2018_All-Ireland_Senior_Hurling_Championship
2018 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
Hurling Championship
The 2018 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 131st staging of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1887. It is the first tier of senior inter-county championship hurling.[1]
| Championship details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 12 May – 19 August 2018 |
| Teams | 12 |
| All-Ireland champions | |
| Winning team | Limerick (8th win) |
| Captain | Declan Hannon |
| Manager | John Kiely |
| All-Ireland Finalists | |
| Losing team | Galway |
| Captain | David Burke |
| Manager | Micheál Donoghue |
| Provincial champions | |
| Munster | Cork |
| Leinster | Galway |
| Ulster | Not Played |
| Connacht | Not Played |
| Championship statistics | |
| No. matches played | 27 |
| Top Scorer |  Peter Duggan (3-76) |
| Player of the Year |  Cian Lynch |
| All-Star Team | See here |
← 2017 2019 → | |
The championship began on 12 May 2018 and ended on 19 August 2018. The draw for the championship round-robin fixtures was held off camera on 19 October 2017 and announced on the championship draw broadcast on RTÉ2.[2][3]
The Championship was won by Limerick, who were crowned champions after overcoming Galway in the final by a score line of 3–16 to 2-18.[4] Limerick's victory was their eighth All-Ireland title and first since 1973.[4][5]
The 2018 Championship has been described by many as one of the best ever.[6][7][8][9]
The 2018 championship saw the biggest change in format since the introduction of the qualifiers in 2002.[10]
 | This section needs editing to comply with Wikipedia's Manual of Style. In particular, it has problems with MOS:BOLD. (June 2023) |
A new provincial hurling championship featuring five-team round-robin groups in both Leinster and Munster and the new Joe McDonagh Cup was introduced in 2018 for an initial three-year period. The proposal was carried by a narrow margin with 62% voting in favour (a majority of at least 60% was required) at the GAA's Special Congress on 30 September 2017. The top two teams in each provincial group would contest the provincial final, with the provincial winners advancing to the All-Ireland semi-finals and the losing provincial finalists advancing to the two quarter-finals.[11]
An amendment to the motion from Laois, Offaly and Meath was carried by 87%. The third-placed teams in Leinster and Munster would compete in All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals against the two Joe McDonagh Cup finalists, with the Joe McDonagh Cup teams having home advantage.
If a non-Munster team were to win the Joe McDonagh Cup, the bottom team in the Leinster championship would be relegated to the following year's Joe McDonagh Cup and would be replaced in the following year's Leinster championship by the Joe McDonagh Cup winners. If a Munster team were to win the Joe McDonagh Cup, they would play off against the team who finished bottom in the Munster championship for the right to play in the following year's Munster championship, thereby ensuring that only Munster teams compete in the Munster championship.[12]
The restructure of hurling involved the reduction of the Leinster championship from nine teams to five while the Munster championship continued with the previous five Munster teams (Kerry previously competed in the qualifier group of the Leinster championship). A six-team Joe McDonagh Cup was created, consisting of all four teams from the 2017 Leinster qualifier group plus Antrim and Carlow, the 2017 Christy Ring Cup finalists.
Leinster Championship
Participating counties (5): Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Offaly, Wexford
Group stage (10 matches): Each team plays each other once. The 1st and 2nd placed teams advance to the Leinster final and the 3rd placed team advances to the all-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals. All other teams are eliminated from the championship and the bottom placed team may face relegation to next years Joe McDonagh Cup.
Final (1 match): The top 2 teams in the group stage contest this game. The Leinster champions advance to the All-Ireland semi-finals and the Leinster runners-up advance to the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Munster Championship
Participating counties (5): Clare, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford
Group stage (10 matches): Each team plays each other once. The 1st and 2nd placed teams advance to the Munster final and the 3rd placed team advances to the all-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals. All other teams are eliminated from the championship and the bottom placed team may face relegation to next years Joe McDonagh Cup.
Final (1 match): The top 2 teams in the group stage contest this game. The Munster champions advance to the All-Ireland semi-finals and the Munster runners-up advance to the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Joe McDonagh Cup
Participating counties (6): Antrim, Carlow, Kerry, Laois, Meath, Westmeath
Group stage (15 matches): Each team plays each other once. The 1st and 2nd placed teams advance to the Joe McDonagh Cup final. All other teams are eliminated from the championship and the bottom placed team are relegated to next years Christy Ring Cup.
