The 2016 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 129th staging of the All-Ireland championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1887. It is the top tier of senior inter-county championship hurling.^[1]

Quick Facts Championship details, Dates ...

2016 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

Championship details
Dates	1 May – 4 September 2016
Teams	14
All-Ireland champions
Winning team	Tipperary (27th win)
Captain	Brendan Maher
Manager	Michael Ryan
All-Ireland Finalists
Losing team	Kilkenny
Captain	Shane Prendergast
Manager	Brian Cody
Provincial champions
Munster	Tipperary
Leinster	Kilkenny
Ulster	Antrim
Connacht	Not Played
Championship statistics
No. matches played	21
Goals total	47 (2.2 per match)
Points total	790 (37.6 per match)
Top Scorer	Shane Dooley (4-46)
Player of the Year	Austin Gleeson
All-Star Team	See here
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The championship began on 1 May 2016 and ended on 4 September 2016.

Kilkenny were the defending champions.^[2] Kerry qualified for the competition for the first time since 2004

Tipperary won the title for the 27th time and for the first time since 2010, defeating Kilkenny in the final, 2–29 to 2–20.^[3][4]

The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship is a double-elimination tournament based on the Leinster and Munster provincial championships. Fourteen teams take part.

Hawkeye was used for the first time in the Munster Hurling Championship in Thurles when Tipperary played Cork on 22 May 2016. Previously it was only installed in Croke Park.^[5]

Matches will be broadcast live on television in Ireland on RTÉ and Sky Sports, and in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports. Worldwide coverage will be provided on GAAGO.^[6]

RTÉ coverage will be shown on RTÉ One on The Sunday Game Live presented by Michael Lyster in high definition. Des Cahill will present The Sunday Game highlights and analysis show on Sunday evening.^[7]

These matches were broadcast live on television in Ireland

	Round 1				Round 2				All-Ireland Quarter-finals
	Wexford	1-21
	Offaly	1-13
					Wexford	0-23
					Cork	1-17
	Cork	1-26
	Dublin	1-23
									Wexford
									Clare
	Westmeath	0-18
	Limerick	1-24
					Limerick	0-15
					Clare	0-19
	Clare	5-32
	Laois	0-12

All qualifier matches are knock-out.

Qualifiers Round 1

Qualifiers Round 1 Format

The eight teams beaten in the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Leinster (5 teams) and Munster (3 teams) provincial championships play in four matches.^[8] A draw is made that ensures there are three matches between Leinster and Munster teams and one match between two Leinster teams.

Qualifiers Round 1 Matches

Wexford v Offaly

2 July 2016 Round 1	Wexford	1-21 – 1-13	Offaly	Innovate Wexford Park, Wexford
15:30	C McDonald 0-11 (8fs), P Doran 0-4, P Morris 1-0, L Chin 0-2 (1f), D O'Keefe 0-2, L McGovern 0-1, D Dunne 0-1.	Report	S Dooley 0-7 (6fs), O Kelly 1-0, S Kinsella 0-2, S Ryan 0-1, J Bergin 0-1, P Guinan 0-1, P Murphy 0-1.	Attendance: 3,100 Referee: J. Ryan (Tipperary)

Westmeath v Limerick

2 July 2016 Round 1	Westmeath	0-18 – 1-24	Limerick	Cusack Park, Mullingar
17:00	N O’Brien 0-11 (8fs, 1 sideline), A Clarke 0-2, B Murtagh 0-2 (1f), A Craig 0-1, A Devine 0-1, C Boyle 0-1.	Report	S Dowling 0-14 (10fs, 265s), D Hannon 0-3, G Mulcahy 1-0, K Downes 0-3, J Ryan 0-1, D O’Donovan 0-1, P Browne 0-1, D Reidy 0-1.	Attendance: 2,387 Referee: A. Kelly (Galway)

Clare v Laois

2 July 2016 Round 1	Clare	5-32 – 0-12	Laois	Cusack Park, Ennis
19:00	A Shanagher 3-1, T Kelly 0-10 (3fs), P Collins 1-3, S O’Donnell 1-3, C O’Connell 0-5 (4fs), D McInerney 0-3, C Galvin 0-2, J Conlon 0-2, C Cleary 0-2, S Golden 0-1.	Report	W Hyland (0-3, 0-3 frees), E Rowland (0-2 frees), C Dwyer (0-2 each); M Whelan, PJ Scully (0-1 free), W Dunphy, M Kavanagh, N Foyle (0-1 each)	Attendance: 5,518 Referee: B. Kelly (Westmeath)

Cork v Dublin

2 July 2016 Round 1	Cork	1-26 – 1-23	Dublin	Páirc Uí Rinn, Cork
19:00	P. Horgan (0-12, 8 frees); A. Cadogan (1-5); C. Lehane (0-3); D. Kearney (0-2); L. O’Farrell, W. Egan, B. Lawton, B. Cooper (0-1 each).	Report	D. Treacy (0-9, 7 frees, 1 65); P. Ryan (frees), C. Bennett (0-4 each); E. Dillon (1-0); N. McMorrow, S. Barrett (0-2 each); J. McCaffrey, C. Crummey (0-1 each).	Attendance: 10,058 Referee: P. O'Dwyer (Carlow)

Qualifiers Round 2

Qualifiers Round 2 Format

The four winners of round 1 play in two matches. The draw was made on 4 July.^[9] Teams who have already met in the Leinster or Munster championships cannot be drawn to meet again.

