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Leinster Senior Hurling Championship

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

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
Current season or competition:
2024 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
IrishCraobh Iomána Laighin
CodeHurling
Founded1888; 136 years ago (1888)
RegionLeinster (GAA)
TrophyBob O'Keeffe Cup
No. of teams6
Title holders Kilkenny (76th title)
Most titles Kilkenny (76 titles)
SponsorsLittlewoods Ireland, Etihad Airways, Centra
TV partner(s)RTÉ, Sky Sports
MottoNothing beats being there
Official websiteOfficial website

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 Bob O'Keeffe 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 Leinster Championship is an integral part of the wider GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship. The winners of the Leinster final, like their counterparts in the Munster Championship, are rewarded by advancing directly to the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland series of games. The losers of the Leinster 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 is relegated to the Joe McDonagh Cup.

Six teams currently participate in the Leinster Championship. Fifteen teams have competed since the inception of the Leinster Championship in 1888.

The title has been won by 6 different counties, all of whom have won the title more than once. The all-time record-holders are Kilkenny, who have won the championship on 75 occasions. Kilkenny are the title holders, defeating Galway by 4-21 to 2-26 in the 2023 final.

History

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Development

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Michael Collins speaking to the Kilkenny team before the 1921 Leinster final at Croke Park

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.[1] 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 Munster and Leinster.

Beginnings

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Kilkenny hurling team c. 1923

The inaugural Leinster Championship featured Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny and Laois. Dublin and Kildare contested the very first match on Sunday 3 June 1888. Postponements, disqualifications, objections, withdrawals and walkovers were regular occurrences during the initial years of the championship. No championship took place in 1892 as Dublin were the only team to enter and were deemed the Leinster representatives in the subsequent All-Ireland series. Kilkenny rejoined the championship, however, the finals of 1893 and 1894 ended in walkovers.

Team dominance

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Summary of champions

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# County Titles Runners-up Total
1   Kilkenny 76 31 107
2   Dublin 24 37 61
3   Wexford 21 32 53
4   Offaly 9 14 23
5   Laois 3 12 15
6   Galway 3 7 10
7   Westmeath 0 1 1

Format history

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The "old" Bob O'Keeffe Cup, retired in 2005

Historic format

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Between 1888 and 2017 the Leinster 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 Kilkenny and Wexford throughout the 1960s and 1970s lead to both these teams being placed on opposite sides of the championship draw, however, this seeding system was later abolished.

2000–2005

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The Leinster Council expanded the championship with the introduction of a group stage for the four "weakest" teams in 2000. Carlow, Dublin, Laois and Westmeath contested this group stage, with the winning team advancing to the semi-final stage of the championship proper with Kilkenny, Offaly and Wexford. This group stage system was abolished after only one year in favour of a preliminary stage knock-out championship for the "weakest" teams. Carlow, Kildare, Laois, Meath, Wicklow and Westmeath played three knock-out rounds, with the one remaining team qualifying for the quarter-final stage of the championship proper. This system remained in place, albeit with some minor adjustments, until 2005 when the "weakest" teams moved to the Christy Ring Cup and Nicky Rackard Cup.

2014–2017

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By 2014 the number of teams participating in the Leinster Championship had risen to ten. A number of one-sided games in recent years saw the return of a group stage for the five designated "weakest" teams. Antrim, Carlow, Laois, London and Westmeath contested the group stage with each team playing each other once. The top two teams in the league advanced to the quarter-finals of the championship proper. The team placed fourth played the Christy Ring Cup winner in a promotion play-off, while the bottom-placed was relegated to the Christy Ring Cup for the following year. This format ended in 2017.

Qualification history

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The Leinster Championship was an integral part of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. Between 1888 and 1996 the Leinster 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 Leinster finalists access to the All-Ireland quarter-final, while the Leinster 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 Leinster Championship the chance of qualifying for the All-Ireland Championship. Between 2005 and 2007 both Leinster finalists qualified for the All-Ireland quarter-finals, however, this system was abolished in 2008 with the Leinster 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 six teams in the Leinster 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 five 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 and then head-to-head results. The top two teams in the group contest the Leinster final with the third-placed team qualifies to the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals. The fourth and fifth-placed teams are eliminated from the championship and the 6th placed team is 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):[2]

  • 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 Leinster Championship and the Joe McDonagh Cup. If a Connacht, Leinster or Ulster team win the Joe McDonagh Cup, the bottom team in the Leinster group are relegated to the following year's Joe McDonagh Cup and replaced in the Leinster championship by the Joe McDonagh champions.

