The 2018 Joe McDonagh Cup is the inaugural edition of the Joe McDonagh Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association and is the second-tier of Hurling for senior county teams (the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship is the first-tier trophy).

It is contested by six GAA county teams ranked 11–16 in the 2018 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.

Meath were relegated from the Joe McDonagh Cup after losing all of their group stage games.

A total of six teams compete in the Joe McDonagh Cup, with representatives from Leinster (4), Munster (1) and Ulster (1).

The bottom team after the round robin games, Meath, were relegated to the 2019 Christy Ring Cup.