1948 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

1948 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
All-Ireland champions
Winning teamWaterford (1st win)
CaptainJim Ware
All-Ireland Finalists
Losing teamDublin
CaptainFrank Cummins
Provincial champions
MunsterWaterford
LeinsterDublin
UlsterAntrim
ConnachtNot Played
Championship statistics
Top ScorerJohn Keane (4-8)
Jimmy Kennedy (4-8)
All-Star TeamSee here
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1949 →

The 1948 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 62nd staging of the All-Ireland hurling championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1887. The championship began on 16 May 1948 and ended on 5 September 1948.

Kilkenny were the defending champions, however, they were defeated in the provincial championship. Waterford won the All-Ireland crown for the first time in their history, following a 6-7 to 4-2 defeat of Dublin in the final.

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 Leinster Championship advanced directly to the first All-Ireland semi-final.
  • The winners of the Munster Championship advanced directly to the second All-Ireland semi-final.
  • Antrim, the representatives from the Ulster Championship, were drawn to play the Leinster champions in the All-Ireland semi-final.
  • Galway, a team who faced no competition in the Connacht Championship, entered the championship at the All-Ireland semi-final stage where they were drawn to play the Munster champions.

Provincial championships

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship

First round

16 May 1948 First round Wexford 8-05 - 2-04 Offaly St. James' Park, Kilkenny
N Rackard 4-0, Paddy Kehoe 2-1, Kielty 1-1, Fenlon 1-0, Murphy 0-2, Padge Kehoe 0-2. Sheeran 1-2, Geraghty 1-0, Burke 0-1, Marshall 0-1.
23 May 1948 First round Laois 7-10 - 3-00 Westmeath O'Connor Park, Tullamore
White 2-4, F Moloney 2-0, McCabe 2-0, H Gray 1-3, P O'Brien 0-3. Fitzsimons 1-0, Fagan 1-0, Callaghan 1-0.

Semi-finals

27 June 1948 Semi-final Laois 4-05 - 2-07 Kilkenny O'Moore Park, Portlaoise
P Lalor 3-0, H Gray 0-4, F Moloney 1-0, P O'Brien 0-1. J Langton 0-5, T Walton 1-1, J Mulcahy 1-1.
27 June 1948 Semi-final Wexford 3-09 - 6-04 Dublin Enniscorthy
Fenlon 2-0, Paddy Kehoe 1-0, T Russell 0-3, N Rackard 0-3, Stamp 0-2, B Rackard 0-1. J Kennedy 1-2, D Cantwell 1-1, S Óg Ó Ceallacháin 1-1, M Williams 1-0, J Prior 1-0, F Cummins 1-0.

Final

11 July 1948 Final Dublin 5-09 - 3-03 Laois O'Connor Park, Tullamore
M Williams 2-1, J Kennedy 1-2, P Thornton 1-1, J Prior 1-0, L Donnelly 0-3, S Óg Ó Ceallacháin 0-2. F Moloney 1-1, H Gray 1-0, P Lalor 1-0, B Bohane 0-1, O'Brien 0-1. Attendance: 25,719
Referee: J Flaherty (Offaly)

Munster Senior Hurling Championship

First round

27 June 1948 First round Tipperary 6-04 – 8-04 Limerick Cork Athletic Grounds, Cork
J Devitt 2-1, H Goldsboro 2-0, AN Other 1-0, P Madden 1-0, W Carroll 0-1, T Doyle 0-2. J Power 3-0, J McCarthy 2-0, D Stokes 1-2, J Mackey 1-0, T O'Brien 1-0, P Fitzgerald 0-1, J Mulcahy 0-1. Referee: PJ Quane (Clare)

Semi-finals

23 May 1948 Semi-final Waterford 4-08 – 5-03 Clare Thurles Sportsfield, Thurles
E Daly 2-0, V Baston 0-4, G Power 1-0, J O'Connor 1-0, J Keane 0-3, E Carew 0-1. W McAllister 3-0, J Whelan 1-0, A Hannon 1-0, M Daly 0-2, M Murphy 0-1. Referee: P Purcell (Tipperary)
18 July 1948 Semi-final Cork 5-03 – 2-05 Limerick Thurles Sportsfield, Thurles
J Lynch 2-1, M O'Riordan 1-1, B Murphy 1-0, WJ Daly 1-0, E O'Sullivan 0-1. J Power 1-0, D McCarthy 1-0, D Stokes 0-2, M Ryan 0-1, T O'Brien 0-1, Sadlier 0-1. Referee: PJ Quane (Clare)

