1944 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

1944 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
Championship details
Dates May - September
Teams 16
All-Ireland Champions
Winning team Cork (15th win)
Captain Seán Condon
All-Ireland Finalists
Losing team Dublin
Captain Mick Butler
Provincial Champions
Munster Cork
Leinster Dublin
Ulster Antrim
Connacht Not Played
Championship statistics
No. matches played 17
Top Scorer Joe Kelly (7-5)
All-Star Team See here
1943
1945

The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1944 was the 58th staging of Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition. Cork won the championship, beating Dublin 2-13 to 1-2 in the final at Croke Park, Dublin.

Pre-championship

Four-in-a-row

Coming into the 1944 championship Cork were presented with a chance to achieve something that had never been done before. Having captured their third All-Ireland title in-a-row the previous year, Cork's hurlers were primed to go one better and secure an unprecedented fourth successive All-Ireland title. The 'four-in-a-row' had already been captured by the footballers of Wexford (1915–18) and Kerry (1929–32), however, no hurling team had ever bested three-in-a-row. That feat had been achieved several times before with Cork, Tipperary and Kilkenny all claiming famous trebles. None of those teams, however, reached a fourth successive All-Ireland final as they're were all beaten in the provincial series of games.

The championship

Format

Leinster Championship

First round: (2 matches) These are two lone matches between the first four teams drawn from the province of Leinster. Two teams are eliminated at this stage, while the two winners advance to the semi-finals.

Semi-finals: (2 matches) The winners of the two first round games join the other two Leinster teams to make up the semi-final pairings. Two teams are eliminated at this stage, while the two winners advance to the final.

Final: (1 match) The winners of the two semi-finals contest this game. One team is eliminated at this stage, while the winners advance to the All-Ireland semi-final.

Munster Championship

First round: (1 match) This is a lone match between the first two teams drawn from the province of Munster. One team is eliminated at this stage, while the winners advance to the semi-finals.

Semi-finals: (2 matches) The winners of the first round game join the other three Munster teams to make up the semi-final pairings. Two teams are eliminated at this stage, while the two winners advance to the final.

Final: (1 match) The winners of the two semi-finals contest this game. One team is eliminated at this stage, while the winners advance to the All-Ireland semi-final.

Ulster Championship

Semi-finals: (2 matches) The four Ulster teams are drawn against each other in two semi-finals. Two teams are eliminated at this stage, while the two winners advance to the final.

Final: (1 match) The winners of the two semi-finals contest this game. One team is eliminated at this stage, while the winners advance to the All-Ireland semi-final.

All-Ireland Championship

Semi-finals: (2 matches) The Munster and Leinster champions are paired in opposite semi-finals while Galway enter the championship at this stage. The emi-final pairings are Munster champions versus Galway and Leinster champions versus Ulster champions. Two teams are eliminated at this stage, while the two winners advance to the All-Ireland final.

Final: (1 match) The two semi-final winners will contest the All-Ireland final.

Fixtures

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship

May 7
First Round
Westmeath 5-3 5-5 Offaly

May 14
First Round
Meath 1-11 6-10 Dublin

June 18
Semi-Final
Dublin 10-7 1-4 Offaly

June 18
Semi-Final
Wexford 6-4 4-6 Kilkenny

July 23
Final
Dublin 4-7 3-3 Wexford
Nowlan Park, Kilkenny

Munster Senior Hurling Championship

May 28
First Round
Tipperary 3-5 1-7 Waterford

June 11
Semi-Final
Limerick 5-9 4-1 Clare

June 25
Semi-Final
Cork 1-9 1-3 Tipperary

July 16
Final
Cork 6-7 4-13 Limerick

July 30
Final Replay
Cork 4-6 3-6 Limerick
Thurles Sportsfield, Thurles
Attendance: 18,000

Ulster Senior Hurling Championship

July 9
Semi-Final
Antrim 9-7 0-3 Donegal

July 16
Semi-Final
Monaghan 3-7 1-10 Down
St. Tiernach's Park, Clones

July 31
Final
Antrim 5-7 6-4 Monaghan

August 6
Final Replay
Antrim 7-3 0-1 Monaghan

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

August 13
Semi-Final
Cork 1-10 3-3 Galway
Cusack Park, Ennis
Attendance: 9,800

August 13
Semi-Final
Dublin 6-12 3-1 Antrim

September 3
Final
Cork 2-13 1-2 Dublin
Croke Park, Dublin
Attendance: 26,896
Referee: M. Hennessy (Clare)
Cork
Dublin

Championship statistics

Scoring

Miscellaneous

Player facts

Debutantes

The following players made their début in the 1944 championship:

Player Team Date Opposition Game
Joe Kelly Cork June 25 Tipperary Munster semi-final

Retirees

The following players played their last game in the 1944 championship:

Player Team Date Opposition Game Début
Mick Kennefick Cork June 25 Tipperary Munster semi-final 1942

Bibliography

See also