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Munster Senior Hurling Championship

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Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship
Current season or competition:
2024 Munster Senior Hurling Championship
IrishCraobh Iomána na Mumhan
CodeHurling
Founded1888; 136 years ago (1888)
RegionMunster (GAA)
TrophyMick Mackey Cup
No. of teams5
Title holders Limerick (25th title)
Most titles Cork (54 titles)
SponsorsCentra, Littlewoods Ireland, Bord Gáis Energy
TV partner(s)RTÉ
GAA Go
MottoBe there. All the way.
Official websiteOfficial website

The Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Munster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurling competition in the province of Munster, and has been contested every year since the 1888 championship.

The final, usually held on the first Sunday in July, serves as the culmination of a series of games played during May and June, and the results determine which team receives the Mick Mackey Cup. The championship was previously played on a straight knockout basis whereby once a team lost they were eliminated from the championship; however, as of 2018, the championship involved a round-robin system.

The Munster Championship is an integral part of the wider GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship. The winners of the Munster final, like their counterparts in the Leinster Championship, are rewarded by advancing directly to the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland series of games. The losers of the Munster final enter the All-Ireland series at the quarter-final stage, while the third-placed team advances to the preliminary quarter-finals. Each year, the lowest finishing team are possibly relegated to the Joe McDonagh Cup.

Five teams currently participate in the Munster Championship. Seven teams have competed since the inception of the Munster Championship in 1888.

The title has been won at least once by all six of the Munster counties, five of which have won the title more than once. The all-time record-holders are Cork, who have won the championship on 54 occasions. Limerick are currently six in-a-row title holders, defeating Clare by 1-26 to 1–20 in the 2024 final.

Hurling is the more prominent of the two Gaelic games in Munster. As such the Munster Championship is regarded as the most skillful and exciting of all the provincial hurling championships. The Munster final, particularly when played in Semple Stadium in Thurles, is considered one of the biggest and best sporting occasions in Ireland.[1][2][3]

History

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Development

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Following the foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1884, new rules for Gaelic football and hurling were drawn up and published in the United Irishman newspaper. In 1886, county committees began to be established, with several counties affiliating over the next few years. The GAA ran its inaugural All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in 1887. The decision to establish that first championship was influenced by several factors. Firstly, inter-club contests in 1885 and 1886 were wildly popular and began to draw huge crowds. Clubs started to travel across the country to play against each other and these matches generated intense interest as the newspapers began to speculate which teams might be considered the best in the country. Secondly, although the number of clubs was growing, many were slow to affiliate to the Association, leaving it short of money. Establishing a central championship held the prospect of enticing GAA clubs to process their affiliations, just as the establishment of the FA Cup had done much in the 1870s to promote the development of the Football Association in England. The championships were open to all affiliated clubs who would first compete in county-based competitions, to be run by local county committees. The winners of each county championship would then proceed to represent that county in the All-Ireland series.[4] For the first and only time in its history the All-Ireland Championship used an open draw format. Six teams entered the first championship, however, this number increased to nine in 1888. Because of this, and in an effort to reduce travelling costs, the GAA decided to introduce provincial championships in Leinster and Munster.

Beginnings

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The inaugural Munster Championship featured Clare, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford. Cork and Tipperary contested the first match on Sunday 27 May 1888. Despite losing, Cork advanced to the Munster semi-final as Tipperary champions Clonoulty used players from other clubs to supplement their team. Such a format was not yet allowed. A replay was ordered in Cork but Clonoulty refused to play anywhere in Cork stating a preference for Kilmallock. As a result of their refusal to play they were disqualified. The inaugural Munster final between Cork and Clare was to be played on Wednesday 29 August 1888, however, the provincial showpiece ended in disarray. Clare champions Ogonelloe, who had received a walkover from South Liberties of Limerick in the semi-final, however, this was later disputed. Before the final commenced South Liberties took to the field to play Ogonelloe, with the winners competing in the final later that day. The officials decided then not to play either game. It was then decided to play the final in Cork on Sunday 2 September 1888, however, Clare refused to travel and Cork were awarded the title.

Postponements, disqualifications, objections, withdrawals and walkovers were regular occurrences during the initial years of the championship. Kerry became the sixth and final team to enter the championship in 1889, however, the championship ended without a final once again as Kerry conceded a walkover to Clare.

On Sunday 28 September 1890, the first Munster final took place. Cork won their first title on the field of play after a 2–00 to 0–01 defeat of Kerry. Since then the championship title has been awarded every year except in 1908 when Tipperary were awarded the title after being granted a walkover by Kerry.

Team changes

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In spite of winning the Munster title in 1891, Kerry eventually became a county dominated by Gaelic football. Because of this the inter-county hurling team went into a sharp decline. Kerry's championship appearances were sporadic by the 1950s and the county eventually stopped fielding a team at senior level before regrading to the All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship. After some successes in the All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship, Kerry returned to the Munster Championship after a nineteen-year absence in 1977. A decade later the team made a more permanent return to the championship, however, Kerry only recorded one championship victory from then until their last appearance in the championship in 2004.[5]

Due to a lack of competition in the Connacht Championship, the Galway County Board proposed a regrading to the junior championship in January 1958. This led to a wider debate regarding the structure of the championship. The abolition of the provincial system and the introduction of an open draw was rejected. Galway put forward their own proposal for the creation of a new "province" consisting of Galway, Clare, Laois, Offaly and Westmeath, however, this was also rejected. The possibility of starting the National Hurling League in April in an effort to give Galway some game time before the start of the championship was also discussed. At a meeting of the Munster Council on 10 January 1959 it was decided to invite Galway to participate in all grades of hurling in Munster on a temporary basis. This decision was later ratified at the GAA Congress. Galway played in the Munster Championship from 1959 until 1969, however, during that time they won just one of their twelve championship games.[6]

Team dominance

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Summary of champions

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# County Titles Runners-up Total
1 Cork 54 30 84
2 Tipperary 42 28 70
3 Limerick 25 27 52
4 Waterford 9 21 30
5 Clare 6 25 31
6 Kerry 1 5 6

Since the beginning, the championship has been dominated by Cork and Tipperary. They have won a combined total of 96 of the 135 championship titles. The two teams began their hegemony by winning 18 championship titles between 1890 and 1909 with Cork setting a number of records during this time — becoming the first team to win successive titles in 1893, claiming a first three-in-a-row the following year and setting the then all-time record of five successive championships between 1901 and 1905.

After twenty years, Limerick emerged to break the dominance of the "big two" when they claimed five championship titles between 1910 and 1923. Limerick enjoyed a second golden era by winning a further five championship titles between 1933 and 1940, including four-in-a-row in 1933-1936. After a period of decline, Cork returned to dominate by winning nine championships between 1942 and 1956. Tipperary then emerged with what many people regard as their greatest ever team — between 1958 and 1971, they won nine championships. However, Cork returned to dominate the next two decades, winning thirteen championships between 1972 and 1986, including another 5-in-a-row in 1982-1986.