Final (1 match): The top 2 teams in the group stage contest this game. The Joe McDonagh Cup champions and runners-up advance to the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals.
All-Ireland Championship
Preliminary quarter-finals (2 matches): The 3rd placed teams from the Leinster and Munster championships play the Joe McDonagh Cup champions and runners-up. Two teams are eliminated at this stage while the winners advance to the quarter-finals.
Quarter-finals (2 matches): The winners of the preliminary quarter-finals join the Leinster and Munster runners-up to make up the quarter-final pairings. Teams who may have already met in the provincial championships are kept apart in separate quarter-finals. Two teams are eliminated at this stage while the winners advance to the semi-finals.
Semi-finals (2 matches): The winners of the quarter-finals join the Leinster and Munster champions to make up the semi-final pairings. Teams who may have already met in the provincial championships are kept apart in separate semi-finals where possible. Two teams are eliminated at this stage while the winners advance to the final.
Final (1 match): The two winners of the semi-finals contest this game.
To Championship
Promoted from the Christy Ring Cup
From Championship
Relegated to the Christy Ring Cup
- None
General information
Sixteen counties will compete in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: five teams in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, five teams in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship and six teams in the Joe McDonagh Cup.
Personnel and colours
| County | Manager(s) | Captain(s) | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clare |
Donal Moloney Gerry O'Connor |
Patrick O'Connor | Pat O'Donnell |
 Cork |
John Meyler | Séamus Harnedy | Chill Insurance |
 Dublin |
Pat Gilroy | Liam Rushe | AIG |
 Galway |
Micheál Donoghue | David Burke | Supermac's |
 Kilkenny |
Brian Cody | Cillian Buckley | Glanbia |
| Limerick |
John Kiely | Declan Hannon | Sporting Limerick |
 Offaly |
Kevin Martin | David King | Carroll Cuisine |
 Tipperary |
Michael Ryan | Pádraic Maher | Intersport/Elverys |
 Waterford |
Derek McGrath | TQS Integration | |
 Wexford |
Davy Fitzgerald | Lee Chin Matthew O'Hanlon |
Gain |
Championships
| Level on Pyramid | Competition | Champions | Runners Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 2018 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship | Limerick |
Galway |
| Tier 1 (Leinster) | 2018 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship | Galway |
Kilkenny |
| Tier 1 (Munster) | 2018 Munster Senior Hurling Championship | Cork |
Clare |
| Tier 2 | 2018 Joe McDonagh Cup |  Carlow |
 Westmeath |
| Tier 3 | 2018 Christy Ring Cup |  Kildare |
 London |
| Tier 4 | 2018 Nicky Rackard Cup |  Donegal |
 Warwickshire |
| Tier 5 | 2018 Lory Meagher Cup |  Sligo |
 Lancashire |
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
Group Stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | SF | SA | Diff | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galway | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7-89 (110) | 6-62 (80) | +30 | 8 | Advance to Leinster Final |
| 2 | Kilkenny | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5-76 (91) | 6-69 (87) | +4 | 6 | |
| 3 | Wexford | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6-81 (99) | 5-68 (83) | +16 | 4 | Advance to All-Ireland Preliminary Quarter-Finals |
| 4 | Dublin | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9-73 (100) | 1-85 (88) | +12 | 2 | |
| 5 | Offaly | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5-50 (65) | 14-85 (127) | –62 | 0 | Relegated to Joe McDonagh Cup |
Finals
| Galway |
0-18 (18) – (18) 0-18 | Kilkenny |
|---|---|---|
| (HT: 0-7 – 0-8) | ||
Pts: J Canning 6, N Burke 4, C Whelan 3, C Mannion 3, C Cooney 1, J Cooney 1 |
