SHC Winners
Won | Club / Team | Year Titles Won |
---|---|---|
20 | Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) | 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 |
12 | Longford Slashers | 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2021 |
6 | Clonguish Gaels | 2003, 2005, 2006, 2012, 2019, 2022 |
3 | Granard Hurling Club | 1932, 1933, 1934 |
2 | Naomh Ciarán (Rathcline) | 1985, 1988 |
1 | Longford Leo Caseys | 1904* |
1 | Killoe Young Emmets | 1907 |
* Organised in 1904 and completed in 1905.
SHC Timeline
Roll of Honour
Clonguish Gaels 1-15
Longford Slashers 1-13
Longford Slashers 4-11
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 1-13
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 3-10
Longford Slashers 1-6
Clonguish Gaels 1-19
Longford Slashers 0-10
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 1-11
Clonguish Gaels 0-10
This was the first time a six-in-row of SHC titles had been achieved in Longford.
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 2-11
Longford Slashers 2-10
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 2-15
Clonguish Gaels 1-5
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 4-11
Longford Slashers 0-10
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 2-10
Clonguish Gaels 1-10
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 3-12
Clonguish Gaels 2-14
Note: Longford Slashers did not compete in Senior Hurling competition in 2012 and 2013, hence the SHC was between 2 clubs.
Clonguish Gaels 1-10
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 1-18
Note: Longford Slashers did not compete in Senior Hurling competition in 2012 and 2013, hence the SHC was between 2 clubs.
The 2011 Hurling Championship final was not played. Clonguish had asked the County Board to postpone the hurling final until they had finished up in the county football championship because some dual players involved with their hurling team were also involved with the senior football team. Wolfe Tones turned up on the day and maintained that Clonguish failed to fulfill the fixture and that they should be awarded the title. In the meantime, Clonguish were knocked out of the football championship on 11 September 2011 and the fixtures committee set a new date for the Hurling final (9 October 2011). Wolfe Tones refused to play on that date because they felt they fulfilled the original fixture and as far as they are concerned they were now the champions. No final was played and no title officially awarded.
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 2-10
Clonguish Gaels 1-10
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 1-16
Clonguish Gaels 1-6
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 2-8
Clonguish Gaels 1-10
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 2-17
Longford Slashers 1-17
Clonguish Gaels 3-15
Longford Slashers 4-6
(Slashers Gaels name changed to Longford Slashers in early 2000’s)
Clonguish Gaels 3-11
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 3-5
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 1-11
Clonguish Gaels 0-5
Clonguish Gaels 3-9
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 1-5
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 0-16
Slashers Gaels 0-14
Slashers Gaels 6-11
Ballymahon Gaels 1-4
(Club name later changed from Slashers Gaels to Longford Slashers in mid 2000’s)
Slashers Gaels 3-13
Ballymahon Gaels 1-9
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 3-6
Slashers Gaels 0-7
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 4-9
Slashers Gaels 0-4
Slashers Gaels 1-8
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 0-8
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 2-9
Slashers Gaels 2-6
This was the first 5-in-row of SHC titles in Longford GAA history.
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 2-10
Slashers Gaels 0-10
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 2-8
Slashers Gaels 0-1
Wolfe Tones became the 3rd club (after Slashers Gaels and Granard Hurling Club) to complete 3-in-row of SHC titles.
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 0-13
Slashers Gaels 0-5
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 2-6
Slashers Gaels 1-7
Slashers Gaels 3-8
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 0-2
This was the second time Slashers Gaels had completed 3-in-row of SHC titles, and the third time overall that this feat had been achieved.
