| Founded | 1887 |
|---|---|
| Region | Ireland (GAA) |
| Number of teams | 13 (2011) |
| Current champions | Kilkenny (33rd title) |
| Television broadcasters | RTÉ, TV3 |
| Website | GAA.ie |
| All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2011 (Final) | |
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland.
The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final being played on the first Sunday in September in Croke Park, Dublin. The prize for the winning team is the Liam McCarthy Cup. The championship was initially a straight knockout competition open only to the champions of each of the four provinces of Ireland. During the 1990s the tournament began to be expanded, firstly incorporating a 'back-door system' and later a round-robin group phase and more games.
The championship currently consists of several stages. In the present format it begins in late May with the provincial championships in Leinster and Munster. Once a team is defeated in the provincial stage they only have one more chance to compete for the All-Ireland title. The Munster and Leinster champions gain automatic admission to the All-Ireland semi-finals, where they are joined by the two winners of the All-Ireland qualifiers via two lone All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Thirteen teams currently participate in the championship, the most dominant teams coming from the provinces of Leinster and Munster. Kilkenny, Cork and Tipperary are considered to be 'the big three' of hurling. Between them, these teams have won on 89 out of 124 (approx 72%) championships completed during its history including every title since Offaly's win in 1998.
The title has been won by 13 different teams, 10 of which have won the title more than once. The all-time record-holders are Kilkenny, who have won the competition 33 times. Kilkenny are the current champions.
Contents |
Following the foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association on November 1, 1884, one of the association's early aims was the promotion of a national competition that involved the Gaelic games of Gaelic football and hurling. At the third meeting of the new organisation in January 1885, new rules for the ancient game of hurling were drawn up and were soon published in local newspapers throughout the country. In 1886 county boards were created to run the affairs of the various counties that participated in the competition. By 1887 the first All-Ireland Hurling Championship took place. Although only five teams participated, it was a step in the right direction for the organisation.
For the first few years of the championship the various counties were represented by the team who won the county club championship. For instance, the 1887 championship saw Thurles representing Tipperary and Meelick representing Galway. Dedicated inter-county teams were only introduced in 1895 when Cork put forward a mixture of all the best players from that county's best local clubs. Over the early years various changes were made in the rules of hurling, and its sister sport, Gaelic football. Teams were reduced from over 9000 players to 17 and eventually to the current number of 15, and the rules regarding the value of a goal were also tweaked in the first few years of the competition.
The provincial championships were introduced in 1888 in Munster, Leinster, Connacht and Ulster on a knock-out basis. The winners of the provincial finals participated in the All-Ireland semi-finals. Over time the Leinster and Munster teams grew to become the superpowers of the game, as Gaelic football was the more dominant sport in Ulster and Connacht. After some time Galway became the only credible team in Connacht and was essentially given an automatic pass to the All-Ireland semi-final every year. This knock-out system persisted for over 100 years and was considered to be the fairest system as the All-Ireland champions would always be the only undefeated team of the year.
In the mid-1990s the Gaelic Athletic Association looked at developing a new system whereby a defeat in the championship for certain teams would not mean an immediate exit from the Championship. In the 1997 championship the first major change in format arrived when the 'back-door system' was introduced. This new structure allowed the defeated Munster and Leinster finalists another chance to regain a place in the All-Ireland semi-finals. Tipperary and Kilkenny were the first two teams to benefit from the new system when they defeated Down and Galway respectively in the quarter-finals. The All-Ireland final in the first year of this new experiment was a replay of the Munster final with Clare defeating Tipperary. The first team to win the All-Ireland through the 'back-door' was Offaly in 1998, winning a replay of the Leinster final by beating Kilkenny 2-16 to 1-13.
The new 'back-door system' proved successful and was expanded over the following years. The 2005 Championship saw even bigger changes in the 'back-door' or qualifier system. Now the Munster and Leinster champions and defeated finalists automatically qualify for the new quarter-final stages. While two groups of four other teams play in a league format to fill the vacant four places in the quarter-finals. Many have criticised the new structure for not being a real championship at all, for degrading the Munster and Leinster championships and for penalising the strongest teams. The new qualifier structure, however, has provided more games and has given hope to the 'weaker' teams, as a defeat in the first round no longer means the end of a county's All-Ireland ambitions.
The county is a geographical region in Ireland, and each of the thirty-two counties in Ireland organises its own GAA affairs through a County Board. The county teams play in their respective Provincial championships in Munster, Leinster, Connacht and Ulster.