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 Leinster champions continue to receive a bye to the All-Ireland semi-final while the defeated Leinster 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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Six counties will compete in the 2025 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship:

County Location Stadium Province Position in 2024 Championship First year in championship In championship since Championship Titles Last Championship Title
  Antrim Belfast Corrigan Park Ulster 5th 2009 2023 0 —
  Dublin Donnycarney Parnell Park Leinster Runners-up 1888 24 2013
  Galway Galway Pearse Stadium Connacht 4th 2009 2009 3 2018
  Kilkenny Kilkenny Nowlan Park Leinster Champions 1888 75 2024
  Offaly Tullamore Glenisk O'Connor Park Leinster Champions (Joe McDonagh Cup) 1897 2025 9 1995
  Wexford Wexford Chadwicks Wexford Park Leinster 3rd 1890 1927 21 2019

Historic team changes

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Unknown Kilkenny hurler, c. 1923

In spite of Leinster consisting of twelve counties, many of these are dominated by Gaelic football and do not compete at a serious level in hurling. Louth became the fifth team to join the championship in 1889, however, they subsequently withdrew and only contested three further championships in 1901, 1919 and 1920. Kildare also had a similar relationship with the championship. After fielding a team in the inaugural provincial campaign their involvement in later campaigns was sporadic.

Wexford, in spite of contesting the open draw All-Ireland Championship in 1887, did not field a team the inaugural Leinster Championship. They first competed in 1890 and, apart from a few absences, have remained in the championship ever since. Offaly's first involvement in the championship was in 1897.

Westmeath joined the championship in 1913 while Meath entered the championship for the first time in 1919. They were regular participants until the 1960s when they regraded. They made a brief return to the championship in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Wicklow first fielded a team in the championship in 1943, however, their appearances in subsequent championship campaigns were sporadic.

After winning the All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship in 1962, Carlow fielded a team at senior level for the first time the following year. They remained in the Leinster Championship until regrading in 1966, however, they were regular participants once again from the 1990s onward.

Longford remain the only county never to have fielded a team in the Leinster Championship.

Non-Leinster teams

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Team Province Original Provincial Championship Original Provincial Title(s) Last Title
Antrim Ulster Ulster Senior Hurling Championship 57 2017
Galway Connacht Connacht Senior Hurling Championship 25 1999
Kerry Munster Munster Senior Hurling Championship 1 1891

Due to a lack of meaningful competition in their own respective provinces, Antrim and Galway pushed for entry to the Leinster Championship in the early 2000s. At a special meeting of Congress on 4 October 2008, delegates voted to include Galway and Antrim in a restructured Leinster Championship on a trial basis for three years. Dublin, Wexford and Offaly spoke against the move; however, when put to a vote approximately 80% of delegates voted in favour.[3] Antrim remained in the championship until their relegation to the Christy Ring Cup in 2015.

In 2016 Kerry, in spite of being based in the province of Munster, joined the Leinster Championship after gaining promotion following victory in the Christy Ring Cup.[4] They remained in the province for two championship seasons.

Non-Irish teams

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Team Province Original Provincial Championship Original Provincial Title(s) Last Title
London Britain Ulster Senior Hurling Championship 0 —

In 2013, an English team participated in the Leinster Championship for the first time after London gained promotion from the Christy Ring Cup. They made their debut in a 4–17 to 2–13 defeat by Carlow on 18 May 2013. The first Leinster Championship match to be played outside Ireland was London's home match at the Emerald GAA Grounds against Carlow on 27 April 2014.

Venues

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History

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Parnell Park is the home venue of Dublin.
 
Croke Park in Dublin, as well as being the headquarters of the GAA, has hosted every Leinster final since 1962.
 
Semple Stadium, in spite of being situated outside of Leinster, hosted the final replay in 2018.

Leinster 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. Every second meeting between these teams was played at the home venue of one of them.

Attendances

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Stadium attendances are a significant source of regular income for the Leinster Council and for the teams involved. For the 2016 championship proper, average attendances were 11,571 with a total aggregate attendance figure of 69,429. The 2017 final between Galway and Wexford saw a record attendance of 60,032.

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.

Semi-finals

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Between 1888 and 1978 the semi-finals were played at a selection of venues around the province. A series of poorly-attended semi-finals by the 1970s lead to the decision by the Leinster Council to play both semi-finals at the same venue as part of a double-header. This occurred for the first time on 24 June 1979 when Kilkenny played Dublin and Wexford played Offaly at Geraldine Park in Athy. From 1980 until 2001 the semi-finals were played as a double-header at Croke Park, with the exception of 1993 when Dr. Cullen Park in Carlow was the venue. In 2002 the semi-finals were played outside of Leinster for the first time ever when Semple Stadium in Thurles hosted the penultimate games due to reconstruction work taking place at Croke Park. After that the semi-finals were played on different dates and at different venues around the province until their abolition after the 2017 championship.

Final

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The final has been played exclusively at Croke Park since 1962. Prior to this, the final had been played at Croke Park on a number of occasions; however, smaller provincial venues were also used, most notably Nowlan Park in Kilkenny or O'Moore Park in Portlaoise. In 2018 the final was held in Semple Stadium in Thurles.[5]

Managers

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See also: List of hurling managers
 
Brian Cody managed Kilkenny between 1998 and 2022.
 
Davy Fitzgerald managed Wexford.
 
Micheál Donoghue led Galway to back-to-back Leinster titles in 2017 and 2018.

Managers in the Leinster 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.

The championship's longest-serving manager was Brian Cody, who has been in charge of Kilkenny from November 1998 until 2022.