Pts: TJ Reid 10, B Ryan 2, E Murphy 1 (f), E Morrissey 1, J Maher 1, G Aylward 1, J Donnelly 1, W Walsh 1 | |
| Galway |
1-28 (31) – (24) 3-15 | Kilkenny |
|---|---|---|
| (HT: 1-16 – 1-7) | ||
| Gls: J Glynn 1 Pts: J Canning 10 (6f), C Mannion 6, C Whelan 4, N Burke 2, A Harte 2, J Cooney 1, J Glynn 1, C Cooney 1, J Flynn 1 |
Gls: G Aylward 1, R Hogan 1, C Fennelly 1 Pts: TJ Reid 9 (6f, 1 '65'), J Holden 1, C Fogarty 1, J Maher 1, J Donnelly 1, R Hogan 1, C Fennelly 1 | |
Munster Senior Hurling Championship
Group Stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | SF | SA | Diff | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cork | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5-94 (109) | 4-89 (101) | +8 | 6 | Advance to Munster Final |
| 2 | Clare | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4-97 (109) | 5-77 (92) | +17 | 6 | |
| 3 | Limerick | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3-92 (101) | 4-81 (93) | +8 | 5 | Advance to All-Ireland Preliminary Quarter-Finals |
| 4 | Tipperary | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7-77 (98) | 5-91 (106) | –8 | 2 | |
| 5 | Waterford | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6-76 (94) | 7-98 (119) | –25 | 1 |
Final
| Cork |
2-24 (30) – (28) 3-19 | Clare |
|---|---|---|
| (HT: 1-10 – 2-11) | ||
| Gls: S Harnedy 1, L Meade 1 Pts: P Horgan 11 (6f, 1 '65'), S Harnedy 4, M Coleman 2 (1 sl), D Fitzgibbon 2, D Kearney 2, C Lehane 1, L Meade 1, B Cooper 1 |
Gls: P Duggan 1, D Reidy 1, I Galvin 1 Pts: P Duggan 7 (6f), J Conlon 5, D Reidy 2, P Collins 2, C McGrath 1, T Kelly 1, C Galvin 1 | |
The inaugural Joe McDonagh Cup, the second tier of senior inter-county championship hurling, was contested by Antrim, Carlow, Kerry, Laois, Meath and Westmeath. Each team played all the other teams once in a round-robin format, with the top two teams progressing to the Joe McDonagh Cup final and also advancing to the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals, where they played the teams that finished third in the Leinster and Munster championships. Westmeath confirmed their place in the Joe McDonagh Cup final on 2 June 2018 after winning their first four matches, with Carlow confirming their place on 9 June after beating Westmeath.
Group Stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | SF | SA | Diff | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carlow |
5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 122 | 102 | 20 | 8 | Advance to Knockout Stage and All-Ireland Preliminary Quarter-Finals |
| 2 | Westmeath |
5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 130 | 115 | 15 | 8 | |
| 3 |  Kerry |
5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 105 | 97 | 8 | 6 | |
| 4 |  Laois |
5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 118 | 123 | -5 | 4 | |
| 5 |  Antrim |
5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 130 | 116 | 14 | 4 | Advance to Relegation Playoff |
| 6 |  Meath |
5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 94 | 146 | -52 | 0 | Relegated to Christy Ring Cup |
The top two teams at the end of the round-robin, Westmeath and Carlow, faced each other in the final on 1 July 2018. The game, which took place in Croke Park, saw Carlow emerge victorious by a margin of five points to claim the inaugural Joe McDonagh Cup title.
Final
| Westmeath |
1-24 (27) – (32) 2-26 | Carlow |
|---|---|---|
| (HT: 0-13 – 1-12) | ||
| Gls: N O'Brien 1 Pts: A Devine 8 (8f), E Price 6, A Clarke 3, R Greville 2, D McNicholas 2 (1f), N O'Brien 1, D Clinton 1, N Mitchell 1 |
Gls: J Doyle 1, C Nolan 1 Pts: D Murphy 10 (9f, 1 '65'), C Nolan 4, P Coady 4, JM Nolan 3, E Byrne 2, J Doyle 1, K McDonald 1, D Byrne 1 | |
Carlow were automatically promoted to the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship for 2019, replacing Offaly.
