# 2005 Nicky Rackard Cup final

The 2005 Nicky Rackard Cup final was a hurling match played at Croke Park on 21 August 2005 to determine the winners of the 2005 Nicky Rackard Cup, the inaugural season of the Nicky Rackard Cup, a tournament organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association for the third tier hurling teams. The final was contested by London of Britain and Louth of Leinster, with London winning by 5-8 to 1-5.
The Nicky Rackard Cup final between London and Louth was the very first championship meeting between the two teams.
The final was played as a curtain-raiser to the All-Ireland semi-final between Galway and Kilkenny.
While Louth scored the first two points of the game, the first of which came after 13 seconds, London soon recovered and had scored a point from a 65. In the 14th minute, London scored two goals within one minute, to take a 2-2 to 0-2 lead. At half time, London went in at the break leading by 2-4 to 0-5.
In the second half, London scored several goals, with Louth only obtaining one score (a goal) in the half. The final score was London 5-8 to Louth's 1-5.
By winning the Nicky Rackard Cup final, London became the first team to have won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship and Rackard Cup titles. They remain the only winners of both championships.

## Match Details

* 21 August 2005 1.30pm
| London | 5-08 (23) – (8) 1-05 | Louth |
| (HT: 2-04 – 0-05) |||
| GK | 1 | John Joe Burke (Kilburn Gaels) |
| RCB | 2 | Eamon Phelan (Sean Treacys) |
| FB | 3 | Tom Simms (Fr. Murphy's) |
| LCB | 4 | Brian Forde (Kilburn Gaels) |
| RHB | 5 | John Dillon (Robert Emmetts) |
| CHB | 6 | Fergus McMahon (Robert Emmetts) (c) |
| LHB | 7 | Brian Foley (Robert Emmetts) |
| MF | 8 | Michael Harding (Fr. Murphy's) |
| MF | 9 | Mick O'Meara (St Gabriel's) |
| RHF | 10 | Daragh Smyth (Fr. Murphy's) |
| CHF | 11 | Jim Ryan (Cúchulainns) |
| LHF | 12 | John McGaughan (Robert Emmetts) |
| RCF | 13 | Dave Bourke (Sean Treacys) |
| FF | 14 | Barry Shortall (Sean Treacys) |
| LCF | 15 | Kevin McMullan (Robert Emmetts) |
| Substitutes: ||
| | 16 | Gary Fenton (Robert Emmetts) for O'Meara |
| | 17 | Eric Kinlon (Fr. Murphy's) for Smyth |
| | 18 | Seán Quinn (Robert Emmetts) for Shortall |
| | 19 | Paul Doyle (Sean Treacys) for Phelan |
| | 20 | Paddy Finneran (St Gabriel's) for McMullan |
| Manager: ||
| Mick O'Dea ||
| GK | 1 | Stephen Smyth (Pearse Óg) |
| RCB | 2 | David Black (Wolfe Tones) |
| FB | 3 | Aidan Carter (Wolfe Tones) |
| LCB | 4 | Shane Darcy (Knockbridge) |
| RHB | 5 | David Mulholland (Pearse Óg) |
| CHB | 6 | Paul Dunne (Knockbridge) (c) |
| LHB | 7 | Ronan Byrne (Knockbridge) |
| MF | 8 | Diarmuid McCarthy (Wolfe Tones) |
| MF | 9 | Shane Callan (Pearse Óg) |
| RHF | 10 | Trevor Hilliard (Knockbridge) |
| CHF | 11 | Johnny Carter (Wolfe Tones) |
| LHF | 12 | Declan Byrne (Naomh Moninne) |
| RCF | 13 | Gerard Smyth (Pearse Óg) |
| FF | 14 | David Dunne (Knockbridge) |
| LCF | 15 | Niall McEneaney (Wolfe Tones) |
| Substitutes: ||
| | 16 | Seán Conroy (Pearse Óg) for Black |
| | 17 | Ger Collins (Naomh Moninne) for R. Byrne |
| | 18 | Seán Byrne (Knockbridge) for J. Carter |
| | 19 | Alan Mynes (Wolfe Tones) for McEneaney |
| | 20 | Niall Byrne (Knockbridge) for Darcy |
| Selectors: ||
| Paul Callan, Kevin McDonnell, Séamus Moore ||