The 1990s saw a more equitable period develop in the championship with every team reaching at least one Munster final and title victories for all but Waterford. Waterford then had arguably their strongest period thus far, winning four championships from six final appearances between 2002 and 2010. The second decade of the new millennium saw a sharing of titles between the "big three" — Tipperary winning four titles, and Cork and Limerick winning 3 each. Waterford lost all of the 5 finals they contested. Limerick continued their successful run into the 2020s and in 2024 have the all-time record of six successive championships titles between 2019 and 2024.

Format history

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Knockout format (1888–2017)

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Between 1888 and 2017 the Munster Championship was a knockout tournament whereby once a team was defeated they were eliminated from the championship. In the early years the pairings were drawn at random and there was no seeding. Each match was played as a single leg. If a match ended in a draw there was a replay. Drawn replays were settled with extra time; however, if both sides were still level at the end of extra time a second replay took place and so on until a winner was found. Extra-time was eventually adopted in the event of a draw for all championship games except the final.

The dominance of Cork and Tipperary eventually led to both these teams being placed on opposite sides of the championship draw. This was later viewed as a mean of penalising the other teams. While it might be possible to beat one of these teams it was deemed near impossible to beat the two strongest teams in the province in a single championship season. This practice was eventually abolished with a return to the open draw in which three of the five teams automatically qualified for the semi-final stage of the championship. Two other teams played in a lone quarter-final with the winner joining the other three teams at the semi-final stage.

The Munster Championship was an integral part of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. Between 1888 and 1996 the Munster final winners automatically qualified for either the All-Ireland semi-final or final. The introduction of the "back door" system in 1997 allowed the defeated Munster finalists access to the All-Ireland quarter-final, while the Munster champions received a bye to the All-Ireland semi-final. The "back door" system was replaced in 2002 by the All-Ireland Qualifiers which afforded every defeated team in the Munster Championship the chance of qualifying for the All-Ireland Championship. Between 2005 and 2007 both Munster finalists qualified for the All-Ireland quarter-finals, however, this system was abolished in 2008 with the Munster champions receiving a bye to the All-Ireland semi-final.

Qualification history

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The Munster Championship was an integral part of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. Between 1888 and 1996 the Munster final winners automatically qualified for either the All-Ireland semi-final or final. The introduction of the "back door" system in 1997 allowed the defeated Munster finalists access to the All-Ireland quarter-final, while the Munster champions received a bye to the All-Ireland semi-final. The "back door" system was replaced in 2002 by the All-Ireland Qualifiers which afforded every defeated team in the Munster Championship the chance of qualifying for the All-Ireland Championship. Between 2005 and 2007 both Munster finalists qualified for the All-Ireland quarter-finals, however, this system was abolished in 2008 with the Munster champions receiving a bye to the All-Ireland semi-final.

Format

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Development

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In 2017, the majority delegates voted to restructure the championship once again. The new format led to the introduction of the round robin within the championship and the creation of the Joe McDonagh Cup.

Group stage

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Group stage: There are five teams in the Munster Championship. During the course of a season (from May to June) each team plays the others once (a single round-robin system) for a total of four games. Teams receive two points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points. The top two teams in the group contest the Munster final with the third-placed team qualifies to the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals. The fourth-placed team are eliminated from the championship and the 5th placed team is may be relegated to the Joe McDonagh Cup.

Tie-breakers

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In the event of teams finishing on equal points, the tie shall be decided by the following means (in the order specified):[7]

  • Where two teams only are involved – the outcome of the meeting of the two teams
  • Score difference – subtracting the total "Scores Against" from the total "Scores For"
  • Highest Total "Score For"
  • Highest Total "Goals For"
  • A Play-Off

Knockout stage

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Final: The top two teams in the group stage contest the final. The winning team are declared champions.

Promotion and relegation

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A system of promotion and relegation exists between the Munster Championship and the Joe McDonagh Cup. If a Munster team win the Joe McDonagh Cup, they will enter a promotion/relegation playoff with the bottom team in that year's Munster Senior Hurling Championship, with the winner entering the following years Munster Championship, and the loser returning to the following year's edition of the Joe McDonagh Cup.

The mechanism has never been employed as Kerry, the only Munster county not competing in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship, has never won the Joe McDonagh Cup.

Qualification for subsequent competitions

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Qualification for the All-Ireland Championship

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As of the 2018 championship, qualification for the All-Ireland Championship has changed due to the abolition of the qualifiers. The Munster champions continue to receive a bye to the All-Ireland semi-final while the defeated Munster finalists enter the All-Ireland quarter-finals. The third-placed team in the group enter the All-Ireland Championship at the preliminary quarter-final stage where they play either the champions or runners-up of the Joe McDonagh Cup.

Teams

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2025 Championship

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Five counties will compete in the 2025 Munster Senior Hurling Championship:

County Location Stadium Province Position in 2024Championship First year in championship In championship since Championship Titles Last Championship Title
Clare Ennis Cusack Park Munster Runners-up 6 1998
Cork Cork Páirc Uí Chaoimh Munster 3rd 54 2018
Limerick Limerick Gaelic Grounds Munster Champions 24 2024
Tipperary Thurles Semple Stadium Munster 5th 42 2016
Waterford Waterford Walsh Park Munster 4th 9 2010

Debut of counties

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Year Debutants Total
1888 Clare, Cork, Waterford 3
1889 Kerry, Limerick 2
1890-93 None 0
1894 Tipperary 1
1895-1958 None 0
1959 Galway 1
1960- None 0
Total 7

Seasons in Munster SHC

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The number of years that each county has played in the Munster SHC between 1888 and 2024. A total of 7 counties have competed in at least one season of the Munster SHC. Cork have participated in the most championships. The counties in bold participate in the 2024 Munster Senior Hurling Championship.

Years Counties
136 Cork
134 Limerick
130 Tipperary
129 Clare
124 Waterford
62 Kerry
11 Galway

List of Munster Senior Hurling Championship counties

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The following teams have competed in the Munster Championship for at least one season.

County Appearances Debut Most recent Championship titles Last Championship title Best Munster result
Clare 129 1888 2024 6 1998 Champions
Cork 136 1888 2024 54 2018 Champions
Galway 11 1959 1969 0 Semi-finals
Kerry 62 1889 2004 1 1891 Champions
Limerick 134 1889 2024 25 2024 Champions
Tipperary 130 1894 2024 42 2016 Champions
Waterford 124 1888 2024 9 2010 Champions

Venues

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Semple Stadium is the home venue of Tipperary. As a regular final venue it is often regarded as the spiritual home of Munster hurling.
In spite of being a Gaelic football stronghold, FitzGerald Stadium has hosted several Munster finals.
As well as being the home venue of Cork, Páirc Uí Chaoimh has often been used as a neutral venue for games.
Cusack Park, the home venue of Clare, hosted its first championship game in 21 years in 2018.