Bracket
| Preliminary Quarter-Finals | Quarter-Finals | Semi-Finals | All-Ireland Final | ||||||||||||||||
| Clare (R) | 1-30 2-13 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Galway (R) | 1-30 1-17 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Clare
| 0-27 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Westmeath
| 0-16 | Wexford
| 1-17 | ||||||||||||||||
| Wexford
| 2-21 | Galway
| 2-18 | ||||||||||||||||
| Limerick
| 3-16 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Cork
| 2-31 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Limerick
| 3-32 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Limerick
| 0-27 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Limerick
| 5-22 | Kilkenny
| 1-22 | ||||||||||||||||
| Carlow
| 0-13 | ||||||||||||||||||
All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals
The preliminary quarter-finals saw the third-placed teams from the two provincial round-robins play the two teams who competed in the Joe McDonagh Cup Final, with the two finalists having home advantage. Joe McDonagh champions Carlow faced third-placed Munster team Limerick in Dr Cullen Park, while runners-up Westmeath met Wexford, the third-place finished from Leinster, in Mullingar's Cusack Park.
| 7 July 2018 Preliminary quarter-final | Carlow |
0-13 (13) – (37) 5-22 | Limerick |
Carlow | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19:00 | (HT: 0-4 – 3-9) | Venue: Dr Cullen Park | |||
Pts: D Murphy 4 (3f, 1 '65'), P Abbey 2, JM Nolan 2, J Kavanagh 1, D Byrne 1, E Byrne 1, C Nolan 1, S Murphy 1 |
Report | Gls: D Byrnes 1, K Hayes 1, A Gillane 1, G Mulcahy 1, P Casey 1 Pts: A Gillane 6 (2f), T Morrissey 5, P Casey 3, G Hegarty 2, D Byrnes 1 (1 '65'), C Lynch 1, S Flanagan 1, G Mulcahy 1, B Nash 1, D O'Donovan 1 |
Referee: John Keenan (Wicklow)
|
| 7 July 2018 Preliminary quarter-final | Westmeath |
0-16 (16) – (27) 2-21 | Wexford |
Mullingar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19:00 | (HT: 0-8 – 1-12) | Venue: Cusack Park | |||
Pts: A Devine 8 (7f), A Clarke 2, E Price 2, D McNicholas 1, C Doyle 1, C Boyle 1, J Boyle 1 |
Report | Gls: D Dunne 1, C McDonald 1 Pts: L Chin 7 (6f, 1 '65'), A Nolan 4, H Kehoe 2, L Ryan 1, D O'Keefe 1, S Murphy 1, J O'Connor 1, P Morris 1, D Dunne 1, C McDonald 1, S Tompkins 1 |
Referee: Diarmuid Kirwan (Cork)
|
All-Ireland quarter-finals
The two quarter-finals saw the losing provincial finalists play the winners of the two preliminary quarter-finals. As both third-place finishers from the provincial series won in the previous round, they were kept apart from the teams they had already met in the round-robin phase to prevent a repeat fixture. Munster runners-up Clare met Wexford, with beaten Leinster finalists Kilkenny facing Limerick the following day. Both games were held at neutral venues.[13]
| 14 July 2018 Quarter-final | Clare |
0-27 (27) – (20) 1-17 | Wexford |
Cork | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15:00 | (HT: 0-16 – 0-9) | Venue: Páirc Uí Chaoimh | |||
Pts: P Duggan 7 (5f), T Kelly 5, S O'Donnell 4, J Conlon 3, D Reidy 2, P Collins 2, S Morey 1, C Malone 1, C McGrath 1, I Galvin 1 |
Report | Gls: C McDonald 1 Pts: R O'Connor 10 (9f), C McDonald 3, D Reck 1, S Murphy 1, L Chin 1, D O'Keeffe 1 |
Referee: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary) Attendance: 10,255 TV: RTÉ
|
| 15 July 2018 Quarter-final | Kilkenny |
1-22 (25) – (27) 0-27 | Limerick |
Thurles | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14:00 | (HT: 0-12 – 0-15) | Venue: Semple Stadium | |||
| Gls: R Hogan 1 Pts: TJ Reid 7 (5f) (1 65), R Leahy 4, R Hogan 3, J Maher 3, C Fennelly 2, C Fogarty 1, L Blanchfield 1, J Donnolly 1 |
Report | Pts: A Gillane 5 (2f), T Morrissey 4, K Hayes 3, G Mulcahy 3, D O'Donnovan 3 (1 sl), G Hegarty 3, P Casey 2, S Flanagan 1, D Byrnes 1, D Hannon 1, S Dowling 1 |
Referee: J McGrath (Westmeath) Attendance: 18,596 TV: RTÉ
|
All-Ireland semi-finals
The semi-finals took place in Croke Park across the last weekend of July, with the Leinster (Galway) and Munster champions (Cork) playing the winners of the two quarter-finals — Clare and Limerick respectively.