Slashers Gaels 3-8
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 0-5
Slashers Gaels 1-10
Naomh Ciarán (Rathcline) 0-4
Naomh Ciarán (Rathcline) 1-14
Slashers Gaels 2-10
Slashers Gaels 3-10
Wolfe Tones (Mostrim) 0-6
Slashers Gaels 6-11
Bunlahy 2-0
Naomh Ciarán (Rathcline) 2-18
Slashers Gaels 0-3
Note: Four teams competed in the 1985 Champinoship: 1) Naomh Ciarán, 2) Slashers Gaels, 3) Bunlahy and 4) Edgeworthstown/Ballymahon.
Slashers Gaels 5-9
Naomh Ciarán (Rathcline) 0-5
Slashers Gaels completed their first 3-in-row of SHC titles in 1984. This was only the second time a club had completed a 3-in-row of SHC titles, and the first since the 1930’s when Granard Hurling Club achieved the feat.
Slashers Gaels 4-12
Naomh Ciarán (Rathcline) 4-8
Slashers Gaels 2-10
Naomh Ciarán (Rathcline) 1-6
Note: This was the first Senior Hurling Championship played in Longford since 1934. Club hurling competition lapsed after a brief revival from 1932-1934, and restarted at schools level initially in the early 1960’s with Under 14 and Under 16 competition to follow in 1966 and 1967. Eventually the Longford Senior hurling team was reformed at the start of the 1980’s and entered the National Hurling League for the first time in 1982. This led to the reviving of the Longford Senior Hurling Championship in 1982.
There was no Hurling Championship competition from 1935 to 1981. Hurling competition restarted in Longford at the end of the 1970’s after a significant break. Competition was initially at underage level and eventually a Senior Hurling Championship was re-started from 1982 onward.
It is interesting to note that Granard won the Cavan Senior Hurling Championship in 1950.
Granard Hurling Club 3-2
Longford Hurling Club 1-3
📷 1934 Hurling Championship Final
Three hurling clubs competed in the 1934 Senior Hurling Championship… Granard HC, Longford HC and Lisryan HC. Granard beat Lisryan (4-1 to 4-0), and Longford beat Lisryan. In the final Granard made it three in a row of titles with victory over Longford by 3-2 to 1-3 on 22nd April 1934.
Granard Hurling Club won by topping the table at the end of competition on 14th January 1934.
There were four hurling clubs in the county at the start of 1933 – Granard HC, Longford HC, Edgeworthstown HC and Lisryan HC. However Edgeworthstown did not compete in the 1933 Hurling Championship, thus it involved three clubs playing in a league system, double games. Going into the final game between Longford and Granard, all three clubs had won two games each. Hence if Longford won the final game, that would have left all three teams on level points. Longford really should have had the competition wrapped up before the final game in January 1934, but they had wins against Lisryan and Granard overturned on objection.
📷 1933 Hurling Championship Winners
Here are some (not all) of the results from the 1933 Hurling Championship:
Longford vs Lisryan: Longford won 0-21 to 0-9.
Granard vs Lisryan: Granard won 2-1 to 0-1.
Longford vs Lisryan: Longford won 4-1 to 1-1.
Longford vs Granard: Granard awarded points.
Lisryan vs Granard: Lisryan won.
Lisryan vs Longford: Lisryan awarded points.
Longford vs Granard: Granard won on 14th Jan 1933 (winning the title).
Granard Hurling Club won by topping the table at the end of competition in May 1933.
Championship played in a league format with 3 hurling clubs – Granard, Longford & Edgeworthstown.
📷 1932 Hurling Championship Final
(This Championship began in May 1932 and was played on a league basis with three hurling clubs participating… Longford HC, Granard HC and Edgeworthstown HC. The first two games were played in May and July 1932, but the third game between Edgeworthstown and Longford was not played in until February 1932, with the fourth game played in May 1933. Granard beat Longford and Edgeworthstown twice prior to the last game. Longford beat Edgeworthstown twice but lost to Granard prior to the last game. If Longford won the final game against Granard (i.e. the final above) they would be level on points with Granard in the table, thus another game between them would be needed to decide the title. If Granard won the final game, they would take the title. Granard won by 4-2 to 3-0 to top the table and win the 1932 Hurling Championship title.)
