# 2021 Joe McDonagh Cup

The 2021 Joe McDonagh Cup was the fourth staging of the Joe McDonagh Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2018. The competition, which was delayed for a second successive year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gaelic games, began on 26 June 2021. The fixtures were published on 21 April 2021.
Antrim, winner of the 2020 final, were promoted to the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, while there was no relegation to or from the competition. Down and Kildare entered the competition from the Christy Ring Cup.
On 17 July 2021, Westmeath won the Joe McDonagh Cup after a 2-28 to 1-24 win over Kerry in the final at Croke Park. It was their first ever cup title having previously lost two finals.
Meath's Jack Regan was the championship's top scorer with 1-36.

## Team changes
### To Championship

Relegated from the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
* None
Promoted from the Christy Ring Cup
* Down
* Kildare

### From Championship

Promoted to the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
* Antrim
Relegated to the Christy Ring Cup
* None

## Teams
### General Information

| County | Last Cup title | Last Provincial title | Last All-Ireland title | Position in 2020 Championship | Appearance |
| Carlow | 2018 | — | — | 4th | 3rd |
| Down | — | 2001 | — | Runners-up (Christy Ring Cup) | 1st |
| Kerry | — | 1891 | 1891 | Runners-up | 4th |
| Kildare | — | — | — | Champions (Christy Ring Cup) | 1st |
| Meath | — | — | — | 5th | 3rd |
| Westmeath | — | — | — | 3rd | 4th |

### Personnel and kits

| County | Manager | Captain(s) | Sponsor |
| Carlow | Tom Mullally | — | IT Carlow |
| Down | Ronan Sheehan | — | EOS IT Solutions |
| Kerry | Fintan O'Connor | Paudie O'Connor | Kerry Group |
| Kildare | David Herity | Brian Byrne | Brady Family Ham |
| Meath | Nick Weir | — | Glenveagh Properties |
| Westmeath | Shane O'Brien | Cormac Boyle | Renault |

## Group stage
### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | SF | SA | Diff | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Westmeath | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2-42 | 1-39 | 6 | 4 | Advance to Knockout Stage |
| 2 | Carlow | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2-40 | 3-39 | -2 | 2 | |
| 3 | Kildare | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4-37 | 4-41 | -4 | 0 | Advance to Relegation playoff |

#### Group A round 3
### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | SF | SA | Diff | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Kerry | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3-45 | 1-49 | 2 | 2 | Advance to Knockout Stage |
| 2 | Down | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2-48 | 4-40 | 2 | 2 | |
| 3 | Meath | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2-44 | 2-28 | -4 | 2 | Advance to Relegation playoff |

#### Group B round 3
## Knockout stage
### Final

Westmeath are promoted to the 2022 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.

## Relegation Playoff

Kildare are relegated to the 2022 Christy Ring Cup.

## Stadia and locations

| County | Location | Province | Stadium | Capacity |
| Carlow | Carlow | Leinster | Netwatch Cullen Park | 21,000 |
| Down | Newry | Ulster | Páirc Esler | 20,000 |
| Kerry | Tralee | Munster | Austin Stack Park | 12,000 |
| Kildare | Newbridge | Leinster | St. Conleth's Park | 8,200 |
| Meath | Navan | Leinster | Páirc Tailteann | 17,000 |
| Westmeath | Mullingar | Leinster | Cusack Park | 11,000 |

## Statistics
### Top scorers
#### Top scorer overall

| Rank | Player | Club | Tally | Total | Matches | Average |
| 1 | Jack Regan | Meath | 1-36 | 39 | 3 | 13.00 |
| 2 | Shane Conway | Kerry | 1-22 | 25 | 3 | 8.33 |
| 3 | Jack Sheridan | Kildare | 2-18 | 24 | 3 | 8.00 |
| 4 | Chris Nolan | Carlow | 0-21 | 21 | 2 | 10.50 |
| 5 | Killian Doyle | Westmeath | 0-20 | 20 | 3 | 6.66 |
| 6 | Paul Sheehan | Down | 0-16 | 16 | 2 | 8.00 |
| 7 | Pádraig Boyle | Kerry | 0-15 | 15 | 3 | 4.00 |
| 8 | Niall Mitchell | Westmeath | 2-07 | 13 | 3 | 4.33 |
| 8 | Niall O'Brien | Westmeath | 0-13 | 13 | 3 | 4.33 |
| 10 | Brian Byrne | Kildare | 0-12 | 12 | 3 | 4.00 |

#### In a single game

| Rank | Player | Club | Tally | Total | Opposition |
| 1 | Jack Regan | Meath | 0-17 | 17 | Kildare |
| 2 | Jack Regan | Meath | 1-08 | 11 | Down |
| 2 | Jack Regan | Meath | 0-11 | 11 | Kerry |
| 2 | Shane Conway | Kerry | 1-08 | 11 | Down |
| 2 | Chris Nolan | Carlow | 0-11 | 11 | Westmeath |
| 2 | Paul Sheehan | Down | 0-11 | 11 | Meath |
| 7 | Chris Nolan | Carlow | 0-10 | 10 | Kildare |
| 7 | Shane Conway | Kerry | 0-10 | 10 | Meath |
| 9 | Kevin McDonald | Carlow | 2-02 | 8 | Kildare |
| 9 | James Burke | Kildare | 2-02 | 8 | Carlow |
| 9 | Jack Sheridan | Kildare | 1-05 | 8 | Westmeath |
| 9 | Jack Sheridan | Kildare | 1-05 | 8 | Kildare |
| 9 | Killian Doyle | Westmeath | 0-08 | 8 | Kildare |

### Scoring Events

* Widest winning margin: 10 points
** Kildare 1-15 - 0-28 Meath (Relegation Playoff)
* Most goals in a match: 5
** Kildare 3-16 - 2-22 Carlow (Round 1A)
* Most points in a match: 52
** Westmeath 2-28 - 1-24 Kerry (Final)
* Most goals by one team in a match: 3
** Kildare 3-16 - 2-22 Carlow (Round 1A)
* Most points by one team in a match: 28
** Meath 0-28 - 1-21 Kerry (Round 3B)
** Westmeath 2-28 - 1-24 Kerry (Final)
** Kildare 1-15 - 0-28 Meath (Relegation Playoff)
* Highest aggregate score: 61 points
** Westmeath 2-28 - 1-24 Kerry (Final)
* Lowest aggregate score: 41 points
** Carlow 0-18 - 0-23 Westmeath (Round 1B)

## Miscellaneous

* Westmeath's Davey Glennon became the first player to win both Joe McDonagh Cup and All-Ireland Championship winners' medals, having claimed the latter with Galway in 2017.
* Westmeath won their 1st championship in 11 years since winning the 2010 Christy Ring Cup.
* Down become only the second ever Ulster team to compete in the Joe McDonagh Cup.
* First-time Joe McDonagh Cup meetings:
** Kildare v Carlow (Round 1)
** Kerry v Down (Round 2)
** Down v Meath (Round 3)
** Westmeath v Kildare (Round 3)
** Kildare v Meath (Relegation Playoff)