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 19 wins (18 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.
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.
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 TableSchoolWinsShared WinsBeaten FinalistsTotal FinalsLast TitleRoyal Belfast Academical Institution1816252025-26Cookstown High School11110222011-12Banbridge Academy10012222023-24Wallace High School, Lisburn506112018-19Friends' School Lisburn50382019-20Bangor Grammar School31591997-98Sullivan Upper School20352017-18Ballycastle High School20131964-65Wellington College Belfast†20131995-96Newry High School10671966-67Methodist College Belfast10451965-66Bushmills Grammar School10011961-62Regent House, Newtownards10011999-00Kilkeel High School01231970-71Royal & Prior School, Raphoe0033NA
Footnote
† Total includes Annadale Grammar School performance (one win and one beaten finalist). Wellington College was formed as a result of merger involving Annadale Grammar School.
Finals
1960s
Year Winner Runner-up Notes1961-62 Bushmills Grammar School41 Newry Grammar School1962-63 Ballycastle High School30 Annadale Grammar School1963-64 Cookstown High School10 Newry Grammar School1964-65 Ballycastle High School32 Newry Grammar School1965-66 Methodist College Belfast10 Ballycastle High School1966-67 Newry High School10 Royal Belfast Academical Institution1967-68 Annadale Grammar School21 Methodist College Belfast1968-69 Royal Belfast Academical Institution10 Cookstown High School
1970s
Year Winner Runner-up Notes1969-70 Royal Belfast Academical Institution21 Cookstown High School1970-71 Royal Belfast Academical Institution& Kilkeel High School00TROPHY SHAREDafter extra time1971-72 Royal Belfast Academical Institution10 Cookstown High School1972-73 Cookstown High School20 Kilkeel High School1973-74 Cookstown High School20 Newry High School 1974-75 Royal Belfast Academical Institution10 Friends School Lisburn1975-76 Cookstown High School &Bangor Grammar School33TROPHY SHAREDafter extra time1976-77 Friends School Lisburn21 Cookstown High Schoolafter extra time1977-78 Friends School Lisburn21 Cookstown High School1978-79 Cookstown High School21 Bangor Grammar School
1980s
Year Winner Runner-up Notes1979-80 Friends School Lisburn32 Cookstown High School 1980-81 Friends School Lisburn20 Newry High School 1981-82 Wallace High School00 Newry High SchoolWallace HS won 5–4 on penalties1982-83 Bangor Grammar School31 Methodist College Belfast 1983-84 Wallace High School32 Bangor Grammar School 1984-85 Cookstown High School21 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 1985-86 Banbridge Academy10 Cookstown High School1986-87 Royal Belfast Academical Institution11 Methodist College BelfastR.B.A.I. won 3–2 on penalties1987-88 Royal Belfast Academical Institution11 Banbridge AcademyR.B.A.I. won 4–2 on penalties1988-89 Wallace High School20 Bangor Grammar School
1990s
Year Winner Runner-up Notes1989-90 Royal Belfast Academical Institution40 Bangor Grammar School1990-91 Bangor Grammar School22 Cookstown High SchoolBangor GS won 3–1 on penalties1991-92 Royal Belfast Academical Institution32 Banbridge Academy1992-93 Royal Belfast Academical Institution30 Banbridge Academy1993-94 Banbridge Academy11 Royal Belfast Academical InstitutionBanbridge won 3–1 on penalties1994-95 Royal Belfast Academical Institution10 Cookstown High School1995-96 Wellington College Belfast21 Royal Belfast Academical Institution1996-97 Royal Belfast Academical Institution52 Bangor Grammar Schoolafter extra time1997-98 Bangor Grammar School30 Methodist College Belfast1998-99 Cookstown High School30 Royal Belfast Academical Institution
2000s
Year Winner Runner-up Notes1999-00 Regent House, Newtownards20 Royal & Prior School, Raphoeafter extra time2000-01 Cookstown High School10 Royal & Prior School, Raphoe 2001-02 Royal Belfast Academical Institution33 Kilkeel High SchoolR.B.A.I. won 4–1 on penalties2002-03 Banbridge Academy30 Cookstown High School 2003-04 Royal Belfast Academical Institution43 Banbridge Academy 2004-05 Royal Belfast Academical Institution21 Banbridge Academy 2005-06 Banbridge Academy41 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 2006-07 Royal Belfast Academical Institution61 Banbridge Academy2007-08 Cookstown High School44 Banbridge AcademyCookstown won 4–3 on penalties2008-09 Cookstown High School30 Sullivan Upper School
2010s
Year Winner Runner-up Notes2009-10Banbridge Academy42Wallace High School2010-11Cookstown High School42 Banbridge Academy2011-12Cookstown High School53Banbridge Academy2012-13Banbridge Academy31Sullivan Upper School2013-14Wallace High School32Friends School Lisburnafter extra time2014-15Banbridge Academy21Wallace High School2015-16Sullivan Upper School43Wallace High School2016-17Banbridge Academy21Royal & Prior School2017-18Sullivan Upper School22Friends School LisburnSullivan won 4–3 on penalties2018-19Wallace High School22Sullivan Upper SchoolWallace won 4–3 on penalties
2020s
Year Winner Runner-up Notes2019-20Friends School Lisburn 30Wallace High School 2020-21not played due to COVID-19 pandemic2021-22Banbridge Academy 31Wallace High Schoolhttps://ulsterhockey.com/banbridge-academy-lift-the-mccullough-cup/ Ulster Hockey2022-23Royal Belfast Academical Institution76Banbridge Academy 2023-24Banbridge Academy10Wallace High School 2024-25Royal Belfast Academical Institution20Banbridge Academy 2025-26Royal Belfast Academical Institution31Banbridge Academy
Sources
External links Ulster Branch of Irish Hockey Union