As of 2011, the championship format is as follows:
14 counties participate in Tier 1 of the 2012 Championship. These teams will be as follows:
Provincial Championships
The Leinster, Munster and Ulster championships are knockout competitions. The Ulster Championship is not part of the All Ireland championship and results have no bearing on the competition. The Leinster Championship consists of the 7 Leinster teams mentioned above, along with Galway and Antrim. The Munster Championship consists of the 5 Munster teams mentioned above only. The Leinster and Munster champions advance directly to the All-Ireland semi-finals. The losing provincial finalists go on to the All Ireland quarter finals and other losing teams enter the All Ireland qualifiers.
All-Ireland Qualifiers
Preliminary Round: (2 matches) This consists of matches between 4 teams knocked out before the semi finals of the provincial championships. with 2 winners proceeding to Phase 1.
Phase 1: (2 matches) This winners of the preliminary round play the remaining 2 teams knocked out before the semi finals of the provincial championships, with 2 winners proceding to Phase 3.
Phase 2: (2 matches) This consists of matches between teams knocked out at the semi final stage of the provincial championships. The 2 winners procede to Phase 3.
Phase 3: (2 matches) The winners of Phase 1 play the winners of Phase 2, with the winners of these matches proceding to the All Ireland Quarter finals.
All-Ireland Series
Quarter-finals: (2 matches) The defeated Munster and Leinster finalists will play the winners of the qualifier phase 3 games.
Semi-finals: (2 matches) The Munster and Leinster champions will play the winners of the quarter-finals.
Since 1995, the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship has been sponsored. The sponsor has usually been able to determine the championship's sponsorship name. The list below details who the sponsors have been and what they called the competition:
| Team | Winner | Winning Years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kilkenny | 33 | 1904, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1922, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1939, 1947, 1957, 1963, 1967, 1969, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1992, 1993, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 |
| 2 | Cork | 30 | 1890, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1902, 1903, 1919, 1926, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1966, 1970, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1999, 2004, 2005 |
| 3 | Tipperary | 26 | 1887, 1895, 1896, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1906, 1908, 1916, 1925, 1930, 1937, 1945, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1971, 1989, 1991, 2001, 2010 |
| 4 | Limerick | 7 | 1897, 1918, 1921, 1934, 1936, 1940, 1973 |
| 5 | Dublin | 6 | 1889, 1917, 1920, 1924, 1927, 1938 |
| 5 | Wexford | 6 | 1910, 1955, 1956, 1960, 1968, 1996 |
| 7 | Galway | 4 | 1923, 1980, 1987, 1988 |
| 7 | Offaly | 4 | 1981, 1985, 1994, 1998 |
| 9 | Clare | 3 | 1914, 1995, 1997 |
| 10 | Waterford | 2 | 1948, 1959 |
| 11 | Kerry | 1 | 1891 |
| 11 | Laois | 1 | 1915 |
| 11 | London | 1 | 1901 |
Kilkenny have won the All-Ireland Hurling Championship the most times - thirty-three titles as of 2011. Kilkenny have been runner-up more often than any other team (25 times). Two teams have won the Championship on four consecutive occasions Cork (1941–44) and Kilkenny (2006–09). Only three teams have won the Championship on three consecutive occasions - Cork (1892–94, 1941-44 (4 times)), 1952-54 & 1976-78), Tipperary (1898–1900, 1949–51) and Kilkenny (1911–13, 2006-09 (4 times)). Kilkenny, Galway(1987–1988) and Wexford have all achieved the "double" by winning back-to-back titles over the years. Antrim hold the unfortunate record of appearing in two All-Ireland Finals (1943 and 1989) without ever winning the cup.