History

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Munster Championship matches were traditionally played at neutral venues or at a location that was deemed to be halfway between the two participants; however, teams eventually came to home and away agreements depending on the capacity of their stadiums. Teams that previously had agreements prior to the restructuring of the championship were Cork and Tipperary, Limerick and Cork and Limerick and Tipperary.[8][9] Every second meeting between these teams was played at the home venue of one of them.

Waterford and Clare, in spite of having home stadiums, did not have home and away agreements with the other teams as their stadiums were initially deemed not to be of an adequate size for Munster Championship games. These teams usually played their games at neutral venues.[10]

The introduction of the round robin format in 2018 saw home and away arrangements being agreed by all five teams, with every second meeting between the participating teams being played at the home venue of one of the teams. On 16 March 2018, it was confirmed that Waterford would play their two 'home' clashes at a neutral venue instead of Walsh Park. The ground has a capacity of just 8,000 and was deemed unsuitable.[11] Nowlan Park in Kilkenny was mentioned as a possible venue for the Waterford-Tipperary game, however, the Munster Council cited a regulation whereby a change from a home venue can only be to a neutral venue within the province.[12] In November 2018, the Munster Council once again voted against allowing Waterford to play home games in Nowlan Park.[13] On 28 February 2019, it was confirmed that Waterford would play their two home championship games at Walsh Park after resolving a 'structural issue' which reduced the venue's capacity in 2018.[14]

Attendances

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Stadium attendances are a significant source of regular income for the Munster Council and for the teams involved. For the 2017 championship, average attendances were 31,998 with a total aggregate attendance figure of 127,992. For a four-game championship, it was the highest cumulative figure since 2008 (136,868). The 2017 figure represented the highest combined total for a Munster Championship since 2009, when 136,908 fans attended five games, including a semi-final replay between Limerick and Waterford.[15] The change of format for the 2018 championship almost doubled attendances. A combined total of 248,809 attended 11 championship games, seeing a 95% increase on the previous year and a 147% rise on 2016.[16] The highest ever attendance at a Munster Championship game was recorded on 30 July 1961 when a crowd of 62,175 attended the Munster final between Cork and Tipperary. This is the officially-recorded attendance, however, due to spectators storming the gates the attendance could have been as high as 70,000 or more.

Group stage

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Fixtures in the five group stage rounds of the championship are played at the home ground of one of the two teams. Each team is guaranteed two home games.

Final

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The final has historically been played at either Semple Stadium, Páirc Uí Chaoimh or the Gaelic Grounds. As of the 2018 championship, the final is played at one of these venues as per the home and away agreements between Cork, Limerick and Tipperary. If Clare or Waterford were to reach the Munster final the game would be played at a neutral venue.

Stadia and locations

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County Location Province Stadium Capacity
Clare Ennis Munster Cusack Park 19,000
Cork Cork Munster Páirc Uí Chaoimh 45,000
Kerry Killarney Munster Fitzgerald Stadium 40,000
Limerick Limerick Munster Gaelic Grounds 44,203
Tipperary Thurles Munster Semple Stadium 45,690
Waterford Waterford Munster Walsh Park 12,000

Managers

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Davy Fitzgerald managed Waterford to the title in 2010.

Managers in the Munster Championship are involved in the day-to-day running of the team, including the training, team selection, and sourcing of players from the club championships. Their influence varies from county-to-county and is related to the individual county boards. From 2018, all inter-county head coaches must be Award 2 qualified. The manager is assisted by a team of two or three selectors and an extensive backroom team consisting of various coaches. Prior to the development of the concept of a manager in the 1970s, teams were usually managed by a team of selectors with one member acting as chairman. In this capacity, Paddy Leahy won several Munster Championship titles served as chairman of the Tipperary senior hurling selection committee between 1949 and 1965. Jim "Tough" Barry was trainer for all bar one of Cork's Munster Championship-winning teams between 1926 and 1966.

Winning managers (1969–present)
Manager Team Wins Winning years
Justin McCarthy Cork
Waterford
6 1975, 1984, 1985, 2002, 2004, 2007
John Kiely Limerick 6 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Bertie Troy Cork 5 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
Michael "Babs" Keating Tipperary 5 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993
Michael O'Brien Cork 4 1984, 1985, 1990, 1992
Jim O'Regan Cork 3 1969, 1970, 1972
Ger Loughnane Clare 3 1995, 1997, 1998
Jimmy Barry-Murphy Cork 3 1999, 2000, 2014
John Allen Cork
Limerick
3 2005, 2006, 2013
Jackie Power Limerick 2 1973, 1974
Noel Drumgoole Limerick 2 1980, 1981
Johnny Clifford Cork 2 1983, 1986
Tom Ryan Limerick 2 1994, 1996
Liam Sheedy Tipperary 2 2008, 2009
Declan Ryan Tipperary 2 2011, 2012
Donie Nealon Tipperary 1 1971
Nicky English Tipperary 1 2001
Donal O'Grady Cork 1 2003
Davy Fitzgerald Waterford 1 2010
Éamonn O'Shea Tipperary 1 2015
Michael Ryan Tipperary 1 2016
Kieran Kingston Cork 1 2017
John Meyler Cork 1 2018
Current managers
Nat. Name Team(s) Appointed Time as manager
John Kiely Limerick 13 September 2016 8 years, 83 days
Brian Lohan Clare 31 October 2019 5 years, 35 days
Pat Ryan Cork 5 July 2022 2 years, 153 days
Liam Cahill Tipperary 18 July 2022 2 years, 140 days
Davy Fitzgerald Waterford 11 August 2022 2 years, 116 days

Trophy and medals

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At the end of the Munster final, the winning team is presented with a trophy. The Munster Cup, which is similar in design to the Liam MacCarthy Cup, is held by the winning team until the following year's final. Traditionally, the presentation is made at a special rostrum in the stand where GAA and political dignitaries and special guests view the match.

The cup is decorated with ribbons in the colours of the winning team. During the game the cup actually has both teams' sets of ribbons attached and the runners-up ribbons are removed before the presentation. The winning captain accepts the cup on behalf of his team before giving a short speech. Individual members of the winning team then have an opportunity to come to the rostrum to lift the cup.

The present Munster Cup is the third to be used. The first was used from 1928, when it was donated by the Munster Council, until 1990 when a replica was commissioned due to old age. In 2021, a proposal from the Limerick County Board to have the Munster Cup named in honour of Mick Mackey was approved by the Munster Council.[17] The second trophy was then retired and replaced with a third one.[18] An earlier attempt at renaming the cup had been rejected several years earlier.[19]

In accordance with GAA rules, the Munster Council awards up to twenty-six gold medals to the winners of the Munster final.