Final

1 August 1948 Final Waterford 4-07 – 3-09 Cork Thurles Sportsfield, Thurles
T Curran 1-1, W Galvin 1-0, J O'Connor 1-0, C Moylan 1-0, J Keane 0-3, D Carew 0-2, V Baston 0-1. C Ring 1-4, J Lynch 1-1, W Murphy 1-0, WJ Daly 0-3, C Murphy 0-1. Referee: J Roche (Limerick)

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

All-Ireland semi-finals

1 August 1948 Semi-final Dublin 8-13 – 2-06 Antrim Croke Park, Dublin
J Prior 3-2, M Williams 3-0, S Óg Ó Ceallacháin 1-4, F Cummins 1-1, M Hassett 0-4, J Kennedy 0-2. McDonald 1-2, T Sheehan 1-0, Owens 0-1, Campbell 0-1, H Sheehan 0-1, D Cormican 0-1. Referee: D O'Riordan (Kildare)
15 August 1948 Semi-final Waterford 3-07 – 1-06 Galway Croke Park
J Keane 2-0, V Baston 1-1, W Galvin 0-2, C Moylan 0-2, E Carew 0-1, T Curran 0-1. J Gallagher 1-4, Duignan 0-1, Hanniffy 0-1. Attendance: 31,843
Referee: J Flaherty (Offaly)

All-Ireland Final

5 September 1948 Final Waterford 6-07 – 4-02 Dublin Croke Park, Dublin
J Keane 2-2, W Galvin 2-0, C Moylan 1-3, E Daly 1-0, V Baston 0-1, K O'Connor 0-1. J Kennedy 2-2, F Cummins 1-0, S Óg Ó Ceallacháin 1-0. Attendance: 61,742
Referee: C Murphy (Cork)

Championship statistics

Top scorers

Overall
Rank Player County Tally Total Matches Average
1 John Keane Waterford 4-08 20 4 5.00
Jimmy Kennedy Tipperary 4-08 20 4 5.00
2 Mickey Williams Dublin 6-01 19 4 4.75
3 Jim Prior Dublin 5-02 17 4 4.25
4 Seán Óg Ó Ceallacháin Dublin 3-07 16 4 4.00
5 Nicky Rackard Wexford 4-03 15 2 7.50
6 Fint Moloney Laois 4-01 13 3 4.66
Harry Gray Laois 2-07 13 3 4.66
7 Jackie Power Limerick 4-00 12 2 6.00
Paddy Lalor Laois 4-00 12 3 4.00
In a single game
Rank Player County Tally Total Opposition
1 Nicky Rackard Wexford 4-00 12 Offaly
2 Jim Prior Dublin 3-02 11 Antrim
3 Liam White Laois 2-04 10 Westmeath
4 Paddy Lalor Laois 3-00 9 Kilkenny
Jackie Power Limerick 3-00 9 Tipperary
Willie McAllister Clare 3-00 9 Waterford
Mickey Williams Dublin 3-00 9 Antrim
5 John Keane Waterford 2-02 8 Dublin
Jimmy Kennedy Dublin 2-02 8 Waterford
6 Paddy Kehoe Wexford 2-01 7 Offaly
Mickey Williams Dublin 2-01 7 Laois
Jim Devitt Tipperary 2-01 7 Limerick
Jack Lynch Cork 2-01 7 Limerick
Christy Ring Cork 1-04 7 Waterford
Seán Óg Ó Ceallacháin Dublin 1-04 7 Antrim
Josie Gallagher Galway 1-04 7 Waterford

Sources

  • Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists (Hodder Headline Ireland, 2005).
  • Donegan, Des, The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games (DBA Publications Limited, 2005).