2006 Nicky Rackard Cup
The 2006 Nicky Rackard Cup was the 2006 campaign of the Nicky Rackard Cup and began on Saturday June 10, 2006. 2006 was the second time this new element of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was introduced. It was devised by the Hurling Development Committee to encourage some of the weaker hurling counties and to give them the chance of playing more games. The final will be played on Sunday, August 13 in Croke Park, Dublin City.
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Donegal, Armagh, Longford and Derry played in the semi-finals. Longford qualified by defeating the other two group runners-up. After winning their semi-finals, Donegal and Derry contested the final in Croke Park on August 12. Derry won easily and were promoted to the 2007 Christy Ring Cup.
Format
Twelve teams participate in the 2006 Nicky Rackard Cup. The teams were divided into three groups of four roughly based on geographical criteria. The groups are identical to the Nicky Rackard Cup 2005 except that in 3C Derry replace London, who have been promoted.
Teams
General Information
| County | Last Provincial Title | Last All-Ireland Title | Position in 2005 Championship | Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Armagh |
— | — | Quarter-finals | 2nd |
 Cavan |
— | — | Group Stage | 2nd |
 Derry |
2001 | — | Lost relegation playoff (Christy Ring Cup) | 1st |
 Donegal |
1932 | — | Semi-finals | 2nd |
 Fermanagh |
— | — | Group Stage | 2nd |
| Leitrim |
— | — | Group Stage | 2nd |
 Longford |
— | — | Quarter-finals | 2nd |
| Louth |
— | — | Runners-up | 2nd |
 Monaghan |
1915 | — | Group Stage | 2nd |
 Sligo |
— | — | Group Stage | 2nd |
 Tyrone |
— | — | Semi-finals | 2nd |
| Warwickshire |
— | — | Group Stage | 2nd |
Group 3A
| Date | Venue | Winner | Score | Loser | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 10 | Irvinestown | Fermanagh | 4-15 | Tyrone | 1-16 |
| June 10 | Ballyshannon | Donegal | 3-7 | Sligo | 1-13 |
| June 24 | Omagh | Tyrone | 1-10 | Donegal | 4-19 |
| June 24 | Markievicz Park | Sligo | 4-15 | Fermanagh | 3-8 |
| July 8 | Enniskillen | Donegal | 1-17 | Fermanagh | 0-08 |
| July 8 | Sligo | 2-15 | Tyrone | 1-06 |
| Table | P | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donegal | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8-43 | 2-33 | 28 | 5 |
| Sligo | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7-43 | 7-20 | 23 | 5 |
| Fermanagh | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7-31 | 6-48 | -14 | 2 |
| Tyrone | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3-33 | 10-49 | -37 | 0 |
Group 3B
| Date | Venue | Winner | Score | Loser | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 10 | Ballinamore | Leitrim | 0-10 | Louth | 3-12 |
| June 10 | Armagh | 6-20 | Cavan | 0-2 | |
| June 24 | Knockbridge | Louth | 8-25 | Cavan | 2-3 |
| June 24 | Keady | Armagh | 4-20 | Leitrim | 1-9 |
| July 8 | Ballyconnell | Cavan | 3-05 | Leitrim | 5-13 |
| July 8 | Drogheda | Louth | 1-07 | Armagh | 1-15 |
| Table | P | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armagh | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11-65 | 2-18 | 74 | 6 |
| Louth | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 12-44 | 3-28 | 43 | 4 |
| Leitrim | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6-32 | 10-37 | -17 | 2 |
| Cavan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5-10 | 19-58 | -90 | 0 |
Group 3C
| Date | Venue | Winner | Score | Loser | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 10 | Ballinascreen | Derry | 2-14 | Longford | 0-12 |
| June 10 | Warwickshire | 1-11 | Monaghan | 0-9 | |
| June 24 | Clontibret | Derry | 4-24 | Monaghan | 0-11 |
| June 24 | Pearse Park | Longford | 2-18 | Warwickshire | 0-6 |
| July 8 | Páirc na hÉireann | Derry | 2-17 | Warwickshire | 3-12 |
| July 8 | Clones | Longford | 1-14 | Monaghan | 1-11 |
| Table | P | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derry | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8-54 | 3-35 | 34 | 6 |
| Longford | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3-44 | 3-31 | 13 | 4 |
| Warwickshire | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4-29 | 4-44 | -15 | 2 |
| Monaghan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1-31 | 6-48 | -32 | 0 |
Quarter-finals
| Match | Date | Venue | Winners | Score | Losers | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter-final Playoff | July 15 | Louth | 1-18 | Sligo | 1-13 | |
| Quarter-final | July 22 | Pearse Park, Longford | Longford | 1-19 | Louth | 2-7 |
Semi-finals
| Match | Date | Venue | Winners | Score | Losers | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-final | July 29 | Crossmaglen, Armagh | Derry | 3-10 | Armagh | 0-10 |
| Semi-final | July 30 | Enniskillen, Fermanagh | Donegal | 1-19 | Longford | 0-10 |
Final
| Match | Date | Venue | Winners | Score | Losers | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final | August 12 | Croke Park, Dublin | Derry | 5-15 | Donegal | 1-14 |