton Cup |
| Title holders |
 Ballyea (1st title) |
| First winner |
 Smith O'Briens
|
| Most titles |
 Newmarket-on-Fergus (23 titles) |
| Sponsors | Pat O’Donnell & Co. |
The Clare Senior Hurling Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association club competition organised by Clare GAA between the top sixteen hurling clubs in County Clare, Ireland. The winners qualify to represent the county in the Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship, the winner of which progresses to represent the province in the All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship. The Clare SHC final is generally held in the month of October and is played at Cusack Park in Ennis. A mini Senior B championship is also held for those clubs that avoid relegation but don't qualify for the quarter-finals each year.
In 2012 it was decided that from 2014 onwards the heretofore separate Clare Senior A and Senior B Hurling Championships would be merged into a single sixteen team senior hurling championship. This meant that five clubs would lose their senior status and be relegated down to the Clare Intermediate Hurling Championship. The fifteen remaining clubs would be joined by the 2013 intermediate champions to form the new single tier format. However due to the overwhelming success of both the Clare Senior and Under-21 intercounty squads in 2013, the culling of the senior hurling championship was postponed for twelve months. 2014 saw the relegation of Broadford, Doora-Barefield, Ruan, Scarriff and Wolfe Tones down to Intermediate for the 2015 season.
In 2014 Cratloe completed a historic first Clare Senior Championship 'Double' in 85 years since the famous Ennis Dalcassians in 1929.
The current (2016) county champions and holders of the Canon Hamilton Cup are Ballyea who won their first ever county title. Niall Deasy was man of the match in the county final.
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