National Hurling League

The National Hurling League is an annual inter-county hurling competition featuring teams from Ireland and England. Founded in 1925 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation within the league system.

Allianz National Hurling League
Current season or competition: 2020 National Hurling League
Irish	Sraith Iomána Náisiúnta
Code	Hurling
Founded	1925–26
Region	Ireland (GAA)
Trophy	Dr. Croke Cup
No. of teams	35
Title holders	Limerick (12th title)
Most titles	Tipperary (19 titles)
Sponsors	Allianz
TV partner(s)	RTÉ2 and Eir Sport (live games) TG4 (highlights) Premier Sports (UK)
Official website	Official Website

The league has 35 teams divided into six divisions, with either five or six teams in each division. Promotion and relegation between these divisions is a central feature of the league. Although primarily a competition for Irish teams, teams from England – currently Lancashire, London and Warwickshire – also take part, while in the past New York also fielded a team for the latter stages of the league.[1] Teams representing subdivisions of counties, such as Fingal and South Down have also participated at various times.[2]

The National Hurling League has been associated with a title sponsor since 1985. Ford, Royal Liver and Church & General have all served as sponsors of the league since then. The competition is currently sponsored by Allianz and is officially known as the Allianz Hurling League.[3]

The league season runs from January to March with each team in the group playing each other once. Division 1 of the league features the top twelve hurling teams split into two divisions of six. A knock-out stage follows for the four top-placed teams in each division. The winners of the Division 1 title are awarded the Dr. Croke Cup and are officially regarded as the National Hurling League champions.

The National Hurling League title has been won by 10 different teams, 9 of whom have won the title more than once. The all-time record-holders are Tipperary, who have won the league on 19 occasions. Limerick are the current champions.

History

Creation

Since 1887, the All-Ireland Championship had been steadily growing in interest and in participation.[4] The championship, however, was largely confined to the summer months, resulting in a lack of top class inter-county action between September and April. Inter-county tournament games were popular as a way of filling the void, while some provinces organised their own pre-championship competitions, most notably the Thomond Feis in Munster.[5] Several counties had also organised inter-club leagues as a means of supplementing the county championship by providing more games. While these had proved successful, it was decided to create a national senior inter-county league to provide games during the winter and spring months.

Beginnings

The inaugural National Hurling League began on 27 September 1925 and ended on 16 May 1926. Seven teams - Cork, Dublin, Galway. Kilkenny, Laois, Limerick and Tipperary - competed in a six-game single round-robin format. At the end of the group stage the top two teams contested the league final. Cork won the 1925-26 league following a 3-7 to 1-5 defeat of Dublin in the final.

Development

While no league took place during the 1926-27 season, the 1926-27 league featured nine teams. A single round-robin format was once again used, with each team playing eight games. The second league featured no final, with Tipperary being declared champions after securing 14 points from their group stage games.

The 1928-29 league featured twelve teams divided in two groups based on geographical position. The Eastern Division comprised five teams from the province of Leinster, while the Southwestern Division had seven teams from the province of Munster and Galway. The top teams in each division played off in the final to determine the champions. This format was used on a number of occasions until the 1934-35, when the league reverted to a straightforward one-group league with the top-placed team being declared the champions. This format was used again during the leagues in 1935-36 and 1936-37.

Ten teams entered the 1937-38 league, with two groups of five teams competing. A third group was added in 1938-39 as the number of teams increased to thirteen. These formats were regularly used over the following seasons, depending on the number of teams participating.

Between 1941 and 1945 the league was suspended due to the Emergency.

The 1955-56 league saw the introduction of a major change in format. As a result of a lack of interest from defeated first-round teams in recent years, Central Council introduced a two-division league featuring a new system of relegation and promotion. Division 1 was confined to ten teams in two groups of five. The bottom-placed team in each group would play off to decide which of the two teams would be relegated. Division 2 was made up of the 'second tier' hurling teams and featured eight teams divided into two groups. Limerick became the first team to be relegated, while Antrim became the first team to gain promotion under the new system.

Sponsorship

Since 1985, the National Hurling League has been sponsored. The sponsor has usually been able to determine the league's sponsorship name.

Period	Sponsor(s)	Name
1925-1985	No main sponsor	The National Hurling League
1985-1987	Ford	The Ford National Hurling League
1987-1992	Royal Liver	The Royal Liver National Hurling League
1992-1999	Church & General	The Church & General National Hurling League
1999-	Allianz	The Allianz Hurling League

Division 1

History

Jason Flynn in action for Galway against Kilkenny in the 2015 National Hurling League

Division 1 has existed in its current form since the 2012 league.[6] Prior to this, Division 1 had existed as a single division of eight teams. The new division, comprising two groups, was created using the final rankings from the 2011 league. The top six teams from that year's Division 1 were added to the new Division 1A. The bottom two teams from Division 1 and the top four teams from Division 2 were added to the new Division 1B.

In 2012 and 2013, the top two teams in Division 1B contested a final, with the winners joining the top three teams from Division 1A in the semi-finals of the league proper. This format was abandoned when the quarter-final stage was introduced during the 2014 league.[7]

Format

There are currently twelve teams in Division 1, however, these teams are subdivided into two groups of six - teams ranked one to six in Division 1A and teams ranked seven to twelve in Division 1B.