Granard v Longford: Granard won.
Granard v Edgeworthstown: Granard won.
Longford v Edgeworthstown: Longford won.
Edgeworthstown v Longford: Longford won.
Edgeworthstown v Granard: Granard won.
Longford v Granard: Granard won. (Winning the title)
There was no Hurling Championship competition from 1908 to 1931.
Killoe Young Emmets 3-3
Longford Leo Caseys 0-0
↓
Venue: Newtownforbes
Date: 7th July 1907
Referee: P. Gilchrist (Longford)
No record found of Senior Hurling Championship competition for 1906.
No record found of Senior Hurling Championship competition for 1905.
The 1904 Senior Hurling Championship was organised in late 1904 (alongside that seasons SFC), and played out in January and February 1905 with the county final taking place on 19th February 1905 and replay held on 7th May 1905.
Longford Leo Caseys 2-4
Killoe Young Emmets 0-1
↓
Venue: Longford Park
Date: 19th February 1905
Referee: T. O’Reilly (Clonbroney)
Note: Objection lodged, replay ordered.
Longford Leo Caseys 2-3
Killoe Young Emmets 1-2
↓
Venue: Longford Park
Date: 7th May 1905
Referee: J. Flynn (Newtownforbes)
📷 1904 Hurling Final
📷 1904 Hurling Final Replay – Preview
📷 1904 Hurling Final Replay
The first Longford Hurling Championship was organised in 1904 (at same time the SFC was organised) and was completed in 1905. Championships tended to take place during the Winter months and both Football and Hurling Championships were organised in late 1904. Three clubs participated in the hurling championship… Longford Leo Caseys, Killoe Young Emmets & Clonbroney. Killoe and Clonbroney met in the semi-final on 15th January 1905. The county final took place on 19th February 1905 with Longford Leo Caseys beating Killoe Young Emmets by 2-4 to 0-1. However the final had to be replayed following an objection by Killoe to Leo Caseys playing a member of the Militia. The objection was upheld and the replay took place on 7th May 1905, with Longford Leo Casey’s victorious by 2-3 to 1-2 to take the first Longford Senior Hurling Championship title.
(Name of winner & runner-up displayed using name of each club at the time of the final, to preserve that historic record)
Additional Notes
The following changes to SHC titles resulted from research carried out from 2014 to 2021.
1904
Was: None
Now: Longford Leo Caseys
1907
Was: None
Now: Killoe Young Emmets
Earlier publications show Longford Leo Caseys winning all Senior Hurling Championship titles from 1902 to 1906, however no records could be found to support Leo Caseys winning any titles other than the 1904 title which was won in 1905. There is no record of Senior Hurling Championship competition for 1902 & 1903, and there was no County Board in existence in Longford at the time and until 1904. The 1904 Championship spilled into 1905 but there is no record of any separate competition for the 1905 season, while there is also no evidence of hurling competition in 1906.
The names of all winners and finalists are displayed in the roll of honour in line with the name used by those clubs at the time of that final, to preserve that historic record.
The following name clarifications apply to SHC finalists down the years.
- Slashers Gaels was renamed Longford Slashers in early 2000’s.
- Wolfe Tones is the hurling section of the Mostrim Club.
- Clonguish Gaels is the hurling section of the Clonguish Club.
- Naomh Ciarán was the hurling section of the Rathcline club. No longer active.
- Longford Leo Caseys was founded in October 1902. The club is no longer active.
- Granard hurling club also referenced in shorthand as Granard. No evidence found to suggest (for or against) that Granard H.C. was a section of the St. Mary’s club in Granard rather than an independent hurling club in the town. We use the club name used at the time.
