The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1995 (known for the first time for sponsorship reasons as the Guinness Hurling Championship 1995) was the 109th staging of

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

's premier

hurling Hurling ( ga, iománaíocht, ') is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of p ...

knock-out competition.

Clare Clare may refer to: Places Antarctica * Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land Australia * Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley * Clare Valley, South Australia Canada * Clare (electoral district), an electoral district * Cl ...

won the championship, beating

Offaly County Offaly (; ga, Contae Uíbh Fhailí) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe. It was formerly known as King's County, in hono ...

1-13 to 2-8 in the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...

Croke Park Croke Park ( ga, Páirc an Chrócaigh, ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, it is referred to as Croker by GAA fans and locals. It serves as both the principal national stadium of Ireland and he ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, it was their first All-Ireland win since

1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It als ...

Pre-championship

Sponsorship

In 1994

Bank of Ireland Bank of Ireland Group plc ( ga, Banc na hÉireann) is a commercial bank operation in Ireland and one of the traditional Big Four Irish banks. Historically the premier banking organisation in Ireland, the Bank occupies a unique position in Iris ...

became the first ever sponsor of the

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) ( ga, Craobh Shinsir Peile na hÉireann) is the premier competition in Gaelic football. An annual tournament organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), it is contested by the county ...

. Following the success of this deal it was decided that the hurling championship could also benefit from sponsorship. The decision, however, to award the sponsorship deal to

Guinness Guinness () is an Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in 1759. It is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available in ove ...

was a controversial one, as there were concerns over the

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...

's association with an alcoholic drinks company. Former President of the GAA, Dr. Mick Loftus, was one of the most vocal critics of the proposed sponsorship deal. At a meeting of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) Central Council on 6 May, the decision to make Guinness the sponsor was accepted almost unanimously. The sponsorship deal involved Guinness providing £3 million to the GAA over three years. £500,000 of this money would go to funding the championship, while a similar amount would go to the marketing and promotion of the game.

Betting

Prior to the opening of the championship former All-Ireland-winning journalists Seán Moran and Tom Humphries gave their predictions for the upcoming championship in ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

''.

Kilkenny Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512. Kilken ...

were regarded as the strongest contenders for All-Ireland glory in 1995. They were the reigning

National Hurling League The National Hurling League is an annual Inter county, 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 l ...

champions and had won back-to-back championship titles from three successive final appearances between 1991 and 1993.

, in spite of being reigning All-Ireland champions, were placed second to Kilkenny in the championship stakes. They faced a more difficult passage through the provincial series, however, an anticipated Leinster final meeting with Kilkenny was the only thing stopping the team from making it two-in-a-row. Following the trauma of their All-Ireland defeat the previous year,

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

were still regarded as the brightest prospect in Munster. They were given the nod to retain their provincial crown and challenge, once again, for the All-Ireland title.

The championship

Participating counties

Format

Munster Championship

''Quarter-final:'' (2 matches) These are two lone matches between the first four teams drawn from the province of Munster. Two teams are eliminated at this stage, while two teams advance to the next round. ''Semi-finals:'' (2 matches) The winners of the two quarter-finals join the other two Munster teams to make up the semi-final pairings. Two teams are eliminated at this stage, while two teams advance to the next round. ''Final:'' (1 match) The winners of the two semi-finals contest this game. One team is eliminated at this stage, while the winners advance to the All-Ireland semi-final.

Leinster Championship

''First Round:'' (1 match) This is a single match between two 'weaker' teams drawn from the province of Leinster. One team is eliminated at this stage, while the winners advance to the second round. ''Second Round:'' (1 match) The winner of the first round play another 'weaker' team. One team is eliminated at this stage, while the winners advance to the Leinster quarter-final. ''Quarter-finals:'' (2 matches) The winner of the second-round game joins three other Leinster teams to make up the two quarter-final pairings. Two teams are eliminated at this stage, while two teams advance to the Leinster semi-finals. ''Semi-finals:'' (2 matches) The winners of the two quarter-finals join two other Leinster teams to make up the semi-final pairings. Two teams are eliminated at this stage, while two teams advance to the Leinster final. ''Final:'' (1 match) The winner of the two semi-finals contest this game. One team is eliminated at this stage, while the winners advance to the All-Ireland semi-final.

Ulster Championship

''Final:'' (1 match) This is a lone match between the two competing Ulster teams. One team is eliminated at this stage, while the winners advance to the All-Ireland quarter-final.

Connacht Championship

''Final:'' (1 match) This is a lone match between the two competing Connacht teams. One team is eliminated at this stage, while the winners advance to the All-Ireland semi-final where the play the Munster champions.

All-Ireland Championship

''Quarter-final'': (1 match) This is a lone match between the Ulster champions and the All-Ireland 'B' champions. One team is eliminated at this stage, while the winners advance to the All-Ireland semi-final where they play the Leinster champions. ''Semi-finals'': (2 matches) The Munster and Leinster champions will play the winners of the lone quarter-final and the Connacht champions. Two teams are eliminated at this stage, while the two winnerss advance to the All-Ireland final. ''Final'': (1 match) The two semi-final winners will contest the final.