During the course of a season (from January to March) each team plays the others once (a single round-robin system) for a total of 15 games in each group. Teams receive two points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Where two teams are level on points, the team that wins the head-to-head match is ranked ahead. If this game is a draw, points difference (total scored minus total conceded in all games) is used to rank the teams. Where three or more teams are level on points, points difference is used to rank them.

At the top end of the group stage competition in Divisions 1A and 1B there is a knock-out section featuring quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final. The top four teams in both Division 1A and 1B qualify for the league quarter-finals, with the top team in 1A playing the fourth team in 1B, the second team in 1A playing the third in 1B and so on. It is therefore possible for a team finishing fourth in Division 1B (10th position overall) to be eventual National Hurling League champions.

The quarter-finals and semi-finals finish on the day the games are played, thus avoiding the need for replays. If the score is level after the initial seventy minutes, still level after two ten minute periods of extra time played each way, and still level after a further two five minute periods of extra time, a free-taking competition is held. Each team nominates five players to take frees from their chosen position on the 65-metre line. If the teams score an equal number of the five frees, the outcome of the match is decided by sudden death frees using the same nominated players in the same order.

The bottom two teams in Division 1A contest a relegation playoff, with the losing team being relegated to Division 1B the following season. They effectively swap places with the top team in Division 1B, who gain automatic promotion to the top tier.

The bottom two teams in Division 1B also contest a relegation playoff, with the losing team being relegated to Division 2A the following season. Their place in the division is then taken by the Division 2A champions, who gain automatic promotion.

Teams

Division 1A

The following six teams are competing in Division 1A during the 2019 league.

Team	Years in Division 1A in 2019	Total spells	Longest spell	First year in Division 1A	Most recent relegation	Total seasons absent	Seasons	League titles	Last league title
Cork	7	2	5	2012	2013	1	2012-2013 2015-	14	1998
Clare	6	2	3	2013	2015	1	2013-2015 2017-	4	2016
Kilkenny	8	1	8	2012	Never relegated	0	2012-	18	2018
Limerick	1	1	1	2019	Never relegated	0	2019-	11	2019
Tipperary	8	1	8	2012	Never relegated	0	2012-	19	2008
Wexford	2	1	2	2018	Never relegated	0	2018-	4	1972-73

Division 1B

The following six teams are competing in Division 1B during the 2019 league.

Team	Years in Division 1B in 2019	Total spells	Longest spell	First year in Division 1B	Most recent promotion	Most recent relegation	Total seasons absent	Seasons	Position in table in 2018	League titles	Last league title
Carlow	2	2	1	2013	Never promoted	2013	5	2013 2019-	2nd Division 2A	0
Dublin	3	2	2	2013	2013	Never relegated	4	2013 2018-	4th	3	2011
Galway	3	1	3	2017	Never promoted	Never relegated	0	2017-	2nd	10	2017
Laois	7	2	6	2012	Never promoted	2012	1	2012 2014-	5th	0
Offaly	8	1	8	2012	Never promoted	Never relegated	0	2012-	3rd	1	1990-91
Waterford	2	2	1	2015	2015	Never relegated	3	2015 2019-	5th Division 1A	3

Venues

Semple Stadium, as well as being the home stadium of Tipperary, is a regular venue for semi-finals and finals.

Páirc Uí Chaoimh is the home stadium of Cork.

Croke Park last hosted the league final in 2011.

Attendances

Stadium attendances are a significant source of regular income for Central Council and for the teams involved. For the knock-out stages of the 2017 league, average attendances were 12,474 with a total aggregate attendance figure of 87,321 for the seven games.

Group stage

The league is operated using a home and away basis every second year. Fixtures in the five group stage rounds of the league are played at the home ground of one of the two teams involved. Each team is guaranteed at least two home games.

Quarter-finals

The quarter-finals of the league are usually played at the home venue of one of the teams involved. The team which receives home advantage is decided by using the home and away agreement or by a coin toss.

Semi-finals

The semi-finals of the league are usually played on the same day at the same venue as part of a double-header of games. Semple Stadium, Nowlan Park and the Gaelic Grounds have all been used as the venues for the semi-finals.

Final

Since 2000, Semple Stadium has been used on ten occasions as the host venue for the league final. The Gaelic Grounds, Nowlan Park and Croke Park have also been used as the final venue during this time.

Managers

Brian Cody has managed Kilkenny to 9 league titles.

Davy Fitzgerald managed Clare to the title in 2016.

Managers in the National Hurling League are involved in the day-to-day running of the team, including the training, team selection, and sourcing of players from the club championships. Their influence varies from county-to-county and is related to the individual county boards. From 2018, all inter-county head coaches must be Award 2 qualified. The manager is assisted by a team of two or three selectors and an extensive backroom team consisting of various coaches. Prior to the development of the concept of a manager in the 1970s, teams were usually managed by a team of selectors with one member acting as chairman.