Winning managers (1979–present)
Manager Team Wins Winning years
  Brian Cody Kilkenny 18 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2022
  Pat Henderson Kilkenny 5 1979, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987
  Ollie Walsh Kilkenny 3 1991, 1992, 1993
  Andy Gallagher Offaly 2 1980, 1981
  Dermot Healy Offaly 2 1984, 1985
  Éamonn Cregan Offaly 2 1994, 1995
  Micheál Donoghue Galway 2 2017, 2018
  Derek Lyng Kilkenny 2 2023, 2024
  Eddie Keher Kilkenny 1 1979
  Georgie Leahy Offaly 1 1988
  Pad Joe Whelehan Offaly 1 1989
  Paudge Mulhare Offaly 1 1990
  Liam Griffin Wexford 1 1996
  Rory Kinsella Wexford 1 1997
  Kevin Fennelly Kilkenny 1 1998
  John Conran Wexford 1 2004
  Anthony Cunningham Galway 1 2012
  Anthony Daly Dublin 1 2013
  Davy Fitzgerald Wexford 1 2019
Current managers
Nat. Name Team Appointed Time as manager
  Derek Lyng Kilkenny 4 August 2022 2 years, 125 days
  Henry Shefflin Galway 21 October 2021 3 years, 47 days
  Keith Rossiter Wexford 29 August 2023 1 year, 100 days
  Micheál Donoghue Dublin 22 August 2022 2 years, 107 days
  Darren Gleeson Antrim 9 September 2019 5 years, 89 days
  Tom Mullally Carlow 22 January 2021 3 years, 320 days

Trophy and medals

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Henry Shefflin of Kilkenny won a record-equalling 13 Leinster medals between 1999 and 2014.

At the end of the Leinster final, the winning team is presented with a trophy. The Bob O'Keeffe 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 cup is named after Bob O'Keeffe. He was an All-Ireland medal winner with Laois in 1915 before later serving as chairman of the Leinster Council and President of the Gaelic Athletic Association. Following his death the GAA decided to donate a trophy in his memory. The Bob O'Keeffe Memorial Cup was bought for £700 in 1949 and first presented in 1950. Standing three feet eight inches in height, weighing 564 ounces and with a capacity of 6 gallons, the cup was one of the most recognisable due to its sheer size. The Celtic chase work was taken from the Book of Kells. The hurler depicted on the top of the cup was barefooted – a reference to O'Keeffe who often played matches in his bare feet. The original Bob O'Keeffe Cup was awarded for the last time in 2004. A combination of old age and wear and tear resulted in the cup being retired to the GAA Museum in Croke Park.

In 2005 the new Bob O'Keeffe Cup was presented for the first time. The new trophy was made in 1894 in London of Victorian silver, but was idle since 1920 when it was last presented as a racing trophy. Valued at €25,000, the cup was bought in a jewellers' shop in Temple Bar.[6]

In accordance with GAA rules, the Leinster Council awards up to twenty-six gold medals to the winners of the Leinster final. A 2012 Leinster Championship winners' medal was sold on eBay for €570.[7]

Sponsorship

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Since 1995, the Leinster 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 Leinster Championship
1995–2007   Guinness The Guinness Leinster Championship
2008–2009   RTÉ Sport,   Etihad Airways,   Guinness The Leinster GAA Hurling Championship
2010–2012   Centra,   Etihad Airways,   Guinness The Leinster GAA Hurling Championship
2013–2016   Centra,   Etihad Airways,   Liberty Insurance The Leinster GAA Hurling Championship
2017–2019   Centra,   Littlewoods Ireland,   Bord Gáis Energy The Leinster 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.

The first live broadcast of a Leinster final took place on Network 2 on 14 July 1996.

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.[8] TV3's first live championship broadcast was the final between Kilkenny and Wexford on 6 July 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 2014, Sky Sports and RTÉ have shared live coverage of championship matches. Sky broadcast their first championship match, a quarter-final between Kilkenny and Offaly, on 7 June 2014.[9]

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.