The first game of the 1932 Longford Senior Hurling Championship was between Granard HC and Longford HC in April 1932. This was the first competitive hurling game played in Co. Longford since the 1907 Senior Hurling Championship final. This first game ended in tragedy however, when the Granard captain, Justin Manning, a native of Woodford in Co. Galway, collapsed and died while being removed to hospital. The game had been only twelve minutes in progress and the deceased had played a prominent part until the tragic event abruptly terminated the game. The Coroner in reviewing the evidence at the inquest said it was evident that influenza was indirectly the cause of death. The death was not caused by anything which happened in the game. Justin Manning had been working as a shop assistant in Mr. L. D. Kiernan’s of Granard for some time.
In The Beginning:
The first hurling club in the county was formed in Longford town in 1902 and called Leo Caseys. The Longford Leo Caseys hurling club was associated with the town’s branch of the Gaelic League and in these early years of the 20th century Hurling had a far greater impact in Longford town than Gaelic Football. A number of friendly club matches and tournaments took place across Longford in the early years of the new century, as well as games between Longford clubs and clubs in Roscommon, Westmeath, Leitrim and Cavan. A hurling friendly played on 7th December 1902 between Longford Leo Caseys and Roscommon Gaels appears to be the first inter-county hurling game played by a Longford team. Roscommon Gaels won by 2-6 to 1-4. The return tie took place in Roscommon in mid February 1903 with Roscommon Gaels winning 2-5 to 0-1. This was one of a number of inter-county friendlies played in this period.
The Longford club hurling championship was organised for the first time in 1904 with the final played in February 1905 and replayed in May 1905 with Longford Leo Caseys emerging as champions. Club competition was short-lived in these early years and there was only one further SHC competition, which was won by Killoe Young Emmets in 1907. We find no organised club hurling in Longford from 1908 to 1931. At county level, the Longford hurlers played from 1905 to 1911 at Junior grade in Leinster Championship and after 1911 we find no inter-county hurling played at all until 1929.
1930’s Revival:
Longford returned to inter-county hurling competition in 1929 for the first time since 1911, and competed intermittently in the Leinster Junior Hurling Championship from 1929 to 1936, before all hurling in the county stopped. Club hurling was revived in Longford in 1932, with Granard Hurling Club winning three-in-a-row of SHC titles in 1932, 1933 and 1934 before club hurling competition came to an end. The SHC competitions of 1932 and 1933 were played on a league basis, with Granard topping the league at the end of the season, thus winning the title. The clubs involved in 1932 were Granard HC, Longford HC and Edgeworthstown HC while the hurling clubs involved in 1933 competition were Granard HC, Longford HC and Lisryan HC. For 1934, three hurling clubs competed in the Championship. Granard beat Lisryan (4-1 to 4-0), and Longford beat Lisryan. In the final game Granard made it three in a row titles with victory over Longford by 3-2 to 1-3 on 22nd April 1934.
During the years thereafter with no hurling in the county, Granard Hurling Club entered and won the Cavan Senior Hurling Championship in 1950, beating Ballyhaise by 5-3 to 1-1 in the county final.
1958 Revival:
County hurling was revived in Longford in 1958, helped in no small part by the work of Rathcline’s Jimmie O’Brien who put up a great fight to obtain consent for the county’s entry into the Leinster Junior Hurling Championship that year, for the first time since 1936. Ahead of competition, he organised a trail game between Rathcline (drawn mostly from Bord na Mona) and Rest of County on 23rd February 1958 in Pearse Park, which Rathcline won by either 5-2 to 4-3 or 3-3 to 2-3 depending on which report you read. Longford played Offaly in the first round of the Leinster JHC on 30th March 1958 and lost by 10-4 to 0-1. The team that day was: F McGirr, M Quinlan, C Delaney, A Murray, J Rafter, D Dunne, R Groves, M Davis, F Clarke, J Kelly, B Donnelly. Sub: F Cronin for Grooves. That game was to mark the end of Longford’s involvement in adult inter-county hurling until Longford joined the National Hurling League in the 1981-82 season, and was Longford’s last competitive inter-county championship game at adult grade until 2005 when Longford competed in the inaugural Nicky Rackard Cup.
