2016 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship is a double-elimination tournament based on the Leinster and Munster provincial championships. Fourteen teams take part. Leinster and Munster Hurling Championships Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Seven Leinster counties compete. Galway and Kerry, though not in Leinster, also participate. The competition begins with a qualifier group consisting of the four weakest teams. Two teams from the qualifier group progress and the remainder of the competition is knock-out. Most of the beaten teams enter the All-Ireland qualifiers – the two bottom teams in the Leinster qualifier group do not. In 2016 the bottom team in the Leinster qualifier group will be relegated to next year's Christy Ring Cup (2nd tier). Their place in next year's Leinster qualifier group will be taken by the winner of 2016's Christy Ring Cup. Kerry qualified for this year's Leinster Championship by winning the 2015 Christy Ring Cup. Munster Senior Hurling Championship Five Munster counties compete. Kerry participates in The Leinster Hurling Championship (see above). The competition has a knock-out format. All of the beaten teams enter the All-Ireland qualifiers. Qualifiers All teams beaten in the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Leinster and Munster Hurling Championships enter the All-Ireland hurling qualifiers which are knock-out. The qualifiers eventually result in two teams who play the beaten finalists of the Leinster and Munster championships in the two All-Ireland quarter-finals. All-Ireland The Leinster and Munster champions play the winners of the two quarter finals in the semi-finals. The final normally takes place on the first Sunday in September. Non-participating Provincial Championships Connacht and Ulster teams can qualify for the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship by winning the Christy Ring Cup (tier 2). Connacht Senior Hurling Championship This competition is no longer organised. Galway represent Connacht and participate in the Leinster Championship. Ulster Senior Hurling Championship Although this competition takes place, it is not part of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. Currently no Ulster teams qualify for the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. == Team changes ==

To Championship Promoted from the Christy Ring Cup • Kerry From Championship Relegated to the Christy Ring Cup • Antrim ==Teams==

General information Fourteen counties will compete in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: nine teams in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship and five teams in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship. Overview All bar one of the teams from the 2015 championship participated in hurling's top tier in 2016. Antrim, who finished bottom of the 2015 Leinster qualifier group, were relegated to the 2016 Christy Ring Cup. Their place in the 2016 Leinster qualifier group went to Kerry who won the 2015 Christy Ring Cup and gained automatic promotion. It was the first time since 2004 that Kerry participated in the All-Ireland senior championship. List of teams == Summary ==

Championships Other Championship Tiers ==Changes from 2015 championship==

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. == Provincial championships ==

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Group Stage Knockout Stage Matches Leinster Qualifier Group Round 1 Leinster Qualifier Group Round 2 Leinster Qualifier Group Round 3 Leinster Quarter-finals Last year's Leinster champions receive a bye into the semi-finals. The remaining six teams (four seeded teams plus the qualifier group winners and runners-up) play in three quarter-finals. An informal system of promotion or relegation operates in this round; if a team from the qualifier group wins their quarter-final, they will be seeded in next year's Leinster championship and the beaten seeded team will compete in next year's Leinster qualifier group. ---- ---- Leinster Semi-finals Last year's Leinster champions receive a bye into the semi-finals. They are joined by the winners of the three quarter-finals. ---- ---- Leinster final ---- ===Munster Senior Hurling Championship=== Munster Format Five of the six Munster counties compete. Kerry qualify for the qualifier group of the Leinster championship. The competition is straight knock-out. Munster Quarter-final Munster Semi-finals ---- Munster final Ulster Senior Hurling Championship Bracket Ulster Format The top four Ulster counties compete in a stand alone championship. The rest of the Ulster counties compete in the shield. The competition is straight knock-out. Ulster Semi-finals Ulster Final ==Cup competitions==

Christy Ring Cup (Tier 2) Finals Nicky Rackard Cup (Tier 3) Final Lory Meagher Cup (Tier 4) Group stage Final ==All-Ireland qualifiers==

Bracket {{3RoundBracket-Byes • 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. 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 Qualifiers Round 2 Qualifiers Round 2 Format The four winners of round 1 play in two matches. The draw was made on 4 July. Teams who have already met in the Leinster or Munster championships cannot be drawn to meet again. Qualifiers Round 2 Matches ==All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship==

Bracket All-Ireland Quarter-finals The beaten finalists from the Leinster and Munster championships play the winners of round 2 of the qualifiers. ---- All-Ireland Semi-finals The Leinster and Munster champions play the winners of the two quarter-finals. All-Ireland final ==Championship statistics==

Top scorers Overall In a single game Clean sheets Scoring events Widest winning margin: 35 points • Clare 5–32 – 0–12 Laois (Qualifier round 1) Most goals in a match: 5 • Clare 5–32 – 0–12 Laois (Qualifier round 1) • Offaly 3–22 – 2–14 Laois (Leinster quarter-final) • Tipperary 5–19 – 0–13 Waterford (Munster Final) Most points in a match: 49 • Cork 1–26 – 1–23 Dublin (Qualifier round 1) • Tipperary 2–29 – 2–20 Kilkenny (All-Ireland Final) Most goals by one team in a match: 5 • Clare 5–32 – 0–12 Laois (Qualifier round 1) • Tipperary 5–19 – 0–13 Waterford (Munster Final) Highest aggregate score: 61 • Tipperary 2–29 – 2–20 Kilkenny (All-Ireland Final) Lowest aggregate score: 34 • Clare 0–19 – 0–15 Limerick (Qualifier Round 2) Most goals scored by a losing team: 2 • Offaly 1–17 – 2–11 Carlow (Leinster round robin) • Westmeath 0–22 – 2–15 Carlow (Leinster round robin) • Tipperary 2–29 – 2–20 Kilkenny (All-Ireland Final) ==Miscellaneous==

• 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. • 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. • 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. • 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. 2016 Referees 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 Attendances 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: 486,553Average attendance: 24,328 ==Broadcasting==

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. 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. These matches were broadcast live on television in Ireland ==Awards==

;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. • 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. • 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) ==See also==