Managerial changes

Pre-championship

Connacht Senior Hurling Championship The Connacht Senior Hurling Championship, known simply as the Connacht Championship, was an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Connacht Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It was the highest inter-county hurl ...

----

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship The Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Leinster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurl ...

---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Munster Senior Hurling Championship The Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Munster Championship, is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster GAA, Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the h ...

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Ulster Senior Hurling Championship The Ulster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Ulster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Ulster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurling co ...

---- ----

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship, known simply as the All-Ireland Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurling competition i ...

---- ---- ----

Championship statistics

Scoring

*First goal of the championship: John Byrne for

Carlow Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2016 census, it had a combined urban and rural population of 24,272. The River Barrow flows through the town and forms the historic bounda ...

against Meath (Leinster first round) *Last goal of the championship:

Éamonn Taaffe Éamonn Taaffe (born 18 February 1975) is an Irish retired hurler who played as a full-forward for the Clare senior team. Born in Tubber, County Clare, Taaffe first played competitive hurling during his schooling at Our Lady's College. He a ...

for

against

(All-Ireland final) *Hat-trick heroes: **First

hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...

of the championship: Seán McLoughlin for

Westmeath "Noble above nobility" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = , subdivis ...

against

(Leinster first round) **Second

of the championship: Billy Byrne for

Wexford Wexford () is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the island of Ireland. The town is linked to Dublin by the M11/N11 N ...

against

(Leinster quarter-final) **Third

of the championship: Eamon Morrissey for

against

(Leinster semi-final) *Widest winning margin: 31 points **

6-23 : 1-7

(Leinster quarter-final) *Most goals in a match: 9 **

3-14 : 6-6

(Leinster first round) *Most points in a match: 34 **

Kerry Kerry or Kerri may refer to: * Kerry (name), a given name and surname of Gaelic origin (including a list of people with the name) Places * Kerry, Queensland, Australia * County Kerry, Ireland ** Kerry Airport, an international airport in County ...

0-12 : 1-22

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

(Munster semi-final) **

Tipperary Tipperary is the name of: Places *County Tipperary, a county in Ireland **North Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Nenagh **South Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Clonmel *Tipperary (town), County Tipperary's na ...

4-23 : 1-11

Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...

(Munster semi-final) *Most goals by one team in a match: 6 **

6-6 : 3-14

(Leinster first round) *Most goals scored by a losing team: 3 **

3-14 : 6-6

(Leinster first round) **

3-9 : 2-13

(Munster semi-final) *Most points scored by a losing team: 14 **

3-14 : 6-6

(Leinster second round)

Overall

*Most goals scored -

(8) *Most goals conceded -

(7) *Fewest goals conceded -

(1) *Fewest points conceded - Meath (11) *Fewest goals scored - Meath,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

(0) *Fewest points scored -

(9)

Discipline

* First red card of the championship: Johnny Kavanagh for

against Meath (Leinster first round)

Miscellaneous

* Down win the Ulster title for the third time in their history. It is their second provincial title in three years. * The All-Ireland semi-final meeting of Clare and Galway is their first championship clash since the 1967 championship. * Clare win the Munster title for the first time since the 1932 championship. They later claim the All-Ireland title for the first time since

. * The meeting of Down and Offaly in the All-Ireland semi-final was their first-ever clash in the history of the championship. * The meeting of Clare and Offaly in the All-Ireland final was their first-ever clash in the history of the championship.

Top scorers

Season

Single game

Player facts

Debutantes

''The following players made their début in the 1995 championship:''

Retirees

''The following players played their last game in the 1995 championship:''

External links

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1995 Results

Bibliography

* Corry, Eoghan, ''The GAA Book of Lists'' (Hodder Headline Ireland, 2005). * Donegan, Des, ''The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games'' (DBA Publications Limited, 2005). * Sweeney, Éamonn, ''Munster Hurling Legends'' (The O'Brien Press, 2002).

Pre-championship

Sponsorship

Betting

The championship

Participating counties

Format

Munster Championship

Leinster Championship

Ulster Championship

Connacht Championship

All-Ireland Championship

Managerial changes

Pre-championship

Connacht Senior Hurling Championship The Connacht Senior Hurling Championship, known simply as the Connacht Championship, was an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Connacht Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It was the highest inter-county hurl ...

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship The Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Leinster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurl ...

Munster Senior Hurling Championship The Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Munster Championship, is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster GAA, Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the h ...

Ulster Senior Hurling Championship The Ulster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Ulster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Ulster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurling co ...

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship, known simply as the All-Ireland Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurling competition i ...

Championship statistics

Scoring

Overall

Discipline

Miscellaneous

Top scorers

Season

Single game

Player facts

Debutantes

Retirees

External links

Bibliography

See also