| Galway |
1-30 (33) – (33) 1-30 (a.e.t.) |
Clare |
|---|---|---|
| (HT: 1-10 – 0-9) (FT: 1-23 – 0-26) | ||
| Gls: C Cooney 1 Pts: J Canning 12 (6f, 2 sl), C Mannion 4, David Burke 3, C Whelan 3, J Flynn 3 (1f), J Coen 2, C Cooney 1, J Glynn 1, N Burke 1 |
Gls: A Shanagher 1 Pts: P Duggan 14 (11f), J Conlon 4, S O'Donnell 3, T Kelly 3 (1 sl), I Galvin 2, D Fitzgerald 1, D Reidy 1, J McCarthy 1, C Galvin 1 | |
| Cork |
2-31 (37) – (41) 3-32 (a.e.t.) |
Limerick |
|---|---|---|
| (HT: 0-14 – 1-12) (FT: 1-27 – 1-27) | ||
| Gls: P Horgan 1 (1f), C Lehane 1 Pts: P Horgan 0-11 (9f), D Fitzgibbon 4, C Lehane 3, D Kearney 3, S Kingston 3, S Harnedy 2, M Coleman 2 (1 sideline), C Joyce 1, L Meade 1, J O'Connor 1 |
Gls: S Dowling 1 (1p), C Lynch 1, P Ryan 1 Pts: A Gillane 13 (7f), S Dowling 4 (1f), G Mulcahy 4, G Hegarty 3, C Lynch 1, D O'Donovan 1, D Byrnes 1(1f), S Flanagan 1, T Morrissey 1, K Hayes 1, B Nash 1, D Reidy 1 | |
| Clare |
2-13 (19) – (20) 1-17 | Galway |
|---|---|---|
| (HT: 0-6 – 1-9) | ||
| Gls: P Duggan 1, S O'Donnell 1 Pts: P Duggan 6 (6f), I Galvin 2, T Kelly, P Collins 1, J Conlon 1, A Shanagher 1, S O'Donnell 1 |
Gls: J Glynn 1 Pts: J Canning 8 (4f, 1 sl), C Whelan 3, N Burke 2, D Burke 2, C Mannion 1, C Cooney 1 | |
All-Ireland final
| Galway |
2-18 (24) – (25) 3-16 | Limerick |
|---|---|---|
| (HT: 0-9 – 1-10) | ||
| Gls: C Whelan 1, J Canning 1 (1f) Pts: J Canning 10 (5f, 2 '65'), D Burke 3, J Cooney 3, P Mannion 1, N Burke 1 |
Gls: G Mulcahy 1, T Morrissey 1, S Dowling 1 Pts: K Hayes 4, A Gillane 3 (1f), G Mulcahy 2, D Hannon 2, T Morrisey 1, D O'Donovan 1, C Lynch 1, D Byrnes 1 | |
Teams and venues
Each team has a nominal home stadium for the round-robin series of the provincial championships. However, Waterford will not play their "home" games at Walsh Park, instead playing in neutral venues for these fixtures, namely Limerick's Gaelic Grounds and Semple Stadium in Thurles.
In the knockout stage, teams from the provincial round-robin series will not have home advantage, if avoidable. The only teams to play knockout games at home are the two Joe McDonagh Cup finalists, who had home advantage in the preliminary quarter-finals. The Munster final was held at a neutral venue which was decided based on the qualifying teams, while the locations of the two quarter-finals were decided based on similar considerations. The Leinster final, and the semi-finals and final of the All-Ireland series are held in the 82,300-capacity Croke Park in Dublin, headquarters of the GAA.
