McCullough Cup
SportField hockey
Founded1961-62
No. of teams14 (season 2017-18)
Most recent
champion(s)		Banbridge Academy
Most titlesRoyal Belfast Academical Institution
15 outright and 1 shared
Official websitehttp://www.ulsterhockey.com

The McCullough Cup is a hockey competition. It is an annual tournament played for by schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association. The competition is held in the winter term of each school year, with the older Burney Cup running in the Spring term.

The most successful school is Royal Belfast Academical Institution with 17 wins (16 outright wins and 1 shared win). The current holder is Royal Belfast Academical Institution.

Trophy

The trophy is called The Ian McCullough Memorial Cup. It was donated by a well-known family in Northern Ireland hockey circles, in memory of their son Ian.[1]

Ian (full name – John Truesdale McCullough) was a 15-year-old Newry Grammar School pupil. He was accidentally killed after being struck by a hockey ball during a match against Royal Belfast Academical Institution at Bladon Drive on 3 December 1960.[2]

Teams

The teams that compete for this trophy are the strongest boys' first teams from schools in Ulster. All players must be under 18 on 1 July at the start of the year of the competition. Fourteen teams from thirteen schools competed for the trophy in the 2013–14 season.

Format

The competition started out as a straight knockout event with the first winners being the defunct Bushmills Grammar School. However it was soon decided to move all matches to the winter term, with a league format introduced to provide all schools with a guaranteed number of fixtures.

Under the current format, all teams are divided into two pools, with each school playing all the other schools in their pool once. The top two teams from each pool qualify for the semi-finals.

In the semi-finals the teams in first place in the pools play the second place teams from the other pool.

The winners of the semi-final ties contest the final, which is usually played at a neutral venue on the second Wednesday in December.

Performance by school

Performance Table
School Wins Shared Wins Beaten Finalists Total Finals Last Title
Royal Belfast Academical Institution 16 1 6 22 2022-23
Cookstown High School 11 1 10 22 2011-12
Banbridge Academy 10 0 10 20 2023-24
Wallace High School, Lisburn 5 0 6 11 2018-19
Friends' School Lisburn 5 0 3 8 2019-20
Bangor Grammar School 3 1 5 9 1997-98
Sullivan Upper School 2 0 3 5 2017-18
Ballycastle High School 2 0 1 3 1964-65
Wellington College Belfast† 2 0 1 3 1995-96
Newry High School 1 0 6 7 1966-67
Methodist College Belfast 1 0 4 5 1965-66
Bushmills Grammar School 1 0 0 1 1961-62
Regent House, Newtownards 1 0 0 1 1999-00
Kilkeel High School 0 1 2 3 1970-71
Royal & Prior School, Raphoe 0 0 3 3 NA

Footnote

Finals

1960s

Year Winner Runner-up Notes
1961-62 Bushmills Grammar School 4 1 Newry Grammar School [3]
1962-63 Ballycastle High School 3 0 Annadale Grammar School [4][5]
1963-64 Cookstown High School 1 0 Newry Grammar School [6]
1964-65 Ballycastle High School 3 2 Newry Grammar School [7]
1965-66 Methodist College Belfast 1 0 Ballycastle High School [8]
1966-67 Newry High School 1 0 Royal Belfast Academical Institution [1]
1967-68 Annadale Grammar School 2 1 Methodist College Belfast [9]
1968-69 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 1 0 Cookstown High School [10]

1970s

Year Winner Runner-up Notes
1969-70 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 2 1 Cookstown High School [11]
1970-71 Royal Belfast Academical Institution
& Kilkeel High School 		0 0 TROPHY SHARED after extra time[12][13]
1971-72 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 1 0 Cookstown High School [14]
1972-73 Cookstown High School 2 0 Kilkeel High School [15]
1973-74 Cookstown High School 2 0 Newry High School
1974-75 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 1 0 Friends School Lisburn [16]
1975-76 Cookstown High School &
Bangor Grammar School 		3 3 TROPHY SHARED after extra time[17]
1976-77 Friends School Lisburn 2 1 Cookstown High School after extra time
1977-78 Friends School Lisburn 2 1 Cookstown High School [18]
1978-79 Cookstown High School 2 1 Bangor Grammar School

1980s

Year Winner Runner-up Notes
1979-80 Friends School Lisburn 3 2 Cookstown High School
1980-81 Friends School Lisburn 2 0 Newry High School
1981-82 Wallace High School 0 0 Newry High School Wallace HS won 5–4 on penalties
1982-83 Bangor Grammar School 3 1 Methodist College Belfast
1983-84 Wallace High School 3 2 Bangor Grammar School
1984-85 Cookstown High School 2 1 Royal Belfast Academical Institution
1985-86 Banbridge Academy 1 0 Cookstown High School [19]
1986-87 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 1 1 Methodist College Belfast R.B.A.I. won 3–2 on penalties[20]
1987-88 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 1 1 Banbridge Academy R.B.A.I. won 4–2 on penalties[21]
1988-89 Wallace High School 2 0 Bangor Grammar School [22]

1990s

Year Winner Runner-up Notes
1989-90 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 4 0 Bangor Grammar School [23]
1990-91 Bangor Grammar School 2 2 Cookstown High School Bangor GS won 3–1 on penalties[24]
1991-92 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 3 2 Banbridge Academy [25]
1992-93 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 3 0 Banbridge Academy [26]
1993-94 Banbridge Academy 1 1 Royal Belfast Academical Institution Banbridge won 3–1 on penalties[27]
1994-95 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 1 0 Cookstown High School [28]
1995-96 Wellington College Belfast 2 1 Royal Belfast Academical Institution [29]
1996-97 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 5 2 Bangor Grammar School after extra time[30]
1997-98 Bangor Grammar School 3 0 Methodist College Belfast [31]
1998-99 Cookstown High School 3 0 Royal Belfast Academical Institution [32]

2000s

Year Winner Runner-up Notes
1999-00 Regent House, Newtownards 2 0 Royal & Prior School, Raphoe after extra time[33]
2000-01 Cookstown High School 1 0 Royal & Prior School, Raphoe
2001-02 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 3 3 Kilkeel High School R.B.A.I. won 4–1 on penalties
2002-03 Banbridge Academy 3 0 Cookstown High School
2003-04 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 4 3 Banbridge Academy [34]
2004-05 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 2 1 Banbridge Academy
2005-06 Banbridge Academy 4 1 Royal Belfast Academical Institution
2006-07 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 6 1 Banbridge Academy
2007-08 Cookstown High School 4 4 Banbridge Academy Cookstown won 4–3 on penalties[35]
2008-09 Cookstown High School 3 0 Sullivan Upper School [36]

2010s

Year Winner Runner-up Notes
2009-10 Banbridge Academy 4 2 Wallace High School [37]
2010-11 Cookstown High School 4 2 Banbridge Academy [38][39]
2011-12 Cookstown High School 5 3 Banbridge Academy [40]
2012-13 Banbridge Academy 3 1 Sullivan Upper School [41]
2013-14 Wallace High School 3 2 Friends School Lisburn after extra time[42][43]
2014-15 Banbridge Academy 2 1 Wallace High School [44][45]
2015-16 Sullivan Upper School 4 3 Wallace High School [46]
2016-17 Banbridge Academy 2 1 Royal & Prior School [47]
2017-18 Sullivan Upper School 2 2 Friends School Lisburn [48]Sullivan won 4–3 on penalties
2018-19 Wallace High School 2 2 Sullivan Upper School Wallace won 4–3 on penalties [citation needed]

2020s

Year Winner Runner-up Notes
2019-20 Friends School Lisburn 3 0 Wallace High School [citation needed]
2020-21 not played due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22 Banbridge Academy 3 1 Wallace High School[49]
2022-23 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 2 2 Banbridge Academy RBAI win on penalty run-ins

Sources

  1. ^ a b Newry Reporter. 15 December 1966. p. 11. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ^ Newry Reporter. 8 December 1960. p. 1. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ Northern Constitution. 19 May 1962. p. 2. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 4 April 1963. p. 12. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ^ Northern Constitution. 6 April 1963. p. 2. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ^ Mid Ulster Mail. 9 May 1964. p. 14. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ^ Northern Constitution. 10 April 1965. p. 15. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 3 February 1966. p. 12. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 20 March 1968. p. 12. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ^ Mid Ulster Mail. 22 March 1969. p. 18. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. ^ Mid Ulster Mail. 3 January 1970. p. 12. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 21 December 1970. p. 11. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. ^ Mourne Observer. 8 January 1971. p. 7. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. ^ Mid Ulster Mail. 18 December 1971. p. 16. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 18 December 1972. p. 15. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 16 December 1974. p. 14. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 22 December 1975. p. 12. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 12 December 1977. p. 12. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 18 December 1985. p. 26. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 11 December 1986. p. 35. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 10 December 1987. p. 36. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 8 December 1988. p. 35. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  23. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 7 December 1989. p. 31. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  24. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 6 December 1990. p. 34. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  25. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 5 December 1991. p. 38. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  26. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 10 December 1992. p. 38. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  27. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 9 December 1993. p. 46. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  28. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 15 December 1994. p. 34. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  29. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 14 December 1995. p. 34. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  30. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 12 December 1996. p. 54. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  31. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 11 December 1997. p. 45. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  32. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 10 December 1998. p. 49. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  33. ^ Belfast Newsletter. 9 December 1999. p. 61. ((cite news)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  34. ^ "Paul overcomes family tragedy to help Inst take Cup". Belfasttelegraph. www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 11 December 2003. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  35. ^ "Cookstown beat Banbridge in final". BBC Sport. 12 December 2007. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
  36. ^ "Cookstown clinch McCullough Cup". BBC Sport. 10 December 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2008.
  37. ^ "Banbridge beat Wallace in decider". BBC Sport. 9 December 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  38. ^ "Sloan shoots down Bann". Belfast Telegraph. 24 February 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  39. ^ "Cookstown clinch McCullough Cup 2010-11 (video content)". BBC Sport. 24 February 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  40. ^ "Sloan stars as Cookstown claim cup (video content)". BBC Sport. 14 December 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  41. ^ "Banbridge enjoy McCullough Cup success". Belfast Newsletter. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  42. ^ "Wallace beat Lisburn rivals Friends in schools hockey final(video content)". BBC Sport. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  43. ^ "O'Hare strikes in extra time to edge out Friends in final". Belfast Newsletter. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  44. ^ "Banbridge secure McCullough Cup(video content)". BBC Sport. 11 December 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  45. ^ "Luke who's Banbridge Academy hero in McCullough Cup showdown". Belfast Telegraph. 11 December 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  46. ^ "Sullivan Upper beat Wallace High School in McCullough Cup Final". Belfast Newsletter. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  47. ^ "Banbridge Academy win schoolboys hockey final". BBC. 7 December 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  48. ^ "Sullivan have upper hand in hockey final". BBC Sport. 6 December 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  49. ^ https://ulsterhockey.com/banbridge-academy-lift-the-mccullough-cup/ Ulster Hockey

External links

Field hockey in Ireland
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