  • Westmeath's championship run (1937): After winning the All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship the previous year, Westmeath joined the senior championship in 1937. Defeats of Meath, Offaly and Laois in the earlier rounds saw them qualify for the Leinster final for the first and only time in their history. Westmeath looked as though they would create a major upset when they were leading reigning champions Kilkenny going into the final quarter. Two late goals gave Kilkenny a fortunate 5–3 to 2–4 victory.[10]
  • Offaly 5–10 Wexford 3–11 (29 June 1969): Offaly had been described as the David of inter-county hurling when facing reigning All-Ireland champions Wexford in the Leinster semi-final. At half-time they held a 5–4 to 0–5 lead, with Paddy Molloy scoring 3–4 of his team's total by the end.[11]
  • Offaly 3–17 Kilkenny 5–10 (13 July 1980): Undoubtedly regarded as one of the most significant days in the history of Offaly hurling. Offaly were only appearing in their sixth Leinster final ever and were looking for their first success, while Kilkenny were looking for a third consecutive provincial title. After a high-scoring first-half, Kilkenny only had a 3–6 to 1–10 lead. The game reached its climax in the final ten minutes as both sides swapped the lead several times. In the end, the Leinster final roll of honour had a new name as Offaly won the game by a point.[12]
  • Wexford 2–15 Kilkenny 1–16 (13 June 2004): Kilkenny were the red-hot favourites coming into this provincial semi-final. They were on the trail of a record-breaking seventh consecutive Leinster title and a third consecutive All-Ireland title. The game was going Kilkenny's way until the last puck of the game. Wexford had tested the champions but with time nearly up 'the Cats' still had a one-point lead. A Kilkenny clearance fell straight to Michael Jacob who made no mistake in sending the sliotar into the net. With that the referee sounded the long whistle and Kilkenny's great run was at an end.[13]
  • Galway 2–21 Kilkenny 2–11 (8 July 2012): Galway secured their first ever Leinster title with a devastating display against a Kilkenny team seeking an eighth successive title. Joe Canning scored their first goal after three minutes and held a commanding 2–12 to 0–4 half-time lead. A shell-shocked Kilkenny rallied in the second half but only managed to come within ten points of Galway by the end.[14]
  • Laois 0–29 Offaly 0–21 (7 June 2015): This was described as the most complete performance by Laois ever. After a week of turmoil which saw their manager, Séamus Plunkett, resign before resuming his post, Laois added to Offaly's hurling woes with an eight-point defeat.[15]
  • Westmeath 2–22 Offaly 1–11 (1 May 2016): Offaly and Westmeath had operated in different spheres since their last championship meeting in 1976 with many believing that Offaly would record an easy victory. Offaly trailed 1–9 to 0–7 at half-time, which was not indicative of Westmeath's dominance, but into a strong wind after the break, Westmeath fired five points in five minutes to pull out of sight.[16]
  • Wexford 1–20 Kilkenny 3–11 (10 June 2017): Wexford had earlier defeated Kilkenny in the quarter-final of the National Hurling League, however, many believed that a repeat performance six weeks later would be beyond Wexford. Their manager, Davy FitzGerald, was also banished to the stands after an incident in the league. Kilkenny had the luxury of an early goal, however, they seemed uncharacteristically nervous. Lee Chin was inspirational for Wexford in a play-making role at midfield as Wexford blew the championship wide open with a three-point victory.[17]
  • Westmeath 2-15 Wexford 0-21 (14 May 2022): Westmeath earned a memorable result in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, holding Wexford to a draw at TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar. A last-gasp goal from Derek McNicholas earned the Midlanders a 2-15 to 0-21 draw after an excellent performance; the veteran substitute raising a green flag in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Niall Mitchell provided the hosts’ other goal, while Killian Doyle was their top-scorer with 0-11 (nine frees, one ’65). Westmeath finished with 14 men, after Davy Glennon was shown a second yellow card with four minutes of normal time remaining. A win would have guaranteed place in the All-Ireland for Wexford in the Leinster Championship with a game to spare as they would have finished in the top 3 in Leinster but they were denied by a Westmeath side who also impressively beat Laois by 18 points on the final day of the Championship to finish 3 points above the relegation spot.
  • Westmeath 4-18 Wexford 2-22 (21 May 2023): Westmeath defeated Wexford for the first time since 1940. It was second year in a row Wexford failed to defeat Westmeath.
  • Wexford 4-23 Kilkenny 5-18 (14 May 2023): Wexford needed to defeat Kilkenny to avoid relegation to the 2024 Joe McDonagh Cup.

Roll of honour

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Performance by county

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County Titles Runners-up Years won Years runner-up
  Kilkenny[18] 76 31 1888, 1893, 1895, 1897, 1898, 1900, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1916, 1922, 1923, 1925, 1926, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1943, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 1896, 1902, 1906, 1908, 1914, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1927, 1934, 1938, 1941, 1942, 1949, 1955, 1956, 1960, 1962, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1989, 1995, 1997, 2012, 2018, 2019
  Dublin[19] 24 37 1889, 1892, 1894, 1896, 1902, 1906, 1908, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1924, 1927, 1928, 1930, 1934, 1938, 1941, 1942, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1961, 2013 1888, 1893, 1895, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1907, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1915, 1918, 1922, 1923, 1925, 1932, 1933, 1939, 1940, 1943, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1954, 1959, 1963, 1964, 1990, 1991, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2021, 2024
  Wexford[20] 21 32 1890, 1891, 1899, 1901, 1910, 1918, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1960, 1962, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1976, 1977, 1996, 1997, 2004, 2019 1897, 1916, 1944, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1961, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2017
  Offaly[21] 9 14 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995 1901, 1924, 1926, 1928, 1969, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004
  Laois[22] 3 12 1914, 1915, 1949 1889, 1890, 1891, 1909, 1912, 1930, 1931, 1935, 1936, 1948, 1951, 1985
  Galway[23] 3 7 2012, 2017, 2018 2010, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2022, 2023
  Westmeath[24] 0 1 — 1937

Performance by province

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Province Titles Runners-up Total
  Leinster 132 126 258
  Connacht 3 7 10

General statistics

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Main article: Leinster Senior Hurling Championship records and statistics

Results by county

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Legend

  • 1st – Champions
  • 2nd – Runners-up
  • 3rd/4th/5th/SF/QF – Group Stage/Quarter-Finals/Semi-Finals
  • 5th/6th/QF – Relegated
  • JM – Joe McDonagh Cup
  • CR – Christy Ring Cup

