Since the beginning the championship has been dominated by Blackrock, St. Finbarr's and Glen Rovers who are collectively known as the "big three". They have won a combined total of 84 championship titles. Blackrock dominated the first thirty years of the championship, winning 15 titles between 1887 and 1920. It was during this time that the county championship earned the nickname of the "little All-Ireland" due to its competitive nature. St. Finbarr's, after making a breakthrough in the early years of the 20th century, were the team of the decade for the 1920s before regularly claiming championship titles in each of the decades that followed. Glen Rovers made their own breakthrough with a first championship in 1934 and were the dominant club from then until the 1960s. Between 1971 and 1982, the "big three" shared every available championship title. Their rivalry reached its peak in the 1977 final when a record attendance of 34,151 saw St. Finbarr's defeat Glen Rovers.