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| From the Leinster Championship | |||
| Dublin |
Donnycarney | Parnell Park | 8,500 |
| Galway |
Galway | Pearse Stadium | 26,197 |
| Kilkenny |
Kilkenny | Nowlan Park | 27,800 |
| Offaly |
Tullamore | O'Connor Park | 20,000 |
| Wexford |
Wexford | Wexford Park | 25,000 |
| From the Munster Championship | |||
| Clare |
Ennis | Cusack Park | 19,000 |
| Cork |
Cork | Páirc Uí Chaoimh | 45,000 |
| Limerick |
Limerick | Gaelic Grounds | 49,886 |
| Tipperary |
Thurles | Semple Stadium | 53,000 |
| Waterford |
N / A | ||
| From the Joe McDonagh Cup | |||
| Carlow |
Carlow | Dr. Cullen Park | 21,000 |
| Westmeath |
Mullingar | Cusack Park | 11,000 |
Top scorers overall
| Rank | Player | Club | Tally | Total | Matches | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peter Duggan | Clare | 3-76 | 85 | 8 | 10.60 |
| 2 | Joe Canning | Galway | 2-78 | 84 | 8 | 10.50 |
| 3 | T. J. Reid | Kilkenny | 2-63 | 69 | 7 | 9.85 |
| 4 | Patrick Horgan | Cork | 2-53 | 61 | 6 | 10.17 |
| 5 | Jason Forde | Tipperary | 3-39 | 48 | 4 | 12.00 |
| 6 | Rory O'Connor | Wexford | 0-46 | 46 | 5 | 9.20 |
| 7 | Aaron Gillane | Limerick | 1-37 | 40 | 7 | 5.71 |
| 8 | Paul Ryan | Dublin | 3-21 | 30 | 4 | 7.50 |
| 9 | Shane Dowling | Limerick | 2-24 | 30 | 5 | 6.00 |
| 10 | Pauric Mahony | Waterford | 1-26 | 29 | 3 | 9.66 |
Top scorers in a single game
| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Opposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jason Forde | Tipperary | 1-14 | 17 | Waterford |
| 2 | Joe Canning | Galway | 1-12 | 15 | Kilkenny |
| Peter Duggan | Clare | 0-15 | 15 | Tipperary | |
| Shane Dowling | Limerick | 0-15 | 15 | Waterford | |
| 5 | Peter Duggan | Clare | 0-14 | 14 | Galway |
| 6 | Patrick Horgan | Cork | 1-11 | 14 | Limerick |
| 7 | Joe Canning | Galway | 1-10 | 13 | Limerick |
| Peter Duggan | Clare | 1-10 | 13 | Waterford | |
| Peter Duggan | Clare | 0-13 | 13 | Limerick | |
| Aaron Gillane | Limerick | 0-13 | 13 | Cork | |
| 11 | Jason Forde | Tipperary | 1-9 | 12 | Limerick |
| T. J. Reid | Kilkenny | 1-9 | 12 | Galway | |
| Shane Dooley | Offaly | 1-9 | 12 | Galway | |
| Rory O'Connor | Wexford | 0-12 | 12 | Dublin | |
| T. J. Reid | Kilkenny | 0-12 | 12 | Dublin | |
| Rory O'Connor | Wexford | 0-12 | 12 | Galway | |
| Joe Canning | Galway | 0-12 | 12 | Wexford | |
| Joe Canning | Galway | 0-12 | 12 | Clare |
Scoring Events
- Widest winning margin: 24 points
- Most goals in a match: 7
- Most points in a match: 63
- Most goals by one team in a match: 5
- Most goals by a losing team: 3
- Dublin 3-16 – 1-24 Kilkenny (Leinster round-robin)
- Cork 2-24 – 3-19 Clare (Munster final)
- Kilkenny 3-15 – 1-28 Galway (Leinster final, replay)
- Highest aggregate score: 78 points (new all-time record)
- Lowest aggregate score: 36 points
- Kilkenny 0-18 – 0-18 Galway (Leinster final, drawn match)
- The Munster round-robin game between Clare and Waterford was the first Munster Championship game to take place at Cusack Park in Ennis since 1997.[14]
- The Leinster round-robin game between Galway and Kilkenny at Pearse Stadium in Salthill was Galway's first home Leinster Championship match. It was the first provincial championship game (excluding the Connacht championship) to take place in County Galway since 1965.[15]
- Clare's defeat of Tipperary in the Munster round-robin game was their first victory over the team since 2003.[16] It is also their first defeat of Tipperary in Thurles since 1928.[17]
- Michael "Brick" Walsh of Waterford set a new record when he made his 74th championship appearance against Cork on 17 June 2018.[18]
- Cork won back-to-back Munster titles for the first time since 2005/06.
