2015 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

The 2015 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 129th staging of the All-Ireland championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1887. The draw for the 2015 fixtures took place on 9 October 2014 live on RTÉ2. The championship began on 3 May 2015 and ended on 6 September 2015.

Kilkenny were the defending champions and successfully retained the title following a 1–22 to 1–18 defeat of Galway.

To Championship
Promoted from the Christy Ring Cup


 * None

From Championship
Relegated to the Christy Ring Cup


 * London

General information
Fourteen counties will compete in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: nine teams in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship and five teams in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship.

Changes from 2014 Championship
Penalties must now be struck on or behind the 20 metre line and only the goalkeeper is allowed on the goal line. Previously 3 defenders were allowed.

If a foul has been committed the referee can allow play to continue for up to 5 seconds if he considers it to be to the advantage of the offended team. Previously there was no advantage rule in hurling.

Group Stage
The winners of this year's Christy Ring Cup are promoted in their place to the qualifier group of next year's Leinster Championship.

Matches

Round 1
The teams beaten in the Leinster and Munster quarter-finals and semi-finals of the provincial championships play each other. The draw was held on 22 June.

Round 2
The four winners of Round 1 play in two games. The draw was held on 6 July.

All-Ireland quarter-finals
The beaten finalists in the Leinster and Munster championships play the winners of Round 2 in two "quarter-finals".

All-Ireland semi-finals
The Leinster and Munster provincial champions play the winners of the two quarter-finals.

Statistics

 * All scores correct as of September 9, 2015

Scoring

 * First goal of the championship:
 * Colours of Antrim.svg Neil McManus for Antrim against Laois ( 3 May 2015 )
 * Widest winning margin: 24 points
 * Colours of Kilkenny.svg Kilkenny 5-25 – 0-16 Colours of Wexford.svg Wexford (Leinster semi-final)
 * Most goals in a match: 8
 * Colours of Antrim.svg Antrim 5-17 – 3-22 Colours of Laois.svg Laois (Leinster group stage)
 * Most points in a match: 50
 * Colours of Laois.svg Laois 0-29 – 0-21 Colours of Offaly.svg Offaly (Leinster quarter-final)
 * Colours of Galway.svg Galway 2-28 – 0-22 Colours of Cork.svg Cork (All-Ireland quarter-final)
 * Most goals by one team in a match: 5
 * Colours of Antrim.svg Antrim 5-17 – 3-22 Colours of Laois.svg Laois (Leinster group stage)
 * Colours of Galway.svg Galway 5-19 – 1-18 Colours of Dublin.svg Dublin (Leinster quarter-final replay)
 * Colours of Kilkenny.svg Kilkenny 5-25 – 0-16 Colours of Wexford.svg Wexford (Leinster semi-final)
 * Highest aggregate score: 63
 * Colours of Antrim.svg Antrim 5-17 – 3-22 Colours of Laois.svg Laois (Leinster group stage)
 * Lowest aggregate score: 31
 * Colours of Westmeath.svg Westmeath 1-21 – 1-7 Colours of Antrim.svg Antrim (Leinster group stage)
 * Most goals scored by a losing team: 3
 * Colours of Antrim.svg Antrim 5-17 – 3-22 Colours of Laois.svg Laois (Leinster group stage)
 * Colours of Galway.svg Galway 0-26 – 3-16 Colours of Tipperary.svg Tipperary (All-Ireland semi-final)

Top scorers

 * Overall


 * Single game

Miscellaneous

 * Galway record their first ever championship defeat of Dublin.
 * Laois secure their first championship victory over Offaly since 1972.

Updated Roll of Honour

 * Kilkenny - 36 (2015)
 * Cork - 30 (2005)
 * Tipperary - 26 (2010)
 * Limerick - 7 (1973)
 * Dublin - 6 (1938)
 * Wexford - 6 (1996)
 * Galway - 4 (1988)
 * Offaly - 4 (1998)
 * Clare - 4 (2013)
 * Waterford - 2 (1959)
 * Laois - 1 (1915)
 * London - 1 (1901)
 * Kerry - 1 (1891)

Attendances
Highest attendances: Total attendance: 567,622
 * Colours of Kilkenny.svg Kilkenny 1-22 – 1-18 Colours of Galway.svg Galway (Croke Park) - 82,300
 * Colours of Tipperary.svg Tipperary 3-16 – 0-26 Colours of Galway.svg Galway (Croke Park) - 58,495
 * Colours of Waterford.svg Waterford 0-16 – 0-21 Colours of Tipperary.svg Tipperary (Semple Stadium) - 43,084
 * Colours of Kilkenny.svg Kilkenny 1-21 – 0-18 Colours of Waterford.svg Waterford (Croke Park) - 41,112
 * Colours of Galway.svgy 2-28 – 0-22 Colours of Cork.svg Cork (Semple Stadium) - 33,150

Average attendance: 25,801

Broadcasting
These matches were broadcast live on television in Ireland

Awards
The Sunday Game team of the year was picked on 6 September, which was the night of the final. The panel consisting of Donal Óg Cusack, Henry Shefflin, Anthony Daly, Michael Duignan, Ger Loughnane, Liam Sheedy and Cyril Farrell unanimously selected Kilkenny's TJ Reid as the Sunday game player of the year.
 * Sunday Game Team of the Year


 * Colm Callanan (Galway)
 * Paul Murphy (Kilkenny)
 * Joey Holden (Kilkenny)
 * Cathal Barrett (Tipperary)
 * Daithí Burke (Galway)
 * Tadhg de Búrca (Waterford)
 * Cillian Buckley (Kilkenny)
 * Michael Fennelly (Kilkenny)
 * David Burke (Galway)
 * Jonathan Glynn (Galway)
 * Richie Hogan (Kilkenny)
 * TJ Reid (Kilkenny)
 * Ger Aylward (Kilkenny)
 * Seamus Callanan (Tipperary)
 * Maurice Shanahan (Waterford)

On 5 November, the 2015 All Star Award winners were announced with the awards ceremony being held on 6 November in the National Convention Centre in Dublin. All Ireland champions Kilkenny have seven award winners with runners-up Galway receiving four awards. Winning an award for the first time were Colm Callanan, Joey Holden, Daithi Burke, Tadhg de Burca, Cathal Mannion, Ger Aylward and Maurice Shanahan. T. J. Reid of Kilkenny was named as the All Stars Hurler of the Year with Tadhg de Búrca of Waterford being named as the All Stars Young Hurler of the Year.
 * All Star Team of the Year