Sponsorship

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Since 1995, the Munster Championship has been sponsored. The sponsor has usually been able to determine the championship's sponsorship name.

Period Sponsor(s) Name
1888-1994 No main sponsor The Munster Championship
1995-2007 Republic of Ireland Guinness The Guinness Munster Championship
2008-2009 Republic of Ireland RTÉ Sport, United Arab Emirates Etihad Airways, Republic of Ireland Guinness The Munster GAA Hurling Championship
2010-2012 Republic of Ireland Centra, United Arab Emirates Etihad Airways, Republic of Ireland Guinness The Munster GAA Hurling Championship
2013-2016 Republic of Ireland Centra, United Arab Emirates Etihad Airways, United States Liberty Insurance The Munster GAA Hurling Championship
2017- Republic of Ireland Centra, Republic of Ireland Littlewoods Ireland, Republic of Ireland Bord Gáis Energy The Munster GAA Hurling Championship

Media coverage

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In the early years of coverage Radio Éireann had exclusive radio coverage of championship games. When Telefís Éireann was established on 31 December 1961, the new station was interested in the broadcasting of championship games. The GAA, however, were wary that live television coverage would result in lower attendances at games. Because of this, the association restricted annual coverage of its games to the All-Ireland hurling and football finals, the two All-Ireland football semi-finals and the two Railway Cup finals.

RTÉ broadcast highlights of the Munster final for the first time on 19 July 1970. These highlights programmes continued for the rest of the decade until the development of a dedicated highlights programme called The Sunday Game. The first edition of the programme on 8 July 1979 featured extensive coverage and analysis of the Munster final between Cork and Limerick. The first live broadcast of a Munster final took place on Network 2 on 2 July 1989.

In 2007, it was announced that TV3 had signed a three-year broadcasting deal with the GAA, resulting in senior inter-county championship games not being broadcast exclusively on RTÉ for the first time since 1962.[20] TV3's first live championship broadcast was a semi-final between Limerick and Waterford on 1 June 2008. Following the completion of the initial three-year deal in 2010, the GAA were satisfied to give TV3 an expanded role in Gaelic games broadcasting. TV3 broadcast one of the semi-finals over the next three years, however, RTÉ retained the rights to the other matches, including the final.

Since 2017, Sky Sports and RTÉ have shared live coverage of championship matches. Sky broadcast their first championship match, a semi-final between Clare and Limerick, on 4 June 2017, while RTÉ had live coverage of the other three matches including the final.[21]

Championship upsets

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The possibility of unlikely victories in the various rounds of the championship, where lower ranked teams beat higher placed opposition in what is known as a "giant killing", is much anticipated by the public. Such upsets are considered an integral part of the tradition and unpredictable nature of the championship, and the attention gained by giant-killing teams can be as great as that for winners of the championship. Almost every team in the championship has a fondly remembered giant-killing act in its history. It is considered particularly newsworthy when a top championship team suffers an upset defeat.

  • Waterford 9-3 Tipperary 3-4 (12 July 1959): An incredible game of hurling which saw reigning All-Ireland champions Tipperary trounced by Munster minnows Waterford. Tipperary played against the wind in the opening half, however, after one of the most remarkable halves in the history of hurling, Waterford had recorded 8-2 while holding Tipperary scoreless. Michael O'Hehir, who was commentating on a match in the Connacht Football Championship, announced the half-time score on Radio Éireann but advised listeners to "beware for the scoreline read is most probably a hoax". Tipperary were shell shocked; however, they managed to score 3–4 in the second half.[22]
  • Limerick 6-7 Tipperary 2-18 (29 July 1973): A day which saw Limerick end a provincial drought which had lasted since 1955. Tipperary looked a sure thing to win the game and looked set to break away into an unbeatable lead, however, Limerick hung in there with a fantastic goal-scoring ability. The game hinged on the very final passage of play. A Limerick shot appeared to have gone wide before it struck a Tipperary defender. In spite of this, Limerick were still awarded a 70-yard free. Richie Bennis stepped up to take it and was told that it would have to make a direct score as it was the final puck of the game. Bennis didn't fail, in spite of some Tipperary fans behind the goal claiming that the sliotar trailed off and went wide.[23]
  • Kerry 4-13 Waterford 3-13 (23 May 1993): Kerry went into this match with great optimism, in spite of not having won a match in the Munster Championship since 1926. Waterford got off to a great start by scoring a goal inside the first minute; however, Kerry battled for every ball. After the interval Kerry were still in contention; however, Waterford pulled five points clear and an upset looked unlikely. A Christy Walsh goal brought Kerry back into the game and a lucky goal from a long-range free from D. J. Leahy gave Kerry the impetus to drive on and win the game.[24][25]
  • Cork 4-16 Tipperary 2-14 (15 July 1990): Tipperary were reigning All-Ireland champions and were expected to build on this success in 1990 by retaining the title but despite a strong early start which gave them a good lead Tipperary lost their way and Cork won well in the end. Mark Foley played the game of his life, scoring 2-7 from play, and helped Cork to an eight-point defeat of the All-Ireland champions.[26]
  • Clare 2-13 Cork 3-9 (4 June 1995): Regarded as the game that changed Clare hurling forever. Trailing by two points with time almost up, Fergus Tuohy angled a line ball neatly into the Cork square and Ollie Baker flicked the ball to the net for the winning goal. Clare later claimed the Munster title for the first time in 63 years following a 1–17 to 0–11 defeat of reigning champions Limerick.[27]
  • Limerick 1-13 Clare 0-15 (16 June 1996): Played on the hottest day of the year, Limerick set out to topple the reigning All-Ireland champions on the opening day of their campaign. In a game that had a draw written all over it, Clare acquitted themselves well in energy-sapping conditions. While the game entered the dying stages Barry Foley leveled for Limerick and it looked like a replay would be required. The resultant puck-out fell into the hands of Limerick captain Ciarán Carey who took off on a remarkable solo-run. Balancing the sliotar on the end of his hurley, Carey ran 70 metres before sending over the match-winner.[28]
  • Waterford 2-23 Tipperary 3-12 (30 June 2002): Another Munster Championship game in which the record books were rewritten under the weight of expectation. Waterford were seeking a first Munster title in 39 years, while Tipperary were the reigning provincial and All-Ireland champions. A point adrift at the interval, Waterford finished in style scoring 1-6 without reply in the final twenty minutes. Ken McGrath scored seven points from play, in spite of going into the game nursing a shoulder injury.[29]