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

County 2014 (10) 2015 (9) 2016 (9) 2017 (9) 2018 (5) 2019 (5) 2020 (5) 2021 (6) 2022 (6) 2023 (6) 2024 (6) Years
  Antrim QF GS CR CR JM JM JM QF JM 5th 5th 5
  Carlow GS GS GS CR JM 5th JM JM JM JM 6th 5
  Dublin 2nd QF SF QF 4th 3rd SF 2nd 4th 3rd 11
  Galway SF 2nd 2nd 1st 1st 4th 2nd SF 2nd 2nd 4th 11
  Kerry CR CR GS GS JM JM JM JM JM JM JM 2
  Kilkenny 1st 1st 1st SF 2nd 2nd 1st 1st 1st 1st 11
  Laois QF SF QF QF JM JM QF QF 6th JM JM 7
  London GS CR CR CR CR CR CR - CR CR CR 1
  Meath CR CR CR GS JM CR JM JM JM CR TBD 1
  Offaly QF QF SF SF 5th JM CR CR JM JM JM 5
  Westmeath GS QF QF QF JM JM JM JM 5th 6th JM 6
  Wexford SF SF QF 2nd 3rd 1st SF SF 3rd 4th 3rd 11

Seasons in Leinster SHC

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The number of years that each county has played in the Leinster SHC between 1888 and 2024. A total of 16 counties have competed in at least one season of the Leinster SHC. Dublin have participated in the most championships. The counties in bold participate in the 2024 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship.

Years Counties
131 Dublin
128 Kilkenny
124 Wexford
16 Galway
10 Antrim
4 Louth
2 Kerry, London, Longford
? Carlow
Westmeath
Offaly
Laois
Meath
Kildare
Wicklow

Debut of counties

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Year Debutants Total
1888   Dublin,   Kildare,   Kilkenny,   Laois 4
1889   Louth 1
1890   Wexford 1
1891-96 None 0
1897   Offaly 1
1898-1901 None 0
1902 Longford 1
1903-1912 None 0
1913   Westmeath 1
1914-18 None 0
1919   Meath 1
1920-42 None 0
1943   Wicklow 1
1944-62 None 0
1963   Carlow 1
1964-2008 None 0
2009   Antrim,   Galway 2
2010-12 None 0
2013   London 1
2014-15 None 0
2016   Kerry 1
2017- None 0
Total 16

List of Leinster Senior Hurling Championship counties

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

Team Total years Debut Most recent Championship
titles 		Last
Championship
title 		Best Leinster result
Antrim 10 2009 2024 0 — 5th
Carlow 1963 2024 0 — Semi-finals
Dublin 131 1888 2024 24 2013 Champions
Galway 16 2009 2024 3 2018 Champions
Kerry 2 2016 2017 0 — Group stage
Kildare 1888 2004 0 — Semi-finals
Kilkenny 128 1888 2024 75 2023 Champions
Laois 1888 2022 3 1949 Champions
London 2 2013 2014 0 — First round
Longford 2 1902 1903 0 —
Louth 4 1889 1920 0 — Quarter-finals
Meath 1919 2017 0 — Semi-finals
Offaly 1897 2018 9 1995 Champions
Westmeath 1913 2023 0 — Runners-up
Wexford 124 1890 2024 21 2019 Champions
Wicklow 1943 2004 0 — Quarter-finals

All-time table (since introduction of round robin)

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Legend

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

As of 11 June 2023 17:45. Includes final replays.

# Team Pld W D L Points
1   Kilkenny 27 17 3 7 37
2   Galway 25 15 5 5 35
3   Dublin 23 11 3 9 25
4   Wexford 22 9 5 8 23
5   Westmeath 10 2 1 7 5
6   Antrim 6 1 1 4 3
7   Carlow 4 0 0 4 0
=   Offaly 4 0 0 4 0
=   Laois 7 0 0 7 0

List of Finals

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Legend

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  • Gold – All-Ireland champions
  • Silver – All-Ireland runners-up