- The Leinster final ended in a draw for the first time since 1993.[19]
- The Leinster final was played outside Leinster for the first time.[20]
- For only the second year in a row, no county from Leinster reached the All-Ireland semi-final stage, with the four spots going to Clare, Cork, Galway and Limerick. (Galway currently play in the Leinster Championship but are geographically in Connacht.)
- Limerick defeated Kilkenny in the championship for the first time since 1973.[21]
- Kilkenny failed to win the All-Ireland for the third consecutive year. This is their longest titleless streak since 1994–1999, when they went six years without an All-Ireland.
- Limerick achieve victory in the All-Ireland final for the first time since 1973.
- Limerick defeated Galway in the All-Ireland final for the very first time.[22]
RTÉ, the national broadcaster in Ireland, provided the majority of the live television coverage of the hurling championship in the second year of a five-year deal running from 2017 until 2021. Sky Sports also broadcast a number of matches and had exclusive rights to some games.
| Live Hurling On TV Schedule | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Fixture & Match Details |
RTÉ Sky Sports |
| Provincial Championships | ||
| 13 May | Dublin v Kilkenny Leinster Round 1 |
RTÉ |
| 20 May | Limerick v Tipperary Munster Round 1 |
RTÉ |
| 20 May | Cork v Clare Munster Round 1 |
RTÉ |
| 27 May | Tipperary v Cork Munster Round 2 |
RTÉ |
| 27 May | Galway v Kilkenny Leinster Round 3 |
RTÉ |
| 2 June | Wexford v Galway Leinster Round 4 |
Sky Sports |
| 2 June | Cork v Limerick Munster Round 3 |
Sky Sports |
| 3 June | Waterford v Tipperary Munster Round 3 |
RTÉ |
| 9 June | Kilkenny v Wexford Leinster Round 5 |
Sky Sports [note 1] |
| 10 June | Tipperary v Clare Munster Round 4 |
RTÉ |
| 17 June | Clare v Limerick Munster Round 5 |
RTÉ |
| 1 July | Cork v Clare Munster Final |
RTÉ |
| 1 July | Galway v Kilkenny Leinster Final |
RTÉ |
| All-Ireland Hurling Championship | ||
| 14 July | Clare v Wexford All-Ireland Quarter-Final |
RTÉ |
| 15 July | Kilkenny v Limerick All-Ireland Quarter-Final |
RTÉ |
| 28 July | Galway v Clare All-Ireland Semi-Final |
RTÉ Sky Sports |
| 29 July | Cork v Limerick All-Ireland Semi-Final |
RTÉ Sky Sports |
| 19 August | Galway v Limerick All-Ireland Final |
RTÉ Sky Sports |
- Sunday Game Team of the Year
The Sunday Game team of the year was picked on 19 August, which was the night of the final.[24] The panel consisting of Brendan Cummins, Jackie Tyrrell, Anthony Daly, Eddie Brennan, Dónal O'Grady, Ken McGrath and Cyril Farrell unanimously selected Galway's Pádraic Mannion as the Sunday game player of the year.[25][26]
- 1. Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny)
- 2. Sean Finn (Limerick)
- 3. Daithi Burke (Galway)
- 4. Richie English (Limerick)
- 5. Diarmaid Byrnes (Limerick)
- 6. Declan Hannon (Limerick)
- 7. Padraic Mannion (Galway)
- 8. Darragh Fitzgibbon (Cork)
- 9. Cian Lynch (Limerick)
- 10. Peter Duggan (Clare)
- 11. Joe Canning (Galway)
- 12. Tom Morrissey (Limerick)
- 13. Graeme Mulcahy (Limerick)
- 14. John Conlon (Clare)
- 15. Seamus Harnedy (Cork)
- All Star Team of the Year
On 2 November, the 2018 PwC All-Stars winners were announced and presented at Dublin's Convention Centre. Cian Lynch was named as the All Stars Hurler of the Year with Kyle Hayes named the All Stars Young Hurler of the Year. [27][28]
| Pos. | Player | Team | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Eoin Murphy | Kilkenny | 2 |
| RCB | Seán Finn | Limerick | 1 |
| FB | Daithí Burke | Galway | 4 |
| LCB | Richie English | Limerick | 1 |
| RWB | Pádraic Mannion | Galway | 2 |
| CB | Declan Hannon | Limerick | 1 |
| LWB | Dan Morrissey | Limerick | 1 |
| MD | Cian LynchHOTY | Limerick | 1 |
| MD | Darragh Fitzgibbon | Cork | 1 |
| RWF | Peter Duggan | Clare | 1 |
| CF | Joe Canning | Galway | 5 |
| LWF | Séamus Harnedy | Cork | 2 |