Winning managers (1976-2019)

Manager	Team	Wins	Winning years
Brian Cody	Kilkenny	9	2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018
Pat Henderson	Kilkenny	3	1981-82, 1982-83, 1985-86
Justin McCarthy	Clare Waterford	3	1977^[CE], 1978^[CE] 2007
Fr. Harry Bohan	Clare	2	1977^[CE], 1978^[CE]
Noel Drumgoole	Limerick	2	1983-84, 1984-85
Nicky English	Tipperary	2	1999, 2001
Cyril Farrell	Galway	2	1986-87, 1988-89
Michael Keating	Tipperary	2	1987-88, 1993-94
Mattie Murphy	Galway	2	1995-96, 2000
Jimmy Barry-Murphy	Cork	1	1998
Phil Bennis	Limerick	1	1991-92
Anthony Daly	Dublin	1	2011
Micheál Donoghue	Galway	1	2017
Davy Fitzgerald	Clare	1	2016
Len Gaynor	Cork	1	1978-79
Conor Hayes	Galway	1	2004
Dermot Healy	Kilkenny	1	1989-90
Pádraig Horan	Offaly	1	1990-91
John Kiely	Limerick	1	2019
Gerald McCarthy	Cork	1	1980-81
Derek McGrath	Waterford	1	2015
John McIntyre	Galway	1	2010
Michael O'Brien	Cork	1	1992-93
Tom Ryan	Limerick	1	1997
Liam Sheedy	Tipperary	1	2008
Bertie Troy	Cork	1	1979-80
Ollie Walsh	Kilkenny	1	1994-95

Notes

1. ^
   Clare (CE): Fr. Harry Bohan and Justin McCarthy co-managed Clare to success in 1977 and 1978.

General performance

By county

County	Wins	Years won	Runners-up	Years runners-up
Tipperary	19	1927–28, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1967–68, 1978–79, 1987–88, 1993–94, 1999, 2001, 2008	20	1930-31, 1937–38, 1939–40, 1947–48, 1952–53, 1955–56, 1962–63, 1965–66, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1988–89, 1991–92, 1995–96, 2000, 2003, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018
Kilkenny	18	1932–33, 1961–62, 1965–66, 1975–76, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1985–86, 1989–90, 1994–95, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018	11	1946-47, 1949–50, 1953–54, 1956–57, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1976–77, 1977–78, 2007, 2011
Cork	14	1925–26, 1929–30, 1939–40, 1940–41, 1947–48, 1952–53, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1973–74, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1992–93, 1998	8	1928-29, 1948–49, 1959–60, 1961–62, 2002, 2010, 2012, 2015
Limerick	12	1933–34, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1946–47, 1970–71, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1991–92, 1997, 2019	9	1932-33, 1957–58, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1979–80, 1982–83, 2006
Galway	10	1930–31, 1950–51, 1974–75, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1995–96, 2000, 2004, 2010, 2017	6	1978-79, 1985–86, 1993–94, 1997, 1999, 2008
Wexford	4	1955–56, 1957–58, 1966–67, 1972–73	10	1950-51, 1951–52, 1954–55, 1963–64, 1968–69, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1992–93
Clare	4	1945–46, 1976–77, 1977–78, 2016	6	1975-76, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1994–95, 2001, 2005
Waterford	3	1962-63, 2007, 2015	7	1938-39, 1958–59, 1960–61, 1998, 2004, 2016, 2019
Dublin	3	1928–29, 1938-39, 2011	5	1925-26, 1929–30, 1933–34, 1940–41, 1945–46
Offaly	1	1990–91	2	1980-81, 1987–88

By province

	Province	Wins	Last win	Top county
1	Munster	53	Limerick or Clare, 2020	Tipperary (19)
2	Leinster	26	Kilkenny, 2018	Kilkenny (18)
3	Connacht	10	Galway, 2017	Galway (10)
4	Ulster	0