The following is a list of the top county teams by number of wins
| Team | Winner | Last win | Runner-up | Last losing final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kilkenny | 33 | 2011 | 25 | 2010 |
| 2 | Cork | 30 | 2005 | 18 | 2006 |
| 3 | Tipperary | 26 | 2010 | 11 | 2011 |
| 4 | Limerick | 7 | 1973 | 8 | 2007 |
| 5 | Dublin | 6 | 1938 | 14 | 1961 |
| 5 | Wexford | 6 | 1996 | 11 | 1977 |
| 7 | Galway | 4 | 1988 | 17 | 2005 |
| 7 | Offaly | 4 | 1998 | 3 | 2000 |
| 9 | Clare | 3 | 1997 | 4 | 2002 |
| 10 | Waterford | 2 | 1959 | 4 | 2008 |
| 11 | London | 1 | 1901 | 3 | 1903 |
| 11 | Laois | 1 | 1915 | 2 | 1949 |
| 11 | Kerry | 1 | 1891 | 0 | - |
| 14 | Antrim | 0 | - | 2 | 1989 |
The top provinces by number of wins:
| Province | Wins | Last Win | Biggest Contributor | Wins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Munster | 69 | 2010 | Cork | 30 |
| 2 | Leinster | 51 | 2011 | Kilkenny | 33 |
| 3 | Connacht | 4 | 1988 | Galway | 4 |
| 4 | Ulster | 0 | - | - | - |
The following counties have never won an All Ireland:
| Province | County |
|---|---|
| Ulster | Antrim, Armagh, Cavan, Derry, Donegal, Down, Fermanagh, Monaghan, Tyrone, New York |
| Leinster | Carlow, Kildare, Longford, Louth, Meath, Westmeath, Wicklow |
| Connacht | Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo |
| Rank | Player | Team | Scores | Games | Era | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Henry Shefflin | Kilkenny | 24-424 (496pts) | 56 games | 1999–present | 8.86 |
| 2 | Eoin Kelly | Tipperary | 20-348 (408pts) | 53 games | 2000–present | 7.70 |
| 3 | Eddie Keher | Kilkenny | 36-307 (415pts) | 50 games | 1959–1977 | 8.30 |
| 4 | Christy Ring | Cork | 33-208 (305pts) | 64 games | 1940–1963 | 4.8 |
| 5 | D.J. Carey | Kilkenny | 34-195 (297pts) | 57 games | 1989–2005 | 5.2 |
| 6 | Nicky Rackard | Wexford | 59-96 (273pts) | 36 games | 1940–1957 | 7.58 |
| 7 | Joe Deane | Cork | 10-239 (269pts) | 50 games | 1996–2008 | 5.4 |
| 8 | Niall Gilligan | Clare | 20-197 (257pts) | 56 games | 1997–2009 | 4.6 |
| 9 | Paul Flynn | Waterford | 24-181 (253pts) | 45 games | 1993–2008 | 5.6 |
| 10 | Ben O'Connor | Cork | 8-224 (248pts) | 52 games | 1999–present | 4.7 |
| As of 5 September 2011 (Bold denotes players still active) , Average score shows score in points per Championship game |
||||||
Eddie Keher of the Rower-Inistioge holds numerous championship scoring records. In 50 championship appearances between 1959 and 1977 he scored 35 goals and 334 points. Not only that but Keher also set and broke a number of individual records. In the 1963 All-Ireland final he scored 14 points, a verifiable record for a final up to that point. In 1971 Keher broke his own record when he captured 2 goals and 11 points in the All-Ireland final against Tipperary. What is more remarkable is the fact that he ended up on the losing side on that occasion. This record was broken by Nicky English in 1989 when he scored 2 goals and 12 points in a 70-minute All-Ireland final. Keher's tally of 6 goals and 45 points in the 1972 championship is also a record.
Nicky Rackard of Wexford got the highest confirmed total in a major championship game. In Wexford's 12-17 to 2-3 defeat of Antrim in the 1954 All-Ireland semi-final he scored a remarkable 7 goals and 7 points. His tally of 6 goals and 4 points against Dublin is also a scoring record. Rackard also scored 5 goals and 4 points against Galway in the 1956 All-Ireland semi-final.
Prior to the 1930s scoring records for championship games were rarely kept. A number of players have been credited with enormous tallies. Andy 'Dooric' Buckley scored at least 6 goals when Cork beat Kilkenny by 8-9 to 0-8 in the 1903 All-Ireland 'home' final. Other newspaper reports credit him with 7 goals and 4 points.
P.J. Riordan is alleged to have scored all but 1 point of Tipperary's total when they beat Kilkenny by 6-8 to 0-1 in the 1895 All-Ireland final.
Jimmy Kelly of Kilkenny is said to have scored 7 goals in 30 minutes against Cork in the replay of the 1905 final.
In 1990 the rule prohibiting a hand-passed score was introduced. This had a large bearing on the scoring records above with less goals being scored in open play following its introduction. In the 1990 Congress the score rule was changed to read: "A Goal is scored when the ball is played by either team between the goalposts and under the crossbar. A point is scored when the ball is played by either team between the uprights and over the crossbar. The ball shall not be thrown or carried over the goal-line by an attacking player. In Hurling a score may not be made by an attacking player in possession fisting or handpassing the ball but a score may be made by a player stricking the ball in flight with the fist or open hand.''"
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|||||||||||