| RCF | Patrick Horgan | Cork | 3 |
| FF | John Conlon | Clare | 1 |
| LCF | Graeme Mulcahy | Limerick | 1 |
- Hurling tiers - 1. All-Ireland (Liam MacCarthy Cup) 2. Joe McDonagh Cup 3. Christy Ring Cup 4. Nicky Rackard Cup 5. Lory Meagher Cup
- "2018 GAA Championship Draw: Recap". RTE Sport. 19 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
- "Dublin v Kilkenny, Cork v Clare among the early standouts in revamped Hurling Championship draw". The 42. 19 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
- "Limerick hang on against Galway to end 45 years of pain". RTE Sport. 19 August 2018.
- "New green wave ends 45 years of heartache for Limerick". Irish Examiner. 20 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- "Ranking the top ten hurling games of 2018". SKY Sports. 20 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- "Hurling's giddy summer: The Revolution Years mark II". RTE Sport. 20 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- "Jamesie O'Connor: A summer of great memories and even greater champions". Irish Independent. 26 August 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
- "Team of the year, best moment and greatest game - John Mullane's 2018 hurling awards". Irish Independent. 25 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- Moran, Seán (30 September 2017). "GAA Congress approve round-robin provincial hurling championships". Irish Times. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
- "GAA votes to change senior hurling championship". Irish Examiner. 30 September 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
- "Historic day at Croke Park as Congress votes in hurling structure changes". RTE Sport. 30 September 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
- "Provincial finalists kept apart in All-Ireland hurling semi-finals". Irish Examiner. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- "Seats scarce for Clare's first home Munster SHC game since 1997". RTE Sport. 4 May 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- "Historic day as Galway get to enjoy home comforts". Irish Examiner. 27 May 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- "0-15 for Duggan as Clare fight back to claim dramatic Munster win and knock out Tipp". The 42. 10 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- "Late push by Clare slams the trapdoor shut on Tipperary". Irish Times. 10 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- "Cork book Munster final place after dramatic late comeback denies Waterford". Irish Independent. 17 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- "Kilkenny and Galway to go again after first final draw in 25 years". Irish Times. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- "Semple Stadium to host Leinster hurling final replay". RTE Sport. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- "Limerick's first win over the Cats in 45 years, Kilkenny show their heart and Cork up next". The 42. 15 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- "'We apologise' - Sky Sports issues statement on 22-minute delay showing Kilkenny and Wexford hurling clash - Independent.ie". Independent.ie. 10 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- "Limerick rule in The Sunday Game team of the year". RTE Sport. 19 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- "Here's The Sunday Game's Hurling Team of the Year for 2018". The 42. 19 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- "The Sunday Game panel voted unanimously for Pádraic Mannion as their Player of the Year". Sportsjoe.ie. 19 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- "Limerick the big winners as 2018 Hurling All Star team throws up a few surprises". Irish Independent. 2 November 2018. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
- "Another long Limerick wait ends as Cian Lynch is named 2018 Hurler of the Year". The 42. 2 November 2018. Retrieved 6 November 2018.