List of Leinster finals

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Year Winners Runners-up Venue Winning Captain
County Score County Score
2024 Kilkenny 3-28 Dublin 1-18 Croke Park Paddy Deegan
2023 Kilkenny 4-21 Galway 2-26 Croke Park Eoin Cody
2022 Kilkenny 0–22 Galway 0–17 Croke Park Richie Reid
2021 Kilkenny 1–25 Dublin 0–19 Croke Park Adrian Mullen
2020 Kilkenny 2–20 Galway 0–24 Croke Park Colin Fennelly
2019 Wexford 1–23 Kilkenny 0–23 Croke Park Lee Chin
2018 Galway 0–18
1–28 		Kilkenny 0–18
3–15 		Croke Park David Burke
2017 Galway 0–29 Wexford 1–17 Croke Park David Burke
2016 Kilkenny 1–25 Galway 0–22 Croke Park Lester Ryan
2015 Kilkenny 1–25 Galway 2–15 Croke Park Joey Holden
2014 Kilkenny 0–24 Dublin 1–09 Croke Park Lester Ryan
2013 Dublin 2–25 Galway 2–13 Croke Park John McCaffrey
2012 Galway 2–21 Kilkenny 2–11 Croke Park Fergal Moore
2011 Kilkenny 4–17 Dublin 1–15 Croke Park Brian Hogan
2010 Kilkenny 1–19 Galway 1–12 Croke Park T. J. Reid
2009 Kilkenny 2–18 Dublin 0–18 Croke Park Michael Fennelly
2008 Kilkenny 5–21 Wexford 0–17 Croke Park James "Cha" Fitzpatrick
2007 Kilkenny 2–24 Wexford 1–12 Croke Park Henry Shefflin
2006 Kilkenny 1–23 Wexford 1–12 Croke Park Jackie Tyrrell
2005 Kilkenny 0–22 Wexford 1–16 Croke Park Peter Barry
2004 Wexford 2–12 Offaly 1–11 Croke Park John O'Connor
2003 Kilkenny 2–23 Wexford 2–12 Croke Park D.J. Carey
2002 Kilkenny 0–19 Wexford 0–17 Croke Park Andy Comerford
2001 Kilkenny 2–19 Wexford 0–12 Croke Park Denis Byrne
2000 Kilkenny 2–21 Offaly 1–13 Croke Park Willie O'Connor
1999 Kilkenny 5–14 Offaly 1–16 Croke Park Denis Byrne
1998 Kilkenny 3–10 Offaly 1–11 Croke Park Tom Hickey
1997 Wexford 2–14 Kilkenny 1–11 Croke Park Rod Guiney
1996 Wexford 2–23 Offaly 2–15 Croke Park Martin Storey
1995 Offaly 2–16 Kilkenny 2–05 Croke Park Johnny Pilkington
1994 Offaly 1–18 Wexford 0–14 Croke Park Martin Hanamy
1993
(R) 		Kilkenny 2–14
2–12 		Wexford 1–17
0–11 		Croke Park Eddie O'Connor
1992 Kilkenny 3–16 Wexford 2–09 Croke Park Liam Fennelly
1991 Kilkenny 1–13 Dublin 1–11 Croke Park Christy Heffernan
1990 Offaly 1–19 Dublin 2–11 Croke Park Jim Troy
1989 Offaly 3–15 Kilkenny 4–09 Croke Park Mark Corrigan
1988 Offaly 3–12 Wexford 1–14 Croke Park Aidan Fogarty
1987 Kilkenny 2–14 Offaly 0–17 Croke Park Paddy Prendergast
1986 Kilkenny 4–10 Offaly 1–11 Croke Park Frank Holohan
1985 Offaly 5–15 Laois 0–17 Croke Park Pat Fleury
1984 Offaly 1–15 Wexford 2–11 Croke Park Pat Fleury
1983 Kilkenny 1–17 Offaly 0–13 Croke Park Liam Fennelly
1982 Kilkenny 1–11 Offaly 0–12 Croke Park Brian Cody
1981 Offaly 3–12 Wexford 2–13 Croke Park Pádraig Horan
1980 Offaly 3–17 Kilkenny 5–10 Croke Park Pádraig Horan
1979 Kilkenny 2–21 Wexford 2–17 Croke Park Ger Fennelly
1978 Kilkenny 2–16 Wexford 1–16 Croke Park Ger Henderson
1977 Wexford 3–17 Kilkenny 3–14 Croke Park Tony Doran
1976 Wexford 2–20 Kilkenny 1–06 Croke Park Tony Doran
1975[J] Kilkenny 2–20 Wexford 2–14 Croke Park Billy Fitzpatrick
1974 Kilkenny 6–13 Wexford 2–24 Croke Park Nicky Orr
1973 Kilkenny 4–22 Wexford 3–15 Croke Park Pat Delaney
1972
(R) 		Kilkenny 6–13
3–16 		Wexford 6–13
1–14 		Croke Park Noel Skehan
1971 Kilkenny 6–16 Wexford 3–16 Croke Park Pat Henderson
1970[I] Wexford 4–16 Kilkenny 3–14 Croke Park Michael Collins
1969 Kilkenny 3–09 Offaly 0–16 Croke Park Eddie Keher
1968 Wexford 3–13 Kilkenny 4–09 Croke Park Dan Quigley
1967 Kilkenny 4–10 Wexford 1–12 Croke Park Jim Treacy
1966 Kilkenny 1–15 Wexford 2–06 Croke Park Jim Lynch
1965 Wexford 2–11 Kilkenny 3–07 Croke Park Tom Neville
1964 Kilkenny 4–11 Dublin 1–08 Croke Park Seán Buckley
1963 Kilkenny 2–10 Dublin 0–09 Croke Park Séamus Cleere
1962 Wexford 3–09 Kilkenny 2–10 Croke Park Billy Rackard
1961 Dublin 7–05 Wexford 4–08 Nowlan Park Noel Drumgoole
1960 Wexford 3–10 Kilkenny 2–11 Croke Park Nick O'Donnell
1959 Kilkenny 2–09 Dublin 1–11 Croke Park Seán Clohessy
1958 Kilkenny 5–12 Wexford 4–09 Croke Park Mick Kenny
1957 Kilkenny 6–09 Wexford 1–05 Croke Park Mickey Kelly