List of finals

All-Ireland champions

All-Ireland runners-up

Year	Winners	Score		Runners-up	Venue	Winning Captain
1925–26	Cork	3–7	1–5	Dublin		Seán Óg Murphy
1926–27	League not held
1927–28	Tipperary	won on points system with 14 points from eight games				Johnny Leahy
1928–29	Dublin	7–4	5–5	Cork		Mick Gill
1929–30	Cork	3–5	3–0	Dublin		Eudie Coughlan
1930–31	Galway	4–5	4–4	Tipperary		Ignatius Harney
1931–32	League not held
1932–33	Kilkenny	3–8	1–3	Limerick	Nowlan Park	Eddie Doyle
1933–34	Limerick	3–6	3–3	Dublin	Gaelic Grounds	Mick Kennedy
1934–35	Limerick	won on points system with 15 points from eight games				Timmy Ryan
1935–36	Limerick	won on points system with 15 points from eight games				Timmy Ryan
1936–37	Limerick	won on points system with 13 points from eight games				Mick Mackey
1937–38	Limerick	5-2	1-1	Tipperary		Mick Mackey
1938–39	Dublin	1–8	1–4	Waterford		Mick Daniels
1939–40	Cork	8-9	6-4	Tipperary		Jack Lynch
1940–41	Cork	4–11	2–7	Dublin		Connie Buckley
1941-45	League suspended for four seasons
1945–46	Clare	2–10	2–5	Dublin	After a replay	Mick Daly
1946–47	Limerick	3–8	1–7	Kilkenny	After a replay
1947–48	Cork	3–3	1–2	Tipperary		Jim Young
1948–49	Tipperary	3–5	3–3	Cork		Pat Stakelum
1949–50	Tipperary	3–8	1–10	Kilkenny		Seán Kenny
1950–51	Galway	6–7	3–4	Wexford		M. J. 'Inky' Flaherty
1951–52	Tipperary	4–7	4–6	Wexford		Pat Stakelum
1952–53	Cork	2–10	2–7	Tipperary		David O'Leary
1953–54	Tipperary	3–10	1–4	Kilkenny		Jimmy Finn
1954–55	Tipperary	3–5	1–5	Wexford		John Doyle
1955–56	Wexford	5–9	2–14	Tipperary		Jim English
1956–57	Tipperary	3–11	2–7	Kilkenny
1957–58	Wexford	5–7	4–8	Limerick
1958–59	Tipperary	0–15	0–7	Waterford
1959–60	Tipperary	2–15	3–8	Cork		Tony Wall
1960–61	Tipperary	6–6	4–9	Waterford		Matt Hassett
1961–62	Kilkenny	1–16	1–8	Cork		Alfie Hickey
1962–63 (Replay)	Waterford	3-6 3-10	3-6 1-10	New York	Croke Park Nowlan Park	John Meaney
Home final	Waterford	2–15	4–7	Tipperary		John Meaney
1963–64	Tipperary	5–12	1–4	Wexford
1964–65	Tipperary	3–14	2–8	Kilkenny		Jimmy Doyle
1965–66	Kilkenny	10–15	2–15	New York		Jim Lynch
Home final	Kilkenny	0–9	0–7	Tipperary		Jim Lynch
1966–67	Wexford	3–10	1–9	Kilkenny		Jimmy O'Brien
1967–68	Tipperary	6–27	4–22	New York	Gaelic Park	Mick Roche
Home final	Tipperary	3–9	1–13	Kilkenny		Mick Roche
1968–69	Cork	3–12	1–14	Wexford		Denis Murphy
1969–70	Cork	5–21	6–16	New York	Gaelic Park	Gerald McCarthy
Home final	Cork	2–17	0–7	Limerick		Gerald McCarthy
1970–71	Limerick	3–12	3–11	Tipperary	Cork Athletic Grounds	Tony O'Brien
1971–72	Cork	3–14	2–14	Limerick	Gaelic Grounds	Frank Norberg
1972–73	Wexford	4–13	3–7	Limerick	Gaelic Grounds	John Quigley
1973–74	Cork	6–15	1–12	Limerick	Gaelic Grounds	John Horgan
1974–75	Galway	4–9	4–6	Tipperary	Gaelic Grounds	John Connolly
1975–76 (R)	Kilkenny	0–16 6–14	2–10 1–14	Clare	Semple Stadium Semple Stadium	Phil 'Fan' Larkin
1976–77	Clare	2–8	0–9	Kilkenny	Semple Stadium	John McNamara
1977–78	Clare	3-10	1-10	Kilkenny	Semple Stadium	Seán Stack
1978–79	Tipperary	3–15	0–8	Galway	Gaelic Grounds	Paddy Williams
1979–80 (R)	Cork	2–10 4–15	2–10 4–6	Limerick	Páirc Uí Chaoimh Páirc Uí Chaoimh	Dermot Mac Curtain
1980–81	Cork	3–11	2–8	Offaly	Semple Stadium	Dónal O'Grady
1981–82	Kilkenny	2–14	1–11	Wexford	Croke Park	Brian Cody
1982–83	Kilkenny	2–14	2–12	Limerick	Semple Stadium	Liam Fennelly
1983–84	Limerick	3–16	1–9	Wexford	Semple Stadium	Leonard Enright
1984–85	Limerick	3–12	1–7	Clare	Semple Stadium	Leonard Enright
1985–86	Kilkenny	2–10	2–6	Galway	Semple Stadium	Frank Holohan
1986–87	Galway	3–12	3–10	Clare	Semple Stadium	Conor Hayes
1987–88	Tipperary	3–15	2–9	Offaly	Croke Park	Pat O'Neill
1988–89	Galway	2–16	4–8	Tipperary	Croke Park	Conor Hayes
1989–90	Kilkenny	0–19	0–9	New York	Gaelic Park	Kevin Fennelly
Home final	Kilkenny	3-12	1-10	Wexford	Croke Park	Kevin Fennelly
1990–91	Offaly	2–6	0–10	Wexford	Croke Park	Danny Owens
1991–92	Limerick	0–14	0–13	Tipperary	Gaelic Grounds	Joe O'Connor
1992–93 (Replay) (2nd replay)	Cork	2–11 0–18 3–11	2–11 3–9 1–12	Wexford	Semple Stadium Semple Stadium Semple Stadium	Brian Corcoran
1993–94	Tipperary	2–14	0–12	Galway	Gaelic Grounds	George Frend
1994–95	Kilkenny	2–12	0–9	Clare	Semple Stadium	Bill Hennessy
1995–96	Galway	2–10	2–8	Tipperary	Gaelic Grounds	Michael Coleman
1997	Limerick	1–12	1–9	Galway	Cusack Park	Gary Kirby
1998	Cork	2–14	0–13	Waterford	Semple Stadium	Diarmuid O'Sullivan
1999	Tipperary	1–14	1–10	Galway	Cusack Park	Tommy Dunne
2000	Galway	2–18	2–13	Tipperary	Gaelic Grounds	Joe Rabbitte
2001	Tipperary	1–19	0–17	Clare	Gaelic Grounds	Tommy Dunne
2002	Kilkenny	2–15	2–14	Cork	Semple Stadium	Andy Comerford
2003	Kilkenny	5–14	5–13	Tipperary	Croke Park	D.J. Carey
2004	Galway	2–15	1–13	Waterford	Gaelic Grounds	Ollie Canning
2005	Kilkenny	3–20	0–15	Clare	Semple Stadium	Peter Barry
2006	Kilkenny	3–11	0–14	Limerick	Semple Stadium	Jackie Tyrrell
2007	Waterford	0–20	0–18	Kilkenny	Semple Stadium	Michael 'Brick' Walsh
2008	Tipperary	3–18	3–16	Galway	Gaelic Grounds	Eoin Kelly
2009	Kilkenny	2–26	4–17	Tipperary	Semple Stadium	Henry Shefflin
2010	Galway	2–22	1–17	Cork	Semple Stadium	Shane Kavanagh
2011	Dublin	0–22	1–07	Kilkenny	Croke Park	John McCaffrey
2012	Kilkenny	3-21	0–16	Cork	Semple Stadium	Eoin Larkin
2013	Kilkenny	2-17	0–20	Tipperary	Nowlan Park	Colin Fennelly
2014	Kilkenny	2-25	1-27	Tipperary	Semple Stadium	Lester Ryan
2015	Waterford	1-24	0-17	Cork	Semple Stadium	Kevin Moran
2016	Clare	1-23	2-19	Waterford	Semple Stadium	Cian Dillon & Tony Kelly
2017	Galway	3-21	0-14	Tipperary	Gaelic Grounds	David Burke
2018	Kilkenny	2-23	2-17	Tipperary	Nowlan Park	Cillian Buckley
2019	Limerick	1-24	0-19	Waterford	Croke Park	Declan Hannon