Roll of Honour

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Performances in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship by county
County Title(s) Runners-up Years won Years runner-up
Cork[30] 54 30 1888, 1890, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1907, 1912, 1915, 1919, 1920, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1939, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1947, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2014, 2017, 2018 1896, 1897, 1898, 1906, 1909, 1910, 1913, 1914, 1916, 1921, 1932, 1940, 1941, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1980, 1987, 1988, 1991, 2004, 2010, 2013
Tipperary[31] 42 28 1895, 1896, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1906, 1908, 1909, 1913, 1916, 1917, 1922, 1924, 1925, 1930, 1937, 1941, 1945, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 2001, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016 1894, 1904, 1907, 1911, 1912, 1923, 1926, 1935, 1936, 1942, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1963, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2019, 2021
Limerick[32] 25 27 1897, 1910, 1911, 1918, 1921, 1923, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1955, 1973, 1974, 1980, 1981, 1994, 1996, 2013, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 1891, 1893, 1895, 1902, 1905, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1922, 1924, 1937, 1939, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1956, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1992, 1995, 2001, 2007, 2014
Waterford[33] 9 21 1938, 1948, 1957, 1959, 1963, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2010 1903, 1925, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1943, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1982, 1983, 1989, 1998, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2020
Clare[34] 6 25 1889, 1914, 1932, 1995, 1997, 1998 1899, 1901, 1915, 1918, 1927, 1928, 1930, 1938, 1955, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1986, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2008, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024
Kerry[35] 1 5 1891 1889, 1890, 1900, 1892, 1908

List of Finals

[edit]

Legend

[edit]
  • Gold – All-Ireland champions
  • Silver – All-Ireland runners-up

Since introduction of round robins

[edit]
Year Date Winners Runners-up Venue Winning captain(s) Winning margin Referee
County Score County Score
2024 9 June Limerick 1-26 Clare 1-20 Semple Stadium Declan Hannon 6 Colm Lyons (Cork)
2023 11 June Limerick 1–23 Clare 1–22 Gaelic Grounds Declan Hannon 1 Liam Gordon (Galway)
2022 5 June Limerick 1–29 Clare 0–29 Semple Stadium Declan Hannon 3 (a.e.t) J. Keenan (Wicklow)
2021 18 July Limerick 2–29 Tipperary 3–21 Páirc Uí Chaoimh Declan Hannon 5 P. O'Dwyer (Carlow)
2020 15 November Limerick 0–25 Waterford 0–21 Semple Stadium Declan Hannon 4 Colm Lyons (Cork)
2019 30 June Limerick 2–26 Tipperary 2–14 Gaelic Grounds Declan Hannon 12 P. O'Dwyer (Carlow)
2018 1 July Cork 2–24 Clare 3–19 Semple Stadium Séamus Harnedy 2 J. McGrath (Westmeath)

