2023 Joe McDonagh Cup

The 2023 Joe McDonagh Cup was the sixth staging of the Joe McDonagh Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2018.

Antrim, winner of the 2022 final, were promoted to the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, replaced by Laois who were relegated back to this competition. Kildare were promoted from the Christy Ring Cup.

The top 2 teams from the round robin stage played off in the final to decide the winner, with Carlow defeating Offaly. Both advanced to the 2023 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship knock-out stages. The bottom team was relegated to Christy Ring Cup.

To Championship
Relegated from the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship


 * Laois

Promoted from the Christy Ring Cup


 * Kildare

From Championship
Promoted to the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship


 * Antrim

Relegated to the Christy Ring Cup


 * Meath

Cup format
Initially each of the six teams play the other five teams in single round-robin matches. The top two teams after the round robin games compete in the Joe McDonagh Cup final. The Joe McDonagh Cup champions and runners-up also advance to the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals with the Joe McDonagh Cup teams having home advantage.

Promotion
If the Joe McDonagh champions are a non-Munster team, they are automatically promoted to the following year's Leinster Championship. If the champions are a Munster team, they are automatically promoted to the following year's Munster Championship. The Joe McDonagh Cup champions replace the bottom-placed team in the provincial championship containing six teams.

Relegation
The bottom-placed team in the Joe McDonagh Cup are automatically relegated to the following year's Christy Ring Cup and are replaced by the Christy Ring Cup champions.

Teams by province
The participating teams, listed by province, with numbers in parentheses indicating final positions in the 2023 National Hurling League before the championship were:

Connacht (0)


 * None participated

Leinster (4)


 * Colours_of_Carlow.svg Carlow (16)
 * Colours_of_Kildare.svg Kildare (14)
 * Colours_of_Laois.svg Laois (13)
 * Colours_of_Offaly.svg Offaly (12)

Munster (1)


 * Colours_of_Kerry.svg Kerry (15)

Ulster (1)


 * Colours_of_Down.svg Down (17)

General Information
Six counties will compete in the Joe McDonagh Cup:

Final
Carlow are promoted to the 2024 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, replacing Westmeath.

Scoring events
Doesn't include extra time.
 * Widest winning margin: 31 points
 * Laois 7-24 - 0-14 Down (Round 2)
 * Most goals in a match: 7 
 * Laois 7-24 - 0-14 Down (Round 2)
 * Most points in a match: 51
 * Down 0-28 - 6-23 Carlow (Round 4)
 * Most goals by one team in a match: 7
 * Laois 7-24 - 0-14 Down (Round 2)
 * Most points by one team in a match: 29
 * Carlow 1-29 - 0-14 Offaly (Round 5)
 * Highest aggregate score: 69 points
 * Down 0-28 - 6-23 Carlow (Round 4)
 * Lowest aggregate score: 34 points
 * Kildare 0-14 - 1-17 Kerry (Round 3)

Miscellaneous

 * Carlow won their 1st championship in 5 years, last winning the 2018 Joe McDonagh Cup.
 * First-time Joe McDonagh Cup meetings:
 * Kildare v Offaly (Round 2)
 * Laois v Down (Round 2)
 * Kildare v Kerry (Round 3)
 * Laois v Kildare (Round 4)
 * Kildare v Down (Round 5)
 * Laois broke the record for most goals scored in a Joe McDonagh Cup match after scoring 7 against Down in Round 2.
 * Offaly qualify to the Joe McDonagh Cup final for the first time.