Records and statistics

By decade

The most successful team of each decade, judged by number of National Hurling League titles, is as follows:

• 1920s: 1 each for Cork (1926), Tipperary (1928) and Dublin (1929)
• 1930s: 5 for Limerick (1934-35-36-37-38)
• 1940s: 3 for Cork (1940-41-48)
• 1950s: 6 for Tipperary (1950-52-54-55-57-59)
• 1960s: 5 for Tipperary (1960-61-64-65-68)
• 1970s: 3 for Cork (1970-72-74)
• 1980s: 3 for Kilkenny (1982-83-86)
• 1990s: 2 each for Kilkenny (1990–95), Limerick (1992–97), Cork (1993–98) and Tipperary (1994–99)
• 2000s: 5 for Kilkenny (2002-03-05-06-09)
• 2010s: 4 for Kilkenny (2012-13-14-18)

Gaps

Top ten longest gaps between successive league titles:

• 72 years: Dublin (1939-2011)
• 44 years: Waterford (1963-2007)
• 38 years: Clare (1978-2016)
• 31 years: Clare (1946-1977)
• 29 years: Kilkenny (1933-1962)
• 24 years: Galway (1951-1975)
• 24 years: Limerick (1947-1971)
• 22 years: Limerick (1997-2019)
• 21 years: Tipperary (1928-1949)
• 20 years: Galway (1931-1951)

Division 2A

History

Division 2A has existed in its current form since the 2012 league. Prior to this, Division 2 had existed as a single division of eight teams. The new division was created using the final rankings from the 2011 league. The bottom four teams from that year's Division 2 and the top two teams from Division 3A were added to the new Division 2A.

Format

There are currently six teams in Division 2A.

During the course of a season (from January to March) each team plays the others once (a single round-robin system) for a total of 15 games. Teams receive two points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Where two teams are level on points, the team that wins the head-to-head match is ranked ahead. If this game is a draw, points difference (total scored minus total conceded in all games) is used to rank the teams. Where three or more teams are level on points, points difference is used to rank them.

The top two teams in Division 2A contest the final.

The bottom two teams in Division 2A contest a relegation playoff, with the losing team being relegated to Division 2B the following season. Their place in the division is then taken by the Division 2B champions, who gain automatic promotion.

Teams

The following six teams are competing in Division 2A during the 2018 league.