1956 Wexford 4–08 Kilkenny 3–10 Croke Park Jim English
1955
(R) 		Wexford 2–07
5–06 		Kilkenny 2–07
3–09 		Croke Park Nick O'Donnell
1954 Wexford 8–05 Dublin 1–04 Nowlan Park Padge Kehoe
1953 Kilkenny 1–13 Wexford 3–05 Croke Park Padge Kehoe
1952 Dublin 7–02 Wexford 3–06 Nowlan Park Jim Prior
1951 Wexford 3–12 Laois 4–03 Croke Park Nicky Rackard
1950 Kilkenny 3–11 Wexford 2–11 Nowlan Park John Keane
1949 Laois 3–08 Kilkenny 3–06 Nowlan Park Paddy Ruschitzko
1948 Dublin 5–09 Laois 3–03 O'Connor Park Frank Cummins
1947 Kilkenny 7–10 Dublin 3–06 O'Moore Park Dan Kennedy
1946 Kilkenny 3–08 Dublin 1–12 Croke Park Jack Mulcahy
1945 Kilkenny 5–12 Dublin 3–04 Croke Park Peter Blanchfield
1944 Dublin 4–07 Wexford 3–03 Nowlan Park Mick Butler
1943 Kilkenny 3–09 Dublin 2–06 Nowlan Park Jimmy Walsh
1942 Dublin 4–08 Kilkenny 1–04 Nowlan Park Frank White
1941 Dublin 2–08 Kilkenny 1–08 Croke Park Ned Wade
1940 Kilkenny 3–06 Dublin 2–05 Nowlan Park Jim Langton
1939 Kilkenny 2–12 Dublin 4–03 O'Moore Park Jimmy Walsh
1938
(R) 		Dublin 2–03
4–09 		Kilkenny 2–03
2–05 		O'Moore Park
O'Connor Park 		Mick Daniels
1937 Kilkenny 5–03 Westmeath 2–04 O'Moore Park Larry Duggan
1936 Kilkenny 4–06 Laois 2–05 Nowlan Park Paddy Larkin
1935 Kilkenny 3–08 Laois 0–06 O'Moore Park Lory Meagher
1934
(R) 		Dublin 2–08
3–05 		Kilkenny 4–02
2–02 		O'Moore Park Steve Hegarty
1933 Kilkenny 7–05 Dublin 5–05 Wexford Park Eddie Doyle
1932 Kilkenny 4–06 Dublin 3–05 O'Moore Park Jimmy Walsh
1931 Kilkenny 4–07 Laois 4–02 Nowlan Park Lory Meagher
1930 Dublin 4–07 Laois 2–02 Nowlan Park Jim Walsh
1929[H] Kilkenny 3–05 Dublin 2–06 O'Kennedy Park Wattie Dunphy
1928 Dublin 9–07 Offaly 4–03 Croke Park Mick Gill
1927 Dublin 7–07 Kilkenny 4–06 Croke Park Mick Gill
1926 Kilkenny 3–08 Offaly 1–04 Croke Park Dick Grace
1925[G] Kilkenny 4–07 Dublin 6–04 Croke Park Dick Grace
1924 Dublin 4–04 Offaly 3–01 Croke Park Frank Wall
1923 Kilkenny 4–01 Dublin 1–01 Croke Park Wattie Dunphy
1922 Kilkenny 3–04 Dublin 1–02 Croke Park Wattie Dunphy
1921 Dublin 4–04 Kilkenny 1–05 Croke Park Bob Mockler
1920 Dublin 4–05 Kilkenny 2–02 Croke Park Bob Mockler
1919 Dublin 1–05 Kilkenny 1–02 Wexford Park Charlie Stuart
1918 Wexford 2–03 Dublin 1–02 Enniscorthy Mick Cummins
1917 Dublin 5–01 Kilkenny 4–00 Croke Park John Ryan
1916 Kilkenny 11–03 Wexford 2–02 Croke Park Sim Walton
1915 Laois 3–02 Dublin 0–05 Kilkenny Sportsfield Jack Finlay
1914 Laois 3–02 Kilkenny 2–04 Kilkenny Sportsfield Jack Carroll
1913
(R) 		Kilkenny 0–03
7–05 		Dublin 1–00
2–01 		Wexford Park Dick 'Drug' Walsh
1912 Kilkenny 6–06 Laois 2–04 Portlaoise Sportsfield Sim Walton
1911 Kilkenny 4–06 Dublin 3–01 Portlaoise Sportsfield Sim Walton
1910 Wexford 3–03 Dublin 1–01 Geraldine Park Dick Doyle
1909 Kilkenny 5–16 (31) Laois 2–07 (13) Kilkenny Sportsfield Dick 'Drug' Walsh
1908 Dublin w/o Kilkenny scr (Jones' Road)
1907 Kilkenny 4–14 Dublin 1–09 Geraldine Park Dick 'Drug' Walsh
1906 Dublin 1–14 Kilkenny 0–05 Wexford Park Tom Hayes
1905 Kilkenny 2–08 Dublin 2–02 Wexford Park D.J. Stapleton
1904 Kilkenny 2–08 Dublin 2–06 Enniscorthy Jer Doheny
1903[F] Kilkenny 1–05 Dublin 1–05 Kilkenny Sportsfield Jer Doheny
1902 Dublin 0–08 Kilkenny 1–04 Jones' Road Danny McCormack
1901 Wexford 7–06 Offaly 1–03 Kilkenny Sportsfield Jim Furlong
1900 Kilkenny 4–11 Dublin 4–10 Wexford Park Dick 'Manager' Walsh
1899 Wexford 2–12 Kilkenny 1–04 Jones' Road Jim Furlong
1898 Kilkenny 4–12 Dublin 3–02 Jones' Road Ned Hennessy
1897 Kilkenny w/o Wexford scr (Jones' Road) Jackie Walsh
1896
(R)[E] 		Dublin 1–08
4–06 		Kilkenny 0–06
0–00 		Jones' Road Paddy Buckley
1895 Kilkenny 1–05 Dublin 0–05 Clonturk Park James Grace
1894[D] Dublin John McCabe
1893 Kilkenny w/o Dublin scr Dick Whelan
1892[C] Dublin Paddy Egan
1891 Wexford w/o Laois scr Clonturk Park Nick Daly
1890 Wexford 2–09 Laois 0–03 Clonturk Park Nick Daly
1889[B] Dublin w/o Laois scr Inchicore Nicholas O'Shea
1888[A] Kilkenny 0–07 Dublin 0–03 Portlaoise John Quinn

