The Munster GAA Hurling Under-20 Championship, known simply as the Munster Under-20 Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurling competition for male players between the ages of 17 and 20 in the province of Munster. The championship was contested as the Munster Under-21 Championship between 1964 and 2018 before changing to an under-20 age category from 2019. It is sponsored by Bord Gáis Energy. The final, currently held in July, serves as the culmination of a series of games played during a three-week period, and the results determine which team receives the J. J. Kenneally Perpetual Memorial Cup. The championship has always been played on a straight knockout basis whereby once a team loses they are eliminated from the championship. The Munster Championship is an integral part of the wider GAA Hurling Under-20 All-Ireland Championship. The winners and runners-up of the Munster final, like their counterparts in the Leinster Championship, advance to the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland series of games. Five teams currently participate in the Munster Championship. Tipperary and Cork are the most successful teams with 21 titles each. Seven teams have competed since the inception of the Munster Championship in 1964. The title has been won at least once by five teams, all of whom have won the title more than once. Limerick are the current champions. History Creation The Munster Championship began in 1964 in response to a Congress motion put forward by the Kerry County Board for the introduction of a new championship grade. It was the fifth championship to be created after the senior, junior, minor and intermediate grades. Beginnings The inaugural Munster Championship featured Clare, Cork, Galway, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford. Galway and Kerry contested the very first match on Sunday 31 May 1964. Tipperary won the inaugural championship. Team dominance Since the beginning the championship has been dominated by Cork and Tipperary. They won all bar one of the available championship titles between 1964 and 1985 and have won a combined total of 39 championship titles. Cork also have the distinction of becoming the first team to win four championships in-a-row between 1968 and 1971. Tipperary equalled this record with their own four-in-a-row between 1978 and 1981 and, after defeat in 1982, came back to win a further three titles in succession between 1983