List of all Munster finals

[edit]
Year Winners Runners-up Venue Winning Captain Attendance
County Score County Score
1888 Cork w/o Clare scr William Gleeson [36]
1889 |Clare w/o Kerry scr John Considine [36]
1890 |Cork 2-0 Kerry 0-1 Dan Lane [36]
1891
(R)
|Kerry 1-2
2-4
Limerick 1-2
0-1
Newcastlewest
Abbeyfeale
John O'Mahony [36]
1892 |Cork 5-3 (28) Kerry 2-5 (15) Bill O'Callaghan [36]
1893 |Cork 5-3 (28) Limerick 0-0 (0) John 'Curtis' Murphy [36]
1894 |Cork 3-4 (19) Tipperary 1-2 (7) Charleville Stephen Hayes [36]
1895 |Tipperary 7-8 (43) Limerick 0-2 (2) Kilmallock Mikey Maher [36]
1896
(R)
|Tipperary 1-3 (6)
7-9 (30)
Cork 1-3 (6)
2-3 (9)
Mikey Maher [36]
1897 Limerick 4-9 (21) Cork 1-6 (9) Tipperary Denis Grimes [36]
1898
(R)
|Tipperary 3-0 (9)
1-13 (16)
Cork 2-3 (9)
1-2 (5)
Mikey Maher [36]
1899 |Tipperary 5-16 (31) Clare 0-08 (8) Tim Condon [36]
1900 |Tipperary 6-11 (29) Kerry 1-09 (12) Ned Hayes [36]
1901 Cork 3-10 (19) Clare 2-06 (12) Market's Field Paddy Cantillon [36]
1902 |Cork 2-09 (15) Limerick 1-05 (8) Tipperary Jamesy Kelleher [36]
1903 |Cork 5-16 (31) Waterford 1-01 (4) Tipperary Steva Riordan [36]
1904 |Cork 3-10 (19) Tipperary 3-04 (13) Denis Harrington [36]
1905 |Cork 7-12 (33) Limerick 1-04 (7) Tipperary Chris Young [36]
1906 |Tipperary 3-04 (13) Cork 0-09 (9) Tipperary Tom Semple [36]
1907 |Cork 1-06 (9) Tipperary 1-04 (7) Jamesy Kelleher [36]
1908 |Tipperary w/o Kerry scr Tom Semple [36]
1909 |Tipperary 2-10 (16) Cork 2-6 (12) Tom Semple [36]
1910 Limerick 5-1 (16) Cork 4-2 (14) Tralee John "Tyler" Mackey [36]
1911 Limerick 5-3 (18) Tipperary 4-3 (15) John "Tyler" Mackey [36]
1912 |Cork 5-1 (16) Tipperary 3-1 (10) Barry Murphy [36]
1913 |Tipperary 8-2 (26) Cork 4-3 (15) Fraher Field Patrick 'Wedger' Meagher [36]
1914 |Clare 3-2 (11) Cork 3-1 (10) Thurles Sportsfield Amby Power [36]
1915 |Cork 8-2 (26) Clare 2-1 (7) Markets Field Connie Sheehan [36]
1916 |Tipperary 5-0 (15) Cork 1-2 (5) Fraher Field Johnny Leahy [36]
1917
(R)
|Tipperary 3-4 (13)
6-4 (22)
Limerick 3-4 (13)
3-1 (10)
Cork Athletic Grounds
Cork Athletic Grounds
Johnny Leahy [36]
1918 Limerick 11-3 (36) Clare 1-2 (5) Thurles Sportsfield Willie Hough [36]
1919 |Cork 3-5 (14) Limerick 1-6 (9) Markets Field Jimmy ‘Major’ Kennedy [36]
1920 |Cork 3-4 (13) Limerick 0-5 (5) Cork Athletic Grounds Dick O'Gorman [36]
1921 Limerick 5-2 (17) Cork 1-2 (5) Thurles Sportsfield Bob McConkey [36]
1922
(R)
|Tipperary 2-2 (8)
4-2 (14)
Limerick 2-2 (8)
1-4 (7)
Thurles Sportsfield
Markets Field
Johnny Leahy [36]
1923 Limerick 2-3 (9) Tipperary 1-0 (3) Cork Athletic Grounds Paddy McInerney [36]
1924 |Tipperary 3-1 (10) Limerick 2-2 (8) Fraher Field Johnny Leahy [36]
1925 |Tipperary 6-6 (24) Waterford 1-2 (5) Fraher Field Johnny Leahy [36]
1926
(R)
(R)
|Cork 0-0 (0)
3-4 (13)
3-6 (15)
Tipperary 1-2 (5)
4-1 (13)
2-4 (10)
Cork Athletic Grounds
Thurles Sportsfield
Cork Athletic Grounds
Seán Óg Murphy [36]
1927 |Cork 5-3 (18) Clare 3-4 (13) Market's Field Seán Óg Murphy [36]
1928
(R)
|Cork 2-2 (8)
6-4 (22)
Clare 2-2 (8)
2-2 (8)
Gaelic Grounds Seán Óg Murphy [36]
1929 |Cork 4-6 (18) Waterford 2-3 (9) Fraher Field Dinny Barry-Murphy [36]
1930 |Tipperary 6-4 (22) Clare 2-8 (14) Cork Athletic Grounds John Joe Callanan 20,000 [36]
1931
(R)
|Cork 1-9 (12)
5-4 (19)
Waterford 4-0 (12)
1-2 (5)
Ned Hall Park
Ned Hall Park
Eudie Coughlan [36]
1932 |Clare 5-2 (17) Cork 4-1 (13) Thurles Sportsfield John Joe Doyle 25,000 [36]
1933 Limerick 3-7 (16) Waterford 1-2 (5) Cork Athletic Grounds Micky Fitzgibbon [36]
1934 Limerick 4-8 (20) Waterford 2-5 (11) Cork Athletic Grounds Timmy Ryan 15,000 [36]
1935 Limerick 5-5 (20) Tipperary 1-4 (7) Cork Athletic Grounds Timmy Ryan [36]
1936 Limerick 8-5 (29) Tipperary 4-6 (18) Thurles Sportsfield Mick Mackey 26,435 [36]
1937 |Tipperary 6-3 (21) Limerick 4-3 (15) Cork Athletic Grounds Jim Lanigan 30,235 [36]
1938 Waterford 3-5 (14) Clare 2-5 (11) Cork Athletic Grounds Willie Walsh [36]
1939 |Cork 4-3 (15) Limerick 3-4 (13) Thurles Sportsfield Jack Lynch [36]
1940
(R)
Limerick 4-3 (15)
3-3 (12)
Cork 3-6 (15)
2-4 (10)
Thurles Sportsfield
Thurles Sportsfield
Mick Mackey [36]
1941 Tipperary 5-4 (19) |Cork 2-5 (11) Gaelic Grounds Johnny Ryan 10,000 [36]
1942 |Cork 4-15 (27) Tipperary 4-1 (13) Cork Athletic Grounds Jack Lynch 24,320 [36]
1943 |Cork 2-13 (19) Waterford 3-8 (17) Cork Athletic Grounds Mick Kennefick 15,000 [36]
1944
(R)
|Cork 6-7 (25)
4-6 (18)
Limerick 4-13 (25)
3-6 (15)
Thurles Sportsfield
Thurles Sportsfield
Seán Condon 18,000 [36]
1945 |Tipperary 4-3 (15) Limerick 2-6 (12) Thurles Sportsfield John Maher 25,000 [36]
1946 |Cork 3-8 (17) Limerick 1-3 (6) Thurles Sportsfield Christy Ring [36]
1947 |Cork 2-6 (12) Limerick 2-3 (9) Thurles Sportsfield Seán Condon [36]
1948 Waterford 4-7 (19) Cork 3-9 (18) Thurles Sportsfield Jim Ware [36]
1949 |Tipperary 1-16 (19) Limerick 2-10 (16) Cork Athletic Grounds Pat Stakelum 35,000 [36]
1950 |Tipperary 2-17 (23) Cork 3-11 (20) FitzGerald Stadium Seán Kenny 38,733 [36]
1951 |Tipperary 2-11 (17) Cork 2-9 (15) Gaelic Grounds Jimmy Finn 42,237 [36]
1952 |Cork 1-11 Tipperary 2-6 Gaelic Grounds Paddy Barry 42,326 [36]
1953 |Cork 3-10 (19) Tipperary 1-11 (14) Gaelic Grounds Christy Ring 46,295 [36]
1954 |Cork 2-8 (14) Tipperary 1-8 (11) Gaelic Grounds Christy Ring 50,071 [36]
1955 Limerick 2-15 (21) Clare 2-6 (12) Gaelic Grounds Liam Ryan 23,125 [36]
1956 |Cork 5-5 (20) Limerick 3-5 (14) Thurles Sportsfield Christy Ring 47,017 [36]
1957 Waterford 1-11 (14) Cork 1-6 (9) Thurles Sportsfield Phil Grimes 40,368 [36]
1958 |Tipperary 4-12 (24) Waterford 1-5 (8) Thurles Sportsfield Tony Wall 41,384 [36]
1959 Waterford 3-9 (18) Cork 2-9 (15) Thurles Sportsfield Frankie Walsh 55,174 [36]
