Format
The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was run on a provincial basis as usual. All games were played on a knockout basis whereby once a team lost they were eliminated from the championship. The format for the All-Ireland series of games ran as follows:
- The winners of the Munster Championship advanced directly to the All-Ireland final.
- The winners of the Leinster Championship advanced directly to a lone All-Ireland semi-final.
- Galway, a team who faced no competition in Connacht, entered the championship at the All-Ireland semi-final stage where they played the Leinster champions.
- There were no representatives from Ulster in the All-Ireland championship.
Read more about this topic: All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1939