All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship History

The history of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship is long and remarkable, with over one hundred years of competition finding winners and losers from all parts of the country.

Tracing the history of the Hurling Championship over the last fifty years or so, it is possible to easily pick out periods when specific teams or counties dominated the competition, only to find themselves rapidly superseded by another dominant team or teams. With that in mind, it is easy to view the last fifty years by era:

1961 to 1968: The Tipperary Era

The Tipperary hurling team of the 1960s is remembered as one of the most successful and physically intimidating of all time. Of the eight All-Ireland finals to take place during this period Tipp reached six of them. Having lost out in 1960 the Premier County returned in 1961 taking on the first "native" Dublin hurling team. The contest was a close one with the Dubs missing a point in the dying seconds which allowed Tipp to win by a single point. In 1962 Tipperary rturned once again, this time taking on old rivals Wexford. Two goals for Tipp in the opening minute gave them a huge boost, however, the match wan't settled until the final ten minutes when Tom Ryan scored a goal which meant Tipp won by 3-10 to 2-11.

In 1963 the Tipperary dominance was broken when Kilkenny and Waterford contested the All-Ireland final. Waterford were losing by 11 points at one stage, however, they managed to bridge the gap to 2 points. In the end, however, the young Eddie Keher secured victory for "the Cats" by finishing with a personal tally of 14 points. In 1964 Kilkenny were back in the final for a second year and were red hot favourites to win the title. However, they faced a rejuvenated Tipperary who scored 5 goals, the sixth one being disallowed. Tipp won by 5-13 to 2-8 and were champions once again. 1965 saw Tipperary take on old rivals Wexford in the final. Tipp scored 7 points without reply in the second half and won comfortably in the end.

1966 saw a respite in the Tipperary dominance of the era with Cork and Kilkenny contesting the All-Ireland final. Cork were playing in their first final since 1954 and fielded one of the youngest team's ever. There was even speculation that 45-years old Christy Ring would be redrafted back onto the panel. In the final itself Cork defeated "the Cats" by 3-9 to 1-10. Kilkenny returned for a second consecutive final appearance in 1967, this time taking on Tipperary. A victory for "the Cats" by 3-8 to 2-7 ended a 45-year Tipperary bogey for the Kilkenny hurlers. In 1968 Tipperary played once again against rivals Wexford. 8 points down at half time, Wexford came back to win the game by 2 points.

1969 to 1978: Cork-Kilkenny Dominance

In 1969, Cork and Kilkenny started their domination of the competetition that would last for the entire 1970s. Up until then Cork and Tipperary were considered the "hurling superpowers", with Kilkenny being the distant cousin in Leinster. This all changed during the 1970s. In 1969 Kilkenny took on Cork in the All-Ireland Final, a repeat of the 1966 clash. This time, however, the result was different with Kilkenny claiming victory. Cork returned in 1970, taking on Wexford in the first 80-minute final. A hat-trick og goals by Cork's Eddie O'Brien sealed victory for the Rebels by 6-21 to 5-10.

1971 saw Kilkenny play in the first of five consecutive All-Ireland Finals. Their opponents in this classic match were Tipperary. The game was noted for Kilkenny's Eddie Keher scoring a record 2-11 (in spite of ending up on the losing side), and for Tipperary's Michael "Babs" Keating playing in his bare feet. Tipp won by three points. In 1972 Kilkenny played in their second final of the decade, taking on Cork. Kilkenny came back from 8 points down to win the Liam McCarthy Cup once again. A third final appearance for Kilkenny saw them take on Munster champions Limerick who were playing in their first All-Ireland final since 1940. A vital goal in the second half rejuvenated the Limerick attack who went on to win their first title in 33 years.

The 1974 final was an action replay of the previous year's but with Kilkenny claiming victory instead. A penalty by Eddie Keher and a freak goal that trickled under the Limerick goalkeeper's legs secured victory for "the Cats." In 1975 Kilkenny played in their fifth consecutive All-Ireland final. Their opponents Galway had stunned Cork in the semi-final and lead Kilkenny at half-time. However, Kilkenny scored vital goals and secured the coveted two-in-a-row. This "double" victory brought an end to Kilkenny's dominance in the era. It has been said that had it not been for injury problems Kilkenny could have easily won three or maybe four All-Ireland's in a row, however, it was not to be. In spite of this the 1971-75 team is considered one of the greatest of all time.

While Kilkenny dominated the early 1970s, the second part of the decade belongs to Cork. In 1976 their opponents were Wexford. Cork were 2 points down with ten minutes to go but 8 quick points in successions ecured victory for the Leesiders. In 1977 Cork played Wexford in the final for a second year in a row, with the result being the same. In 1978 Cork reached their third All-Ireland final in as many years, taking on old rivals Kilkenny in the game. Much was at stake with Cork looking to win their first three-in-a-row since the 1950s. A goal by Jimmy Barry-Murphy in the final fifteen minutes secured victory for Cork and an historic treble.

1979 to 1988: The Mixed Decade

The ten All-Ireland Finals between 1979 and 1988 saw a different team emerge every year almost. Galway were undoubtedly the luckiest team of the decade as they managed to reach seven of the ten finals. However, they only managed to win on three occasions. In 1979 they were easily defeated by Kilkenny, however, in 1980 Galway got the upper-hand over the Munster champions Limerick. In 1981 The "Tribesmen" made their third consecutive appearance in the final. However, they were defeated by Offaly who were playing in their very first final. 1982 and 1983 saw Munster pitted against Leinster as Cork faced Kilkenny in both finals. Victory went to "the Cats" on both occasions.