Club hurling began for the first time in 1959 with a Schoolboys hurling league organised with four teams involved. Games began on 15th June 1959, with Shannon Gaels (Rathcline) defeating Leo Caseys (Ballymahon) by 4-2 to 2-1 and St. Michaels defeating Killoe by 7-3 to 0-0. St. Michaels won the league title beating Shannon Gaels in the final by 7-0 to 3-0. A local hurling league was also organised in 1959 for school-going boys in Longford town, with games played in the Fair Green. In June 1959 Longford played Westmeath in the first round of the Leinster Juvenile Hurling Championship, with the panel including M Breheny, Mel Duncan, B Flynn (Leo Caseys), TJ Eivers, N O’Dowd, J Feeney (Shannon Gaels), M Fox (Killoe), D Gray, T O’Brien, J White, J Savage, M Comer, M Shiels, A Dineen, S McMonagle, B McCormack, L Egan, M Wall (St. Michaels). The local hurling league competition for Longford town lads was also organised in 1960 with games played in the Longford Sportsfield on Park Road, but no reports of Schoolboys Hurling League for 1960 or the years thereafter. It appears that underage hurling lapsed from 1960 until 1966.
A notice was carried in the Longford Leader on 26th December 1959 announcing that a Hurling Club had been formed for the Mostrim-Lisryan area, bearing the name St. Marys. A list of officials elected at the inauguration meeting was also listed. Captain was named as J Carey and Vice-Captain as Pat McQuade. No evidence of St. Marys ever competing and no adult competition existed in Longford for them to compete in either. Interestingly when a newly hurling club is formed in 1982 in Edgeworthstown, is called St. Mary’s (Mostrim) and name is quickly changed to Wolfe Tones (Mostrim).
1965 Revival:
At the 1960 Longford GAA Convention, Mostrim moved a motion to establish hurling in the county. By the Convention of December 1962, it was noted that no headway had been made on hurling. In April 1965, bulletin on hurling revival is issued as part of the Hurling Revival Scheme underway from Pairc an Chrocaigh as part of their Five-Year Hurling Plan. It reports that Longford held a prelim meeting in mid-February 1965 at which the hurling scheme was discussed. Commandant D O’Callaghan (Westmeath) attended as a member of the Hurling Commission. Three regional meetings were held in Granard, Ballymahon and Longford on February 25th 1965 to which teachers in those areas were invited with a view to obtaining their assistance. An Coiste Iomana was to be selected the following week and an order of 300 juvenile hurleys was placed. The success of Longford footballers meant that no progress was made throughout 1965 on hurling revival.
In January 1966 a new Coiste Iomana was formed and in June 1966 the Schoolboys Hurling League (U-14) was revived after a gap of a number of years. Te competition included teams from Stonepark, Newtownforbes, Teffia, Ballinamuck & Lanesboro. An U-16 Hurling League was also instituted with teams from Stonepark, Newtownforbes, Teffia, Ballinamuck & Lanesboro. Longford and Cavan met in an U-14 Hurling challenge in October 1966 with Cavan winning by 5-2 to 3-2. The GAA Central Council provided all 32 counties with a Cup for Juvenile competition as part of a hurling revival effort.
In July 1967 Longford took part in an U-16 inter-county hurling competition involving 16 counties comprising Louth, Leitrim, Wicklow, Kildare, Roscommon, Sligo, Mayo, Down, Fermanagh, Monaghan, Cavan and Longford. The Longford U-16 hurling panel was made up of players from Stonepark, Bunlahy, Teffia, Ballinamuck and Newtownforbes teams. The panel was: Longford panel was: J Twaddle, T Dowd (Stonepark), P Cahill, B Kiernan, T Kilbride, C Treacy (Bunlahy), W Keogh, G Wall, B Fanning (Teffia), M Whelan, P Whelan, Quinn (Ballinamuck), J O’Neill, D Connaughton, J Harte, C Keaveney, G Kiernan, G Lennane, K O’Connor, N Ward, D O’Brien, G McGrath, P O’Brien (Newtownforbes). At club level, U-14 and U-16 Hurling Leagues continued in 1967 with Bunlahy making their debut in both competitions. We see U-14 and U-16 Hurling Championship competition begin alongside existing League competition in 1967. Lanesboro beat Bunlahy in the U-16 Hurling League final by 4-3 to 4-1.
In 1968 Longford Slashers joined the teams involved in underage hurling competition. In October 1968 the Minor Board organises a 9-a-side Schoolboys Hurling League involving 15 different teams from across the county. Competition started on weekend of November 23/24th 1968 with matches at 20 minutes each half and pitches 80 yards long by 60 yards wide, with parallelogram not in operation. The Minor Board noted with regret that only a few football clubs were backing the teams who have entered. The final of the 1968 9-a-side Hurling League took place on 30th March 1969 in Pearse Park, with Bunlahy N.S. beating Stonepark N.S. by 2-0 to 1-1 to lift the new Corn Scóil.
In April 1969, the Minor Board meeting decided that Schoolboys, U-14 and U-16 Hurling Championship competition would be held, would be 13-a-side and would be 30 minutes each half. The 1969 Schoolboys Championship included Wolfe Tones, Fermoyle, Legan, St. Annes (Stonepark), Bunlahy, Cloontagh, with the title won by Stonepark St. Annes who beat Bunlahy in the final. The 1969 U-14 Championship included Lough Forbes Gaels, St. Annes (Stonepark), Lanesboro, Cuchulainns, Bunlahy & Longford Slashers, with the title won by Bunlahy who beat Lough Forbes Gaels in the final in December 1969 by 4-0 to 1-1. The U-16 Championship included Longford Slashers, Ballinamuck (in fixtures, but didn’t compete), Lanesboro, Bunlahy, St. Annes (Stonepark) & Lough Forbes Gaels and the title was won by Lough Forbes Gaels who beat Bunlahy by 7-3 to 0-1 in the decider. Pat Hunt and Pat Kenny became the first Longford players to win both Club Hurling and Club Football Juvenile Championship titles in Longford. Lough Forbes Gaels team was: J Blessing, D Barden, J Toher, M Kenny, P O’Brien, J Murray, T Barden, F Beirne, P Hunt, T McCormack, P Kenny, PJ Toher, S Nolan. Subs: G McGrath, T Casey, T Mahon.
Longford’s U-16 Hurling team trials arranged in April and May 1969 with game vs Roscommon in First round of Corn Ui Caoimh competition fixed for 23rd June 1969. Longford were beaten 8-8 to 2-0. Longford team: F. Glancy (Stonepark), T Barden (Clonguish), B Smith (Cashel), C Cashell (Ballymahon), C Twaddle (Stonepark, 1-0), G. McGrath (Lanesboro), B Fannin (Slashers), P Cahill (Bunlahy), M. Kelly (Forgney), T McCormack (Clonguish), F Kilbride (Bunlahy), PJ Oates (Stonepark, 1-0), M Esler (Carrickedmond), G Wall (Slashers), P Masterson (Lanesboro). Subs: J Mulhern and M Maguire (Stonepark), F Belton and J Farrell (Slashers).
1970 Schoolboys Hurling Championship included Legan Casements, Bunlahy, Cloontagh, Longford Slashers & Fermoyle. Title won by Legan Casements, who beat Fermoyle by 3-2 to 2-2 in August 1970. The 1970 U-14 Hurling Championship included St. Martins, Longford Slashers, Lough Forbes Gaels, Legan & Bunlahy. Final was between Bunlahy and Lough Forbes Gaels and was won by Lough Forbes Gaels by 3-0 to 1-0 in December 1970.