Notes

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A. ^ A goal outweighed any number of points until 1892. Points were only taken into consideration when the teams finished level on goals.
B. ^ Dublin received a walkover from Laois in the final. Louth were the only other team to participate.
C. ^ Goals were revalued to five points each. Dublin were unopposed in the championship.
D. ^ Dublin were unopposed in the championship.
E. ^ Goals were revalued to three points each. The final was replayed after Kilkenny launched an objection following the original match.
F. ^ Kilkenny were awarded the title as the Dublin goal was disputed.
G. ^ Dublin won the final; however, Kilkenny were awarded the title after launching an objection.
H. ^ The final was declared void after both teams were disqualified for being late on the field.
I. ^ All inter-county games were increased from sixty to eighty minutes.
J. ^ All inter-county games were reduced from eighty to seventy minutes.

See also

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Sources

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  • "Leinster G.A.A. Hurling Roll of Honour". www.leinstergaa.ie. Archived from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.

References

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  1. ^ Rouse, Paul. "How Leix Won the All-Ireland Hurling Championship of 1915". Century Ireland. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Official Guide - Part 1" (PDF). Gaelic Athletic Association. 23 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Galway and Antrim make move to Leinster". Irish Independent. 5 October 2008. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  4. ^ "Explainer: Why will the Kerry hurlers be in Leinster next year?". The 42. 8 June 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  5. ^ "Semple Stadium to host Leinster hurling final replay". RTÉ Sport. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  6. ^ "'New' cup comes with a history". Irish Times. 29 June 2005. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  7. ^ "Galway Board to investigate sale of Leinster winner's medal on eBay". RTÉ Sport. 12 February 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  8. ^ "Game on as TV3 shares spoils". Irish Independent. 30 November 2007. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
  9. ^ Hogan, Vincent (7 June 2014). "Merciless Kilkenny Cats score 5–32 and dismantle Offaly in front of Sky cameras". Irish Independent. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  10. ^ Kelly, Tom (5 May 2009). "Paddy Flanagan recalls some of the highlights". Westmeath Examiner. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  11. ^ "Wexford hold the edge in previous meetings". Offaly Express. 31 May 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  12. ^ O'Neill, Rory (26 April 2013). "Waiting in the Long Grass". RTÉ News. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  13. ^ "Ten years ago today Wexford's last minute goal sealed a famous shock win over Kilkenny". The 42. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  14. ^ "Into the West: Galway win Leinster final in stunning display". Irish Independent. 9 July 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  15. ^ Ó Conchúir, Daragh (8 June 2015). "Cheddar Plunkett's delight as Laois end 43-year Offaly agony". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  16. ^ Rooney, Declan (2 May 2016). "Westmeath stun woeful Offaly". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  17. ^ McIntyre, Eoin (11 June 2017). "Resolute Wexford stun Kilkenny to reach Leinster final". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  18. ^ "Kilkenny GAA profile". Hogan Stand website. Archived from the original on 14 October 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  19. ^ "Dublin GAA profile". Hogan Stand website. Archived from the original on 9 April 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  20. ^ "Wexford GAA profile". Hogan Stand website. Archived from the original on 3 March 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  21. ^ "Offaly GAA profile". Hogan Stand website. Archived from the original on 4 August 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  22. ^ "Laois GAA profile". Hogan Stand website. Archived from the original on 5 August 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  23. ^ "Galway GAA profile". Hogan Stand website. Archived from the original on 26 May 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  24. ^ "Westmeath GAA profile". Hogan Stand website. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
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