Qualifiers Round 2 Matches

Cork v Wexford

9 July 2016 Round 2	Cork	1-17 – 0-23	Wexford	Semple Stadium, Thurles
17:00	P Horgan 0-7 (6f), C Lehan 0-3, L O’Farrell 0-3, D Kearney 1-0, B Cooper 0-1, W Egan 0-1, S Harnedy 0-1, A Cadagon 0-1.	Report	C McDonald 0-13 (10f), L chin 0-4, L Og McGovern 0-2, J O’Connor 0-1, P Morris 0-1, E Moore 0-1 (1f), M Fanning 0-1 (1f)	Attendance: 15,540 Referee: B. Kelly (Westmeath)

Clare v Limerick

9 July 2016 Round 2	Clare	0-19 – 0-15	Limerick	Semple Stadium, Thurles
19:00	T Kelly 0-9 (5f, 1 65, 0-1 pen), P Collins & S O’Donnell 0-3 each, D McInerney, J Browne, J Conlon & A Shanagher 0-1 each.	Report	S Dowling 0-6 (5f, 1 65), D Byrnes 0-3, J Ryan 0-2, D O’Donovan, P Browne, K Downes & G Hegarty 0-1 each.	Attendance: 15,540 Referee: J. Owens (Wexford)

• Kerry are the first team from Munster to play in the Leinster Championship and was their first in the senior championship since 2004. Their round 3 qualifier group match against Offaly on 22 May was the first ever championship meeting between the two teams.^[10]
• On 1 May 2016 Westmeath defeated Offaly in the championship for the first time since 1976. Their opening Leinster qualifier group game was also their first championship meeting since then.^[11]
• The draw between Kilkenny and Waterford on 7 August was the first time a replay was required to decide an All-Ireland semi-final since 2003, when Wexford an Cork played out a 3–17 to 2–20 tie.^[12]
• Tipperary's defeat of Waterford by 21 points in the Munster final is the biggest Munster final win since 1972.
• Tipperary's victory in the All-Ireland marks their second title of the 2010s, making it the first decade since the 1960s in which the county has won multiple All-Ireland titles, having only won one title each in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.

Sean Cleere - Kilkenny

Brian Gavin - Offaly

Fergal Horgan - Tipperary

John Keenan - Wicklow

Alan Kelly - Galway

Barry Kelly - Westmeath

Diarmuid Kirwan - Cork

Colm Lyons - Cork

James McGrath - Westmeath

Paud O'Dwyer - Carlow

James Owens - Wexford

Johnny Ryan - Tipperary

Highest attendances:

• Tipperary 2-29 – 2-20 Kilkenny (Croke Park) - 82,016
• Tipperary 2-19 – 2-18 Galway (Croke Park) - 54,227
• Kilkenny 1-21 – 0-24 Waterford (Croke Park) - 34,432
• Galway 2-17 – 0-17 Clare (Semple Stadium) - 31,690
• Waterford 0-21 – 0-11 Wexford (Semple Stadium) - 31,690
• Kilkenny 2-19 – 2-17 Waterford (Semple Stadium) - 30,358
• Kilkenny 1-26 – 0-22 Galway (Croke Park) - 29,377
• Tipperary 0-22 – 0-13 Cork (Semple Stadium) - 29,114
• Tipperary 5-19 – 0-13 Waterford (Gaelic Grounds) - 26,508
• Tipperary 3-12 – 1-16 Limerick (Semple Stadium) - 25,531
• Clare 0-17 – 1-21 Waterford (Semple Stadium) - 19,715
• Cork 1-17 – 0-23 Wexford (Semple Stadium) - 15,540
• Clare 0-19 – 0-15 Limerick (Semple Stadium) - 15,540
• Dublin 2-19 – 0-12 Wexford (Croke Park) - 13,066
• Dublin 0-16 – 1-25 Kilkenny (O' Moore Park) - 10,419
• Cork 1-26 – 1-23 Dublin (Páirc Uí Rinn) - 10,058

Total attendance: 486,553
Average attendance: 24,328

Sunday Game Team of the Year

The Sunday Game team of the year was picked on 4 September, which was the night of the final. The panel consisting of Brendan Cummins, Henry Shefflin, Michael Duignan, Ger Loughnane, Liam Sheedy, Eddie Brennan and Cyril Farrell selected Tipperary's Séamus Callanan as the Sunday game player of the year. Other players nominated were Padraic Maher and John McGrath of Tipperary.^[14][15][16]

• Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny)
• Cathal Barrett (Tipperary)
• James Barry (Tipperary)
• Daithí Burke (Galway)
• Padraig Walsh (Kilkenny)
• Ronan Maher (Tipperary)
• Padraic Maher (Tipperary)
• Jamie Barron (Waterford)
• David Burke (Galway)
• Walter Walsh (Kilkenny)
• Austin Gleeson (Waterford)
• Patrick Maher (Tipperary)
• Richie Hogan (Kilkenny)
• Seamus Callanan (Tipperary)
• John McGrath (Tipperary)

All Star Team of the Year

On 4 November, the 2016 All Star Award winners were announced at the awards ceremony in the National Convention Centre in Dublin. Austin Gleeson of Waterford was named as the All Stars Hurler of the Year and the All Stars Young Hurler of the Year.^[17][18]

• Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny)
• Cathal Barrett (Tipperary)
• James Barry (Tipperary)
• Daithí Burke (Galway)
• Padraig Walsh (Kilkenny)
• Ronan Maher (Tipperary)
• Padraic Maher (Tipperary)
• Jamie Barron (Waterford)
• David Burke (Galway)
• Walter Walsh (Kilkenny)
• Austin Gleeson (Waterford)
• Patrick Maher (Tipperary)
• Richie Hogan (Kilkenny)
• Seamus Callanan (Tipperary)
• John McGrath (Tipperary)