Thomond Feis

The Thomond Feis /ˈθoʊmənd fɛʃ/, also referred to as the Thomond Shield, Thomond Tournament or Thomond Feis Shield, was an annual hurling competition organised by Conradh na Gaeilge (the Gaelic League) between 1913 and 1956 for four of the inter-county teams in the province of Munster in Ireland. It was always played in Limerick City. It was named for the ancient kingdom of Thomond (North Munster), which covered most of counties Limerick and Clare, as well as part of County Tipperary. Cork also competed, despite County Cork not being part of historical Thomond.

The series of games were usually played in the summer months after the completion of the National Hurling League and before the start of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship. The prize for the winning team was a special set of gold medals for the winning team. The tournament was effectively a pre-season warm-up for Munster's top hurling teams and was played as a straight knock-out. The competition was run by the Irish-language organisation the Gaelic League (Conradh na Gaeilge), leading occasionally to conflict with the Gaelic Athletic Association who ran most hurling competitions.

The Thomond Feis was a pre-championship hurling competition, with large crowds attending games. Taken seriously by players, it offered a good indicator of a team's upcoming championship form. Over time, however, it fell out of favour and was eventually scrapped. The Shield awarded to winners is on display in the GAA Museum.