1960 |Tipperary 4-13 (25) Cork 4-11 (23) Thurles Sportsfield Tony Wall 49,670 [36]
1961 |Tipperary 3-06 (15) Cork 0-07 (7) Gaelic Grounds Matt Hassett 62,175 [36]
1962 |Tipperary 5-14 (29) Waterford 2-03 (9) Gaelic Grounds Jimmy Doyle 31,000 [36]
1963 Waterford 0-11 (11) Tipperary 0-08 (8) Gaelic Grounds Joe Condon 36,000 [36]
1964 |Tipperary 3-13 (22) Cork 1-05 (8) Gaelic Grounds Mick Murphy 44,245 [36]
1965 |Tipperary 4-11 (23) Cork 0-05 (5) Gaelic Grounds Jimmy Doyle 40,687 [36]
1966 |Cork 4-09 (21) Waterford 2-09 (15) Gaelic Grounds Gerald McCarthy 31,352 [36]
1967 |Tipperary 4-12 (24) Clare 2-06 (12) Gaelic Grounds Mick Roche 34,940 [36]
1968 |Tipperary 2-13 (19) Cork 1-07 (10) Gaelic Grounds Mick Roche 43,238 [36]
1969 |Cork 4-06 (18) Tipperary 0-09 (9) Gaelic Grounds Denis Murphy 43,569 [36]
1970 |Cork 3-10 (19) Tipperary 3-08 (17) Gaelic Grounds Paddy Barry 33,900 [36]
1971 |Tipperary 4-16 (28) Limerick 3-18 (27) Fitzgerald Stadium Tadhg O'Connor 31,118 [36]
1972 |Cork 6-18 (36) Clare 2-08 (14) Semple Stadium Frank Norberg 25,048 [36]
1973 Limerick 6-07 (25) Tipperary 2-18 (24) Semple Stadium Éamonn Grimes 41,723 [36]
1974 Limerick 6-14 (32) Clare 3-09 (18) Semple Stadium Seán Foley 36,446 [36]
1975 Cork 3-14 (23) Limerick 0-12 (12) Gaelic Grounds Gerald McCarthy 46,851 [36]
1976 |Cork 3-15 (24) Limerick 4-05 (17) Páirc Uí Chaoimh Ray Cummins 46,800 [36]
1977 |Cork 4-15 (27) Clare 4-10 (22) Semple Stadium Martin O'Doherty 44,586 [36]
1978 |Cork 0-13 (13) Clare 0-11 (11) Semple Stadium Charlie McCarthy 54,981 [36]
1979 Cork 2-14 (20) Limerick 0-9 (9) Semple Stadium John Horgan 47,849 [36]
1980 |Limerick 2-14 (20) Cork 2-10 (16) Semple Stadium Seán Foley 43,090 [36]
1981 Limerick 3-12 (21) Clare 2-9 (15) Semple Stadium Paudie Fitzmaurice 40,205 [36]
1982 |Cork 5-31 (46) Waterford 3-6 (15) Semple Stadium Jimmy Barry-Murphy 38,558 [36]
1983 |Cork 3-22 (31) Waterford 0-12 (12) Gaelic Grounds Jimmy Barry-Murphy 20,816 [36]
1984 |Cork 4-15 (27) Tipperary 3-14 (23) Semple Stadium John Fenton 50,093 [36]
1985 Cork 4-17 (29) Tipperary 4-11 (23) Páirc Uí Chaoimh Ger Cunningham 49,691 [36]
1986 |Cork 2-18 (24) Clare 3-12 (21) FitzGerald Stadium Tom Cashman 39,975 [36]
1987
(R)
Tipperary 1-18 (21)
4-22 (34)
Cork 1-18 (21)
1-22 (25)
Semple Stadium
FitzGerald Stadium
Richard Stakelum 56,005
45,000
[36]
1988 |Tipperary 2-19 (25) Cork 1-13 (16) Gaelic Grounds Pat O'Neill 50,000 [36]
1989 |Tipperary 0-26 (26) Waterford 2-8 (14) Páirc Uí Chaoimh Bobby Ryan 30,241 [36]
1990 |Cork 4-16 (28) Tipperary 2-14 (20) Semple Stadium Kieran McGuckin 54,000 [36]
1991
(R)
|Tipperary 2-16 (22)
4-19 (31)
Cork 4-10 (22)
4-15 (27)
Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Semple Stadium
Declan Carr 46,927
55,600
[36]
1992 |Cork 1-22 (25) Limerick 3-11 (20) Páirc Uí Chaoimh Ger FitzGerald 48,036 [36]
1993 Tipperary 3-27 (36) Clare 2-12 (18) Gaelic Grounds Michael O'Meara 41,557 [36]
1994 Limerick 0-25 (25) Clare 2-10 (16) Semple Stadium Gary Kirby 43,638 [36]
1995 Clare 1-17 (20) Limerick 0-11 (11) Semple Stadium Anthony Daly 46,361 [36]
1996
(R)
Limerick 0-19 (19)
4-7 (19)
Tipperary 1-16 (19)
0-16 (16)
Gaelic Grounds
Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Ciarán Carey 43,525
40,000
[36]
1997 Clare 1-18 (21) Tipperary 0-18 (18) Páirc Uí Chaoimh Anthony Daly 43,560 [36]
1998
(R)
Clare 1-16 (19)
2-16 (22)
Waterford 3-10 (19)
0-10 (10)
Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium
Anthony Daly 51,417
51,731
[36]
1999 Cork 1-15 (18) Clare 0-14 (14) Semple Stadium Mark Landers 54,000 [36]
2000 Cork 0-23 (23) Tipperary 3-12 (21) Semple Stadium Fergal Ryan 54,586 [37]
2001 Tipperary 2-16 (22) Limerick 1-17 (20) Páirc Uí Chaoimh Tommy Dunne 43,500 [38]
2002 Waterford 2-23 (29) Tipperary 3-12 (21) Páirc Uí Chaoimh Fergal Hartley 40,276 [39]
2003 Cork 3-16 (25) Waterford 3-12 (21) Semple Stadium Alan Browne 52,833 [40]
2004 Waterford 3-16 (25) Cork 1-21 (24) Semple Stadium Ken McGrath 52,100 [41]
2005 Cork 1-21 (24) Tipperary 1-16 (19) Páirc Uí Chaoimh Seán Óg Ó hAilpín 43,500 [42]
2006 Cork 2-14 (20) Tipperary 1-14 (17) Semple Stadium Pat Mulcahy 53,286 [43]
2007 Waterford 3-17 (26) Limerick 1-14 (17) Semple Stadium Michael 'Brick' Walsh 48,700 [44]
2008 Tipperary 2-21 (27) Clare 0-19 (19) Gaelic Grounds Eoin Kelly 48,076 [45]
2009 Tipperary 4-14 (26) Waterford 2-16 (22) Semple Stadium Willie Ryan 40,330 [46]
2010
(R-ET)
Waterford 2-15 (21)
1-16 (19)
Cork 2-15 (21)
1-13 (16)
Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium
Stephen Molumphy 35,375
22,763
[47]
[48]
2011 Tipperary 7-19 (40) Waterford 0-19 (19) Páirc Uí Chaoimh Eoin Kelly 36,654 [49]
2012 Tipperary 2-17 (23) Waterford 0-16 (16) Páirc Uí Chaoimh Paul Curran 26,438 [50]
2013 Limerick 0-24 (24) Cork 0-15 (15) Gaelic Grounds Donal O'Grady 42,730 [51]
2014 Cork 2-24 (30) Limerick 0-24 (24) Páirc Uí Chaoimh Pa Cronin 36,075 [52]
2015 Tipperary 0-21 (21) Waterford 0-16 (16) Semple Stadium Brendan Maher 43,084 [53]
2016 Tipperary 5-19 (34) Waterford 0-13 (13) Gaelic Grounds Brendan Maher 26,508 [54]
2017 Cork 1-25 (28) Clare 1-20 (23) Semple Stadium Stephen McDonnell 45,558 [55]
2018 Cork 2-24 (30) Clare 3-19 (28) Semple Stadium Séamus Harnedy 45,364 [56]
2019 Limerick 2-26 (32) Tipperary 2-14 (20) Gaelic Grounds Declan Hannon 44,261 [57]
2020 Limerick 0-25 (25) Waterford 0-21 (21) Semple Stadium Declan Hannon 0* [58]
2021 Limerick 2-29 (35) Tipperary 3-21 (30) Páirc Uí Chaoimh Declan Hannon 7,000*  * Match in which COVID-19 restrictions limited attendance
2022 Limerick 1-29 (32) Clare 0-29 (29) Semple Stadium Declan Hannon 45,158 [60]
2023 Limerick 1-23 (26) Clare 1-22 (25) Gaelic Grounds Declan Hannon 43,756 [61]
2024 Limerick 1-26 (29) Clare 1-20 (23) Semple Stadium Declan Hannon 45,148 [62]