Team	Years in Division 2A in 2018	Total spells	Longest spell	First year in Division 2A	Most recent promotion	Most recent relegation	Total seasons absent	Seasons	Position in table in 2017
Carlow	6	2	5	2012	2012	Never relegated	1	2012 2014-	1st
Kerry	5	2	4	2012	2015	Never relegated	2	2012-2015 2018-	5th Division 1B
Kildare	5	2	3	2013	Never promoted	2014	2	2013-2014 2016-	3rd
London	5	1	5	2014	Never promoted	Never relegated	0	2014-	5th
Meath	1	1	1	2018	Never promoted	Never relegated	0	2018-	2nd Division 2B
Westmeath	7	1	7	2012	Never promoted	Never relegated	0	2012-	4th

General performance

List of finals

Year	Winners	Score	Runners-up	Score	Stadium	Captain(s)	Ref.
2012	Carlow	1-14	Westmeath	0-12	Nowlan Park	Shane Kavanagh Edward Coady	[8]
2013	Laois	3-14	Westmeath	1-09	O'Connor Park	Matthew Whelan	[9]
2014	Kerry	3-16	Carlow	3-13	Semple Stadium	John Egan	[10]
2015	Kerry	5-17	Westmeath	3-17	Gaelic Grounds	John Griffin	[11]
2016	Westmeath	0-10	Carlow	0-08	O'Connor Park	Aonghus Clarke	[12]
2017	Antrim	2-12	Carlow	0-15	Páirc Esler	Simon McCrory	[13]
2018	Carlow	2-19	Westmeath	2-12	O'Moore Park	Eoin Nolan Richard Coady	[14]

Relegated teams

Year	Team	Ref.
2012	Down	[15]
2013	Wicklow	[16]
2014	Kildare	[17]
2015	Wicklow	[18]
2016	Derry	[19]
2017	Armagh	[20]
2018	Kildare	[21]

Division 2B

History

Division 2B has existed in its current form since the 2012 league. Prior to this, Division 2 had existed as a single division of eight teams. The new division was created using the final rankings from the 2011 league. The bottom four teams from that year's Division 3A and the top two teams from Division 3B were added to the new Division 2B.

Format

There are currently six teams in Division 2B.

During the course of a season (from January to March) each team plays the others once (a single round-robin system) for a total of 15 games. Teams receive two points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Where two teams are level on points, the team that wins the head-to-head match is ranked ahead. If this game is a draw, points difference (total scored minus total conceded in all games) is used to rank the teams. Where three or more teams are level on points, points difference is used to rank them.

The top two teams in Division 2B contest the final.

The bottom two teams in Division 2B contest a relegation playoff, with the losing team being relegated to Division 3A the following season. Their place in the division is then taken by the Division 3A champions, who gain automatic promotion.

Teams

The following six teams are competing in Division 2B during the 2018 league.

Team	Years in Division 2B in 2018	Total spells	Longest spell	First year in Division 2B	Most recent promotion	Most recent relegation	Total seasons absent	Seasons	Position in table in 2017
Armagh	6	2	5	2012	2016	Never relegated	1	2012-2016 2018-	6th Division 2A
Derry	2	1	2	2017	Never promoted	Never relegated	0	2017-	4th
Donegal	3	2	2	2015	Never promoted	2016	1	2015-2016 2018-	1st Division 3A
Down	6	1	6	2013	2012	Never relegated	0	2013-	3rd
Mayo	7	1	7	2012	Never promoted	Never relegated	0	2012-	5th
Wicklow	4	2	3	2014	2014	Never relegated	1	2014 2016-	2nd

General performance

List of finals

Year	Winners	Score	Runners-up	Score	Stadium	Ref.
2012	Kildare	3-13	Meath	1-12	Parnell Park	[22]
2013	London	1-16	Meath	1-14	St. Conleth's Park	[23]
2014	Wicklow	0-23	Down	1-18	Páirc Tailteann	[24]
2015	Kildare	0-22	Meath	0-17	Cusack Park	[25]
2016	Armagh	0-20	Down	1-15	St. Brigid's Park	[26]
2017	Meath	4-24	Wicklow	2-15	Parnell Park	[27]
2018	Mayo	1-15	Down	0-14	Kingspan Breffni Park	[28]

Relegated teams

Year	Team	Ref.
2013	Roscommon	[29]
2014	Fingal	[30]
2015	-	[31]
2016	Donegal	[32]
2017	Roscommon	[33]
2018	Armagh

Division 3A

History

Division 3A has existed in its current form since 2012, however, it has existed as a division in its own right since the 2009 league. Prior to this, Division 3 had existed as a single division of five teams. The new division was created using the final rankings from the 2008 league. The third, fourth and fifth ranked teams from that year's Division 2A and 2B were added to the new Division 3A.

Format

There are currently six teams in Division 3A.

During the course of a season (from January to March) each team plays the others once (a single round-robin system) for a total of 15 games. Teams receive two points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Where two teams are level on points, the team that wins the head-to-head match is ranked ahead. If this game is a draw, points difference (total scored minus total conceded in all games) is used to rank the teams. Where three or more teams are level on points, points difference is used to rank them.

The top two teams in Division 3A contest the final.

The bottom two teams in Division 3A contest a relegation playoff, with the losing team being relegated to Division 3B the following season. Their place in the division is then taken by the Division 3B champions, who gain automatic promotion.

Teams

The following six teams are competing in Division 3A during the 2018 league.

