The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887. Contested by the top hurling teams in Ireland, the tournament has taken place every year—except in 1888, when the competition was not played due to a tour of the United States by would-be competitors.
The final, usually held on the first Sunday of September, serves as the culmination of a series of games played during the summer months, and the results determine which county's team receives the Liam McCarthy Cup. Where five Sundays occur in September (as in 2012 and 2013), the final is held on the second Sunday in September. The Championship was initially a straight knockout competition open only to the champions of each of the four provinces of Ireland. During the 1990s the competition was expanded, firstly incorporating a "back-door system" and later a round-robin group phase involving more games. The Championship currently consists of several stages. In the present format, it begins in late May with provincial championships held in Leinster and Munster. Once a team is defeated in the provincial stage they are granted one more chance to compete for the title. The Munster and Leinster champions gain automatic admission to the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship semi-finals, where they are joined by the two winners of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship qualifiers via two lone quarter-finals.
Thirteen teams currently participate in the Championship, the most dominant teams coming from the provinces of Leinster and Munster. Kilkenny, Cork and Tipperary are considered "the big three" of hurling. Between them, these teams have won 89 out of 124 (approx 72%) championships completed during its history, including every title since Offaly's 1998 victory. The title has been won by 13 different teams, 10 of which have won the title more than once. The all-time record-holders are Kilkenny, who have won the competition 34 times.
The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final was listed in second place by CNN in its "10 sporting events you have to see live", after the Olympic Games and ahead of both the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Football Championship. Kilkenny are the current All-Ireland champions, after winning their second title in-a-row and sixth title in seven years, in defeating Galway in the replayed 2012 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final by a scoreline of 3-22 to 3-11 on 30 September 2012.
Read more about All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: History, Notable Events, Notable Teams, Format, Sponsorship, Roll of Honour, Top Winners, Scoring Records, Championship Tiers, 2012
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