It is an annual tournament played for by schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association.
It was donated by a well-known family in Northern Ireland hockey circles, in memory of their son Ian.
He was accidentally killed after being struck by a hockey ball during a match against Royal Belfast Academical Institution at Bladon Drive on 3 December 1960.
The competition started out as a straight knockout event with the first winners being the defunct Bushmills Grammar School.
However it was soon decided to move all matches to the winter term, with a league format introduced to provide all schools with a guaranteed number of fixtures.