1984 was a special year for the Gaelic Athletic Association, as the organisation was celebrating its centenary. Having nearly been knocked out of the competition in the Munster final Cork managed to reach the final to take on Offaly in a special final at Semple Stadium. The Rebels easily defeated Offaly and were crowned centenary champions. Offaly returned however in 1985 to take on Galway who were making a return to the big time. Offaly avenged the previous year's defeat by narrowly defeating the Tribesmen, however, Galway returned in 1986 to take on Cork in the final. A second consecutive All-Ireland defeat didn't dishearten Galway as they returned in victory in 1987, defeating Kilkenny in the final. Galway made it two-in-a-row in 1988 as the Tribesmen defeated the Munster champions Tipperary.

1989 to 1993: The Big Three

The 1989 final saw a unique event. While Tipperary were playing in their second final in two years, their opponents, Antrim, were playing in their second final ever. The result was predictable as Tipp easily defeated the Ulstermen by 18 points, the legendary Nicky English scoring 2-12, a record for the final. The 1990 final was one of the highest scoring finals ever. In what was the beginning of the end of a great Galway team Cork defeated the Tribesmen by a massive scoreline of 5-15 to 2-21.

In 1991 Tipperary once again returned to the final, this time taking on Kilkenny. It was to be Tipp's last final appearance for ten years while it was tie beginning of a winning streak for Kilkenny. Tipperary were champions in 1991 but Kilkenny returned in 1992 and 1993 to win the double, defeating Cork and Galway respectively.

1994 to 1998: The Underdogs

The mid-1990s saw the emergence of some of the so-called "underdogs" of hurling. From 1994 to 1998 the Championship was won by teams who would not be considered major hurling powers. The 1994 All-Ireland Championship produced the legendary "5 minute final" between Offaly and Limerick. Limerick were set for victory, however, with five minutes left in the game a resurgent Offaly scored two goals within two minutes and most of their points to secure their first title since 1985.

The 1995 Championship saw Offaly reach the final again, however, this time they were defending their All-Ireland title against Clare. The omens pointed towards an Offaly "double" as Clare hadn't appeared in a final since 1932. At half time Offaly were in the lead, however, in an interview at half time, an exasperated Clare manager, Ger Loughnane, confidently predicted "We're going to do it." A goal by Clare in the second half, followed by the collapse of the Offaly defence lead to the "Banner County" winning their first All-Ireland title since 1914.

The 1996 All-Ireland Final was contested by Wexford and Limerick. While Limerick were looking to avenge their 1994 defeat the win went to Wexford who had their first victory since 1968. The 1997 Championship saw the introduction of the "back door" system for the defeated Munster and Leinster finalists. As a result of this new format the All-Ireland final was a repeat of the Munster final between Clare and Tipperary. The result was the same however as Clare defeated the "Premier County" for a second time in the first All-Munster All-Ireland final.

The 1998 Championship saw a return to the old order as the "traditional" hurling counties began to make a comeback. The final that year was contested by Offaly and Kilkenny. In a repeat of the Leinster final Offaly were the dominant team of the game and captured their second title of the decade. The 1998 Championship brought an end of the underdogs era as the new millennium saw a return to the old order that was to be dominated by the traditional hurling counties.

1999 to 2007: Cork-Kilkenny Dominance

In 1999 normal service was resumed as the superpowers broke back once again. Like the 1970s of the seven All-Ireland Finals that were to take place between 1999 and 2005, all but one of them were not contested by either Cork or Kilkenny or both. In 1999 Kilkenny were contesting their second consecutive final, however, after a loss the previous year, nothing but a win was on their mind. Victory wasn't theirs as Cork snatched victory by a single point. The 2000 final was an all Leinster affair as Offaly took on Kilkenny who were playing in their third consecutive final. The sides were evenly matched, however, the game ultimately proved to be a walkover for Kilkenny who won by a margin of 13 points. 2001 saw Tipperary and Galway re-emerged in an All-Ireland final after several years of absence. The battle was closer than people had anticipated, but Tipperary pulled away in the end to win by 3 points and claim their 25th All-Ireland title, their first since 1991.

In 2002 Kilkenny were back in the final after an absence of two years. Their opponents were Clare, however, the Banner men were unable to beat "the Kilkenny Cats" on that occasion. Another final appearance and another victory for Kilkenny in the 2003 final cemented their dominance in hurling and made it clear that they were one of the best teams in recent years. The 2004 final was a replay of the previous year's with Cork and Kilkenny battling it out again. Much was at stake in this game. Kilkenny were looking to make history by completing their first outright "three-in-a-row". Cork were looking for revenge for the previous year. With both teams claiming 28 titles each they were both looking to go one up on the other in the "Roll of Honour." Also, neither team had won their respective provincial championships. The game was a very tense affair with tight hurling and low scoring. However, in the second half Cork only allowed Kilkenny to score 2 points, while the Rebels pulled away to almost double scores.

The final of the 2005 Championship looked set to be another battle between Kilkenny and Cork; however, a semi-final defeat for the Cats set up a final meeting between Cork and Galway. Cork led from the start with Galway unable to catch up to their opponents in spite of excellent hurling by both teams. Cork were victorious and secured their 30th All-Ireland title.

The trend continued in 2006 with another final contested between the two dominant powers. Cork were pre-match favourites, but Kilkenny upset the odds with a 3-point victory in what was a closely contested match. By denying Cork the holy grail of three consecutive titles, Kilkenny gained a measure of revenge for the final of two years previously.

Kilkenny were the pre-tournament favourites in 2007 and proved themselves worthy of this billing by reaching the final with ease. Their dominance continued in the final itself on 2nd September when Kilkenny defeated Limerick by 7 points. After scoring two early goals, Kilkenny maintained a lead of at least 5 points throughout the match and were never in any real danger of losing. By winning their 30th title Kilkenny drew level with Cork in the all-time standings and created an opportunity to achieve the hallowed three-in-a-row in 2008.

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