Team records and statistics

[edit]

Team results (since the introduction of the Joe McDonagh Cup)

[edit]

Legend

  • 1st – Champions
  • 2nd – Runners-up
  • SF/QF/2nd/3rd/4th – Semi-finals/Quarter-finals/Group stage

For each year, the number of teams (in brackets) are shown.

Team 2018 (5) 2019 (5) 2020 (5) 2021 (5) 2022 (5) 2023 (5) Years
Clare 2nd 4th QF SF 2nd 2nd 6
Cork 1st 3rd SF SF 3rd 4th 6
Limerick 3rd 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 6
Tipperary 4th 2nd SF 2nd 5th 3rd 6
Waterford 5th 5th 2nd QF 4th 5th 6

Team progress since 1997

[edit]

Below is a record of each county's performance since the introduction of the qualifier system to the All-Ireland series in 1997.

Key
Winner
Final
Semi Final
Quarter Final
Qualifier Rounds 1-3
Provincial Championship/Round Robin
All-Ireland Championship 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Clare W SF SF PR PR F Q1 QF SF SF QF QF Q2 Q2 Q2 Q3 W Q1 Q2 QF QF SF RR Q2 Q2 SF SF
Cork PR PR W SF PR Q2 F W W F QF SF Q3 SF Q3 SF F SF QF Q2 SF SF QF Q2 F QF RR
Kerry PR PR PR PR - - Q1 PR - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Limerick PR PR PR PR QF Q1 Q2 Q1 QF QF F Q3 SF Q2 QF QF SF SF Q2 Q2 Q1 W SF W W W W
Tipperary F PR PR QF W SF SF Q2 QF QF QF SF F W F SF Q2 F SF W SF RR W QF QF RR QF
Waterford PR SF PR PR PR SF Q2 SF QF SF SF F SF SF SF QF Q3 Q2 SF SF F RR RR F SF RR RR

All-time table (2022–present)

[edit]

Legend

Colours
Currently competing in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship
Currently competing in the Joe McDonagh Cup

As of the 2023 championship. Includes final replays.

# Team Pld W D L Points
1 Limerick 10 7 2 1 16
2 Clare 10 6 1 3 13
3 Cork 8 3 1 4 7
4 Waterford 8 2 0 6 4
5 Tipperary 8 1 2 5 4
6 Kerry 0 0 0 0 0

Player records

[edit]

Munster medal winners

[edit]
# Player Team Titles Years
1 John Doyle Tipperary 10 1949, 1950, 1951, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967
Jimmy Barry-Murphy Cork 10 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986
3 Christy Ring Cork 9 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1947, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956
Jimmy Doyle Tipperary 9 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1971
Charlie McCarthy Cork 9 1966, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
Gerald McCarthy Cork 9 1966, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
Ray Cummins Cork 9 1969, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1982
Johnny Crowley Cork 9 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986
9 Donie Nealon Tipperary 8 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968
Tom Cashman Cork 8 1977, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986
Dermot McCurtain Cork 8 1977, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Moynihan, Michael (23 May 2015). "9 things that make the Munster hurling championship the greatest". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  2. ^ Allen, John (22 June 2007). "We all agree Munster hurling is still magic". Irish Times. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  3. ^ McCarthy, Ger (9 July 2011). "Five of the best: Munster hurling finals". The 42. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  4. ^ Rouse, Paul. "How Leix Won the All-Ireland Hurling Championship of 1915". Century Ireland. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  5. ^ Crowe, Dermot (21 February 2016). "Kerry hurlers emerging from football's shadow". Irish Independent. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  6. ^ Neville, Conor (14 December 2016). "How Exactly Did Galway Get On In The Munster Championship Before? Yes, They Did Have A Home Game!". balls.ie. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Official Guide - Part 1" (PDF). Gaelic Athletic Association. 23 March 2019.
  8. ^ "Tipp and Limerick make venue agreement". Breaking News. 4 June 2004. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  9. ^ Fogarty, John (18 June 2014). "Cork set to host final despite reservations". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  10. ^ O'Toole, Fintan & Murphy, John (1 June 2010). "Waterford fume over final venue talks". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 10 January 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ Fennessy, Paul (16 March 2018). "Waterford hurlers set to play 'home' games at a neutral venue". The 42. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  12. ^ Cormican, Eoghan (29 March 2018). "Waterford hurlers won't play a home game in Munster until 2020". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  13. ^ Roche, Cian (30 November 2018). "Munster GAA vote against allowing Waterford play home games outside of province". The 42. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  14. ^ "Championship boost for Waterford as Walsh Park confirmed as home venue for Munster campaign". Irish Independent. 28 February 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  15. ^ "Munster crowds up 27% on last year". RTÉ Sport. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  16. ^ Breheny, Martin (14 June 2018). "Munster hurling crowds set to almost double". Irish Independent. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  17. ^ "Munster to name provincial SHC trophy after Mick Mackey". Hogan Stand. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  18. ^ "New Munster Senior Hurling Championship trophy to be named after Mick Mackey". Irish Examiner. 19 March 2021.
  19. ^ "Motion to give Munster cups names shot down". Hogan Stand. 16 May 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  20. ^ "Game on as TV3 shares spoils". Irish Independent. 30 November 2007. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
  21. ^ Fogarty, John (1 March 2017). "Sky Sports to televise Clare-Limerick semi-final". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  22. ^ "In search of immortality". Irish Independent. 5 September 2009. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  23. ^ Hogan, Vincent (30 June 2001). "Rivalry same as it ever was". Irish Independent. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  24. ^ O'Riordan, Ian (9 May 2003). "Kerry more than just a memory". Irish Times. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  25. ^ Crowe, Dermot (21 February 2016). "Kerry hurlers emerging from football's shadow". Irish Independent. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  26. ^ "'Donkeys don't win derbies' – when animosity crosses line". Irish Examiner. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  27. ^ Breheny, Martin (27 September 2013). "Sunday, 4 June, 1995 - The day that changed the face of Clare hurling". Irish Independent. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  28. ^ Keys, Colm (18 June 2016). "When Clare and Limerick were kings of Munster". Irish Independent. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  29. ^ Breheny, Martin (1 July 2002). "Waterford wonders whip Tipp with awesome display". Irish Independent. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  30. ^ "Cork GAA profile". Hogan Stand website. Archived from the original on 16 February 2009. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  31. ^ "Tipperary GAA profile". Hogan Stand website. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  32. ^ "Limerick GAA profile". Hogan Stand website. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  33. ^ "Waterford GAA profile". Hogan Stand website. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  34. ^ "Clare GAA profile". Hogan Stand website. Archived from the original on 14 May 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  35. ^ "Kerry GAA profile". Hogan Stand website. Archived from the original on 23 June 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
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