Team	Years in Division 3A in 2018	Total spells	Longest spell	First year in Division 3A	Most recent promotion	Most recent relegation	Total seasons absent	Seasons	Position in table in 2017
Longford	2	2	1	2014	Never promoted	2014	0	2014 2018-	6th
Louth	7	1	7	2012	Never promoted	Never relegated	0	2012-	4th
Monaghan	7	1	7	2012	Never promoted	Never relegated	0	2012-	3rd
Roscommon	4	2	3	2014	2016	Never relegated	1	2014-2016 2018-	6th Division 2B
Tyrone	6	2	4	2012	Never promoted	2013	1	2012-2013 2015-	2nd
Warwickshire	2	2	1	2016	Never promoted	2016	1	2016 2018-	2nd Division 3B

General performance

List of finals

Year	Winners	Score	Runners-up	Score	Stadium	Ref.
2009	Kildare	2-18	Meath	1-18	Parnell Park	[34]
2010	Kerry	2-18	Derry	1-15	Woodmount	[35]
2011	Wicklow	2-20	Derry	3-14	Pearse Park	[36]
2012	Fingal	w/o	Monaghan	scr.		[37]
2013	Fingal	1-09	Donegal	1-05	Breffni Park	[38]
2014	Donegal	4-12	Roscommon	2-14	Markievicz Park	[39]
2015	Tyrone	0-18	Monaghan	1-11	Keady	[40]
2016	Roscommon	4-15	Monaghan	0-07	Fr. Tierney Park	[41]
2017	Donegal	4-25	Tyrone	1-12	Celtic Park	[42]
2018	Warwickshire	0-20	Louth	1-14	St. Loman's Park

Relegated teams

Year	Team	Ref.
2012	Sligo	[43]
2013	Tyrone	[44]
2014	Longford	[45]
2015	Fermanagh	[46]
2016	Warwickshire	[47]
2017	-
2018	Longford	[48]

Division 3B

History

Division 3B has existed in its current form since 2012, however, it has existed as a division in its own right since the 2009 league. Prior to this, Division 3 had existed as a single division of five teams. The new division was created using the final rankings from the 2008 league. The two bottom-placed teams from that year's Division 2A and 2B and the remaining four Division 3 teams were added to the new Division 3A. Fingal were added to the division as a seventh team.[49]

A restructuring of the entire league system in 2012 saw Division 3B reduced to four teams. It was now the bottom league of the entire National Hurling League. The number of participating teams increased to five during the 2016 league.

Format

There are currently five teams in Division 3B.

During the course of a season (from January to March) each team plays the others once (a single round-robin system) for a total of 10 games. Teams receive two points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Where two teams are level on points, the team that wins the head-to-head match is ranked ahead. If this game is a draw, points difference (total scored minus total conceded in all games) is used to rank the teams. Where three or more teams are level on points, points difference is used to rank them.

The top two teams in Division 3B contest the final.

Teams

The following six teams are competing in Division 3A during the 2018 league.

Team	Years in Division 3B in 2018	Total spells	Longest spell	First year in Division 3B	Most recent promotion	Total seasons absent	Seasons	Position in table in 2017
Cavan	1	1	1	2018	Never promoted	0	2018-	n/a
Fermanagh	4	2	3	2012	2012	0	2012 2016-	5th
Lancashire	1	1	1	2018	Never promoted	0	2018-	n/a
Leitrim	7	1	7	2012	Never promoted	0	2012-	4th
Sligo	8	2	6	2010	Never promoted	1	2010-2011 2013-	3rd

General performance

List of finals

Year	Winners	Score	Runners-up	Score	Stadium	Ref.
2009	London	2-19	Roscommon	2-13	Pearse Park
2010	Wicklow	3-18	Louth	2-09	Parnell Park	[50]
2011	Roscommon	0-17	Mayo	1-12	Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada	[51]
2012	Fermanagh	2-15	Warwickshire	2-05	Parnell Park	[52]
2013	Longford	1-08	Sligo	0-09	Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada	[53]
2014	Tyrone	0-13	Leitrim	1-09	Markievicz Park	[54]
2015	Warwickshire	1-15	Longford	2-10	Killegland West	[55]
2016	Fermanagh	2-13	Longford	3-08	Markievicz Park	[56]
2017	Longford	4-19	Warwickshire	3-20	Páirc Naomh Colmcille	[57]
2018	Lancashire	1-25	Leitrim	1-18	First Ulsters Park

Former divisions

Division 1B

Year	Winners	Score	Runners-up	Score	Stadium	Ref.
2012	Clare	0-21	Limerick	1-16	Gaelic Grounds	[58]
2013	Dublin	1-16	Limerick	1-15	Semple Stadium	[59]

Division 2

Year	Winners	Score	Runners-up	Score	Stadium	Ref.
1955-56	Antrim
1956-57	Kerry
1957-58	Carlow
1958-59	Carlow
1959-60	Laois
1960-61
1961-62	Kerry
1962-63	Meath
1963-64	Westmeath
1964-65	Laois
1965-66	Offaly
1966-67	Kerry
1967-68	Kerry
1968-69	Kildare
1969-70	Antrim
1970-71	Wicklow
1971-72	Meath
1972-73	Meath
1973-74	Carlow
1974-75	Westmeath
1975-76	Wicklow
1976-77	Westmeath
1977-78	Carlow
1978-79	Kerry
1979-80	Wicklow
1980-81	Carlow
1981-82	Wicklow
1982-83	Limerick
1983-84	Tipperary
1984-85	Clare
1985-86	Wexford
1986-87	Tipperary
1987-88	Offaly
1988-89	Cork
1989-90	Clare
1990-91	Galway
1991-92	Antrim
1992-93	Laois
1993-94	Clare
1994-95	Waterford
1995-96	Wexford
1997	Dublin
1998	Kerry	1-11	Westmeath	2-06	MacDonagh Park
1999	Derry	1-14	Wicklow	0-13	O'Moore Park	[60]
2000	Meath	5-14	Carlow	2-10	Cusack Park	[61]
2001	Kerry	4-14	Westmeath	3-10	Croke Park
2002	Laois	1-20	Antrim	2-14	Semple Stadium	[62]
2003	Antrim	3-18	Kerry	2-12	Croke Park	[63]
2004	Down	5-15	Westmeath	3-07	Gaelic Grounds	[64]
2005	Offaly	6-21	Carlow	4-07	Semple Stadium	[65]
2006	Dublin	0-16	Kerry	1-06	Semple Stadium	[66]
2007	Laois	2-19	Wicklow	0-08	Semple Stadium	[67]
2008	Westmeath	2-12	Carlow	0-12	Gaelic Grounds	[68]
2009	Offaly	1-13	Wexford	0-13	Semple Stadium	[69]
2010	Wexford	1-16	Clare	2-09	Semple Stadium	[70]
2011	Limerick	4-12	Clare	2-13	Cusack Park	[71]

Division 3

Year	Winners	Score	Runners-up	Score	Stadium	Ref.
1998	Mayo	2-12	Cavan	1-08
1999	Armagh	0-13	Mayo	1-06	Leo Casey Park
2000	Louth	0-16	Longford	1-11	Cusack Park
2001	Donegal	3-13	Fermanagh	2-10	Kingspan Breffni Park
2002	Longford	1-12	Louth	0-12	Páirc Tailteann
2003	Mayo	2-11	Sligo	2-06	MacHale Park
2004	Sligo	3-12	Tyrone	1-08	Fr. Tierney Park
2005	Donegal	1-14	Mayo	2-10	Markievicz Park
2006	Armagh	3-10	Longford	1-11	Kingspan Breffni Park	[72]
2007	Roscommon	1-13	Sligo	0-15	Kingspan Breffni Park	[73]
2008	Louth	1-16	Donegal	0-11	Roosky	[74]

Division 3 Shield

Year	Winners	Score	Runners-up	Score	Stadium	Ref.
2004	Donegal	4-14	Cavan	2-06	Brewster Park
2005	Fermanagh	0-15	Longford	1-05	Kingspan Breffni Park
2006	Tyrone	3-09	Sligo	0-10	Kingspan Breffni Park	[75]
2007	Fermanagh	1-11	Leitrim	1-10	Markievicz Park

Division 4

Year	Winners	Score	Runners-up	Score	Stadium	Ref.
2008	Monaghan	1-27	South Down	5-14	Kingspan Breffni Park	[76]
2009	Sligo	1-13	Monaghan	2-08	Pearse Park	[77]
2010	Monaghan	1-18	Longford	1-10	Kingspan Breffni Park	[78]
2011	Tyrone	1-15	South Down	0-11	Athletic Grounds	[79]

Players with most league wins

Rank	Player	Team	Era	Wins	Finals
1	John Doyle	Tipperary	1948-1967	10	1949-50, 1951-52, 1953-54, 1954-55, 1956-57, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1960-61, 1963-64, 1964-65
2	Michael Maher	Tipperary	1951-1966	8	1951-52, 1954-55, 1956-57, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1960-61, 1963-64, 1964-65
	Theo English	Tipperary	1953-1967	8	1953–54, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1963–64, 1964–65
	J. J. Delaney	Kilkenny	2001-2014	8	2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014
5	Mickey Byrne	Tipperary	1945-1960	7	1948-49, 1949-50, 1953-54, 1954-55, 1956-57, 1958-59, 1959-60
	Jimmy Doyle	Tipperary	1957-1973	7	1956–57, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1967–68
7	Pat Stakelum	Tipperary	1947-1957	6	1948–49, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1956–57
	Liam Devaney	Tipperary	1954-1968	6	1954–55, 1956–57, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1964–65
	Tony Wall	Tipperary	1953-1967	6	1956–57, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1963–64, 1964–65
	Donie Nealon	Tipperary	1958-1969	6	1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1967–68
	Henry Shefflin	Kilkenny	1999-2014	6	2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2014
	Tommy Walsh	Kilkenny	2002-2014	6	2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2013
	Eoin Larkin	Kilkenny	2005-2016	6	2005, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014
	Jackie Tyrrell	Kilkenny	2003-2016	6	2005, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014

Broadcasting rights

Setanta Sports broadcasts live matches in Australia. Setanta Sports also provides matches from the National Hurling League in Asia. In Ireland TG4 shows live matches each week on Sunday afternoon, with deferred coverage of a second match shown straight after. Setanta Sports broadcasts matches live on the Saturday evening slot. Highlights for all the games are shown at 7:00pm on League Sunday on RTÉ2.

See also

• List of National Hurling League winning teams
• National Camogie League

References

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External links

• NHL Results and Fixtures
• Semi-final and final results 1926-2005