2003 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

The 2003 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Guinness Hurling Championship) was the 117th since its establishment in 1887. The first matches of the season were played in May 2003, and the championship ended on 14 September 2003. Kilkenny went into the 2003 championship as defending champions, having won their twenty-seventh All-Ireland title the previous year.

The championship culminated with the All-Ireland final, held at Croke Park, Dublin. The match was contested by Kilkenny and Cork. It was their first meeting in the final since 1999. Kilkenny won the game by 1-14 to 1-11. It was their second All-Ireland title in succession.

To Championship
Promoted from the All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship


 * Kerry

From Championship
Regraded to the All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship


 * None

General information
Twenty two counties will compete in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: one team in the Connacht Senior Hurling Championship, ten teams in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, six teams in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship and five teams in the Ulster Senior Hurling Championship.

Scoring events

 * Last goal of the championship: Martin Comerford for Kilkenny against Cork (All-Ireland final)
 * First hat-trick of the championship: John Mullane for Waterford against Cork (Munster final)
 * Widest winning margin: 43 points
 * Antrim 8-27 - 1-05 London (Ulster preliminary round)
 * Most goals in a match: 9
 * Antrim 8-27 - 1-05 London (Ulster preliminary round)
 * Most points in a match: 41
 * Tipperary 3-28 - 0-13 Laois (All-Ireland qualifiers)
 * Most goals by one team in a match: 8
 * Antrim 8-27 - 1-05 London (Ulster preliminary round)
 * Most goals scored by a losing team: 3
 * Waterford 3-12 - 3-16 Cork (Munster final)
 * Carlow 3-07 - 3-15 Waterford (Munster final)
 * Most points scored by a losing team: 17
 * Galway 1-17 - 1-18 Tipperary (All-Ireland qualifiers)

Team statistics

 * Most goals scored - Antrim (13)
 * Most points scored - Tipperary (91)
 * Most goals conceded - Carlow and Wexford (10)
 * Most points conceded - Wexford (102)
 * Fewest goals scored - Kildare and Wicklow (0)
 * Fewest points scored - Kildare (7)
 * Fewest points conceded - Kildare (15)
 * Fewest goals conceded - Wicklow (0)

Miscellaneous

 * First-time championship meetings:
 * Kerry v Westmeath (Qualifiers preliminary round)
 * Kerry v Carlow (Qualifiers preliminary round)
 * Kerry v Derry (Qualifiers preliminary round)
 * Wexford v Waterford (Qualifiers round 2)
 * Kerry return to the Munster Senior Hurling Championship for the first time since 2000.
 * Kerry's wins over Westmeath, Carlow and Derry were the first time they won three All-Ireland Senior Hulring Championship matches in a row.