In 1971 Fermoyle beat St. Anne’s (Stonepark) by 10-1 to 1-1 in July 1971 to win the Schoolboys Hurling Championship title of 1971. This was their first hurling title. The Schoolboys League 9-a-side final was between Legan (holders) and St. Annes (Stonepark), with St. Annes winning by 6-1 to 3-0. The 1971 U-14 Championship included Longford Slashers, Lough Forbes Gaels, Dromard, Fermoyle, Legan & Bunlahy. The Final was between Legan v Bunlahy. The 1971 U-16 Championship included Longford Slashers, Fermoyle/Lanesboro, Legan, Lough Forbes Gaels, Dromard & Bunlahy. The 1971 U-17 Championship included Longford Slashers, Legan, Lough Forbes Gaels & Lanesboro/Fermoyle. The Final was between Lough Forbes Gaels vs Slashers.
1970’s & 1980’s:
Another hurling revival in the late 1970’s would lead to Longford entering the National Hurling League for the first time in October 1981. The Longford Hurling Championship made a comeback in 1982 for the first time since 1934. Slashers Gaels (now Longford Slashers) beat Naomh Ciarán (Rathcline) by 2-10 to 1-6 to take the 1982 SHC title and lift the new J.J. Duignan cup for the first time. Senior teams from Slashers Gaels, Wolfe Tones (Mostrim), Naomh Ciarán (Rathcline), as well as Bunlahy from 1984, competed in Senior Hurling Championship competition during the 1980’s, with Wolfe Tones and Ballymahon amalgamating to compete as Edgeworthstown/Ballymahon in the 1985 SHC competition. While competition at adult level was starting afresh after a long break, underage hurling was already underway since an underage hurling revival in 1960’s, and was enjoying renewed popularity in schools across Longford in the 1970’s and 1980’s. In 1977 we find Slashers Gaels, Wolfe Tones and Cashel in U-14 competition, while Rathcline Gaels are also involved in underage competition by 1978, while 1979 saw Killoe make a brief appearance in U-14 Championship.
By 1980 with a total of 7 hurling clubs were affiliated across various adult & youth grades in Longford:
- Slashers Gaels (aka Longford Slashers)
- Naomh Ciaran (Rathcline)
- Wolfe Tones (Mostrim)
- Cashel
- Lough Forbes Gaels (Clonguish)
- St. Brendans (Stonepark)
- St. Mels (Shroid Slashers)
By 1988 there were 9 hurling clubs in action across various adult and youth grades in Longford including U-11, U-12, U-14, U-16, U-18, U-21 and Senior competition. This was something of a high point in terms of Longford hurling clubs:
- Slashers Gaels (aka Longford Slashers)
- Naomh Ciarán (Rathcline)
- Wolfe Tones (Mostrim)
- Bunlahy
- Abbeylara
- Ballymahon
- Cashel
- Kenagh
- Lough Forbes Gaels (Clonguish)
1990’s Revival:
A Senior Hurling League was launched in May 1990, sponsored by the Tangled Web pub and involving 6 Senior Hurling teams… Slashers Gaels (2 teams), Clonguish, Ballymahon/Cashel, Wolfe Tones and Rathcline. This League was played in 1990, 1991 and 1992 and discontinued thereafter. This would prove to be something of a high point in club hurling in Longford as numbers contracted over the following decades. With the exception of a brief period in the late 1990’s when a revival of U-11/U-12 hurling and schools hurling was attempted, the quantity of hurling clubs in the county went into serious decline in the 1990’s and 2000’s.
In 2023 Longford has three adult hurling clubs (Longford Slashers, Clonguish Gaels & Wolfe Tones) and that number has not increased for over 20 years, reducing to just 2 clubs for a couple of years in the early 2010’s. Longford has four underage hurling clubs (Longford Slashers, Clonguish Gaels, Wolfe Tones Óg & Kenagh) and that number has not increased for some years either.