1979 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

1979 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

Championship details
Dates	27 May – 2 September 1979
Teams	11
All-Ireland champions
Winning team	Kilkenny (21st win)
Captain	Ger Fennelly
Manager	Pat Henderson Eddie Keher
All-Ireland Finalists
Losing team	Galway
Captain	Joe McDonagh
Manager	Michael "Babs" Keating
Provincial champions
Munster	Cork
Leinster	Kilkenny
Ulster	Not Played
Connacht	Not Played
Championship statistics
No. matches played	10
Goals total	43 (4.3 per game)
Points total	271 (27.1 per game)
Top Scorer	Éamonn Cregan (2-17)
Player of the Year	Ger Henderson
All-Star Team	See here
← 1978 1980 ⊟

The 1979 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 93rd staging of the All-Ireland hurling championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1887. The championship began on 27 May 1979 and ended on 2 September 1978.

Cork entered the championship as defending champions, however, they were beaten by Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final. Kilkenny won the title after defeating Galway by 2–12 to 1–8 in the final.

Teams

A total of eleven teams contested the championship, one of the fewest participants in years. Only four team contested the Leinster series of games. Kildare, Laois and Westmeath withdrew from the provincial campaign, however, Laois did qualify for the All-Ireland series by winning the All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship. They did this at Antrim's expense. Kerry withdrew from the Munster championship.

Team summaries

Team	Colours	Most recent success
		All-Ireland	Provincial	League
Clare	Saffron and blue	1914	1932	1977–78
Cork	Red and white	1978	1978	1973–74
Dublin	Navy and blue	1938	1961	1938–39
Galway	Maroon and white	1923	1922	1974–75
Kilkenny	Black and amber	1975	1978	1975–76
Laois	Blue and white	1915	1949
Limerick	Green and white	1973	1974	1970–71
Offaly	Green, white and gold
Tipperary	Blue and gold	1971	1971	1978–79
Waterford	Blue and white	1959	1963	1962–63
Wexford	Purple and gold	1968	1977	1972–73

Provincial championships

Leinster Senior Hurling championship

Kilkenny v Dublin

24 June Semi-final	Kilkenny	4–15 – 4–11	Dublin	Geraldine Park
	M Crotty (2–1), M Brennan (1–3), M Ruth (1–1), B Fitzpatrick (0–3), L O'Brien (0–3), J Hennessy (0–2), K Fennelly (0–2).		M Holden (2–3), B Barry (1–2), J Cunningham (1–2), G Hayes (0–2), E Davy (0–1), J Towell (0–1).	Referee: G Kirwan (Offaly)

Wexford v Offaly

24 June Semi-final	Wexford	0–17 – 2–10	Offaly	Geraldine Park
	N Buggy (0–10), M Casey (0–2), S Kinsella (0–2), C Keogh (0–1), M Quigley (0–1), M Jacob (0–1).		P Carroll (0–4), J Flaherty (1–0), P Horan (1–0), P Kirwan (0–3), P Delaney (0–1), J Kelly (0–1), B Bermingham (0–1).	Referee: N O'Donoghue (Dublin)

Kilkenny v Wexford

15 July Final	Kilkenny	2–21 – 2–17	Wexford	Croke Park
	M Brennan (0–8), M Ruth (1–4), B Fitzpatrick (1–0), M Crotty (0–3), L O'Brien (0–2), J Hennessy (0–2), G Henderson (0–1), G Fennelly (0–1).		N Buggy (1–6), T Doran (1–1), S Kinsella (0–4), M Casey (0–3), C Keogh (0–1), D Rowesome (0–1), M Quigley (0–1).	Attendance: 24,991 Referee: G Kirwan (Offaly)

Munster Senior Hurling championship

Limerick v Waterford

27 May Quarter-final	Limerick	5–11 – 2–11	Waterford	Páirc Uí Chaoimh
	E Cregan (2–4), J McKenna (2–1), G Moloney (1–0), P Kelly (0–3), O O'Connor (0–2), P Fitzmaurice (0–1).		P McGrath (1–3), M Ormond (1–3), M Walsh (0–3), M Whelan (0–1), J Greene (0–1).	Referee: F Murphy (Cork)

Cork v Tipperary

3 June Semi-final	Cork	1–14 – 2–10	Tipperary	Páirc Uí Chaoimh
	C McCarthy (0–5), J Barry-Murphy (1–0), J Fenton (0–3), P Moylan (0–3), J Horgan (0–2), R Cummins (0–1).		P O'Neill (1–2), M Doyle (1–0), N O'Dwyer (0–3), F Loughnane (0–3), G Stapleton (0–1), E O'Shea (0–1).	Attendance: 40,690 Referee: N Dalton (Waterford)

Limerick v Clare

10 June Semi-final	Limerick	3–19 – 4–12	Clare	Semple Stadium
	J McKenna (2–4), E Cregan (0–8), O O'Connor (1–3), B Carroll (0–2), P Fitzmaurice (0–1), P Kelly (0–1).		E O'Connor (2–0), M Moroney (0–5), P O'Connor (1–0), N Casey (1–0), C Honan (0–3), J Callinan (0–2), M Meehan (0–1), S Stack (0–1).	Attendance: 20,791 Referee: F Murphy

Cork v Limerick

8 July Final	Cork	2–14 – 0–9	Limerick	Semple Stadium
	C McCarthy (1–4), R Cummins (1–2), J Fenton (0–3), T Cashman (0–2), T Crowley (0–1), J Barry-Murphy (0–1), G McCarthy (0–1).		E Cregan (0–5), S Foley (0–1), L Enright (0–1), P Kelly (0–1), O O'Connor (0–1).	Attendance: 47,849 Referee: G Ryan (Tipperary)

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

	Quarter-finals					Semi-finals					Final
	Galway		1-23
	Laois		3-10			Cork		1-13
						Galway		2-14
											Galway		1-08
											Kilkenny		2-12

All-Ireland quarter-finals

Galway v Laois

1 July Quarter-final	Galway	1–23 – 3–10	Laois	St. Brendan's Park
	PJ Molloy (1–6), N McInerney (0–5), John Connolly (0–3), F Burke (0–3), I Clarke (0–2), S Mahon (0–2), Joe Connolly (0–1), B Forde (0–1).		M Brophy (1–2), C Jones (1–0), J Mahon (1–0), F Feenan (0–3), Mick Cuddy (0–2), B Bohane (0–1), A Lanham (0–1).	Referee: N O'Donoghue (Dublin)

All-Ireland semi-finals

Galway v Cork

5 August Semi-final	Galway	2–14 – 1–13	Cork	Croke Park
	John Connolly (0–5), N Lane (1–1), F Gantley (1–0), PJ Molloy (0–3), B Forde (0–3), F Burke (0–1), S Mahon (0–1).		R Cummins (1–0), C McCarthy (0–3), J Horgan (0–3), P Moylan (0–3), J Fenton (0–1), G McCarthy (0–1), T Crowley (0–1), S O'Leary (0–1).	Attendance: 12,315 Referee: J Rankins (Laois)

All-Ireland Final

Kilkenny v Galway

2 September Final	Kilkenny	2–12 – 1–8	Galway	Croke Park
	L O'Brien (1–7), M Brennan (1–1), M Crotty (0–1), K Fennelly (0–1), J Hennessy (0–1), B Fitzpatrick (0–1).		N Lane (1–0), PJ Molloy (0–3), F Gantley (0–2), Joe Connolly (0–2), S Mahon (0–1).	Attendance: 53,535 Referee: G Ryan (Tipperary)

Main article: 1979 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final

Championship statistics

Miscellaneous

• Cork capture a record-equalling fifth successive Munster title following a victory over Limerick. It is the second time that Cork have achieved the five-in-a-row, the first since 1905.
• In the All-Ireland semi-final, Galway defeat Cork for only the second time in the history of the championship. It is Cork's first defeat since the All-Ireland semi-final of 1975 when the same opposition recorded their first win over 'the Rebels'.

