The Ulster Senior Schoolgirls' Cup is an annual competition competed for by schools affiliated to the
Ulster Hockey Association, a branch of the
Irish Hockey Association
Hockey Ireland, previously known as the Irish Hockey Association, is the governing body for field hockey in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is responsible for organising both the Ireland men's national field hockey team and t ...
. The competition has been in existence since 1907 and is currently sponsored by the
Belfast Telegraph
The ''Belfast Telegraph'' is a daily newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland, by Independent News & Media. Its editor is Eoin Brannigan. Reflecting its unionist tradition, the paper has historically been "favoured by the Protestant po ...
.
Since 1980, the winners have qualified to represent Ulster in the Kate Russell All-Ireland Schools Hockey Cup.
The most successful school is
Methodist College Belfast
God with us
, established = 1865
, type = Voluntary grammar
, religion = Interdenominational
, principal = Jenny Lendrum
, chair_label = Chairwoman
, chair = Revd. Dr Janet Unsworth
, founder ...
with 21 wins (18 outright wins and 3 shared wins). The current holder is
The Royal School, Armagh
The Royal School, Armagh is a co-educational voluntary grammar school, founded in the 17th century, in the city of Armagh in Northern Ireland. It has a boarding department with an international intake. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Hea ...
.
Trophy
The trophy is a small silver cup mounted on a plinth on a wooden shield.
Format
The competition is run through an open draw format. The first round is held in November, progressing through to a showpiece final held in early March. The final attracts a crowd of roughly 1000 people, which is large for an attendance at a hockey match in
Ulster
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...
.
Current season
The Royal School, Armagh
The Royal School, Armagh is a co-educational voluntary grammar school, founded in the 17th century, in the city of Armagh in Northern Ireland. It has a boarding department with an international intake. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Hea ...
, captained by Anna McKew, defeated
Strathearn
Strathearn or Strath Earn (, from gd, Srath Èireann) is the strath of the River Earn, in Scotland, extending from Loch Earn in the West to the River Tay in the east.http://www.strathearn.com/st_where.htm Derivation of name Strathearn was one ...
2–0 in the final played at
Stormont. The victory meant The Royal School completed a league and cup double.
Performance table
FINALS
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Sources
{{Field hockey in Ireland
Field hockey competitions in Ulster
Women's field hockey cup competitions in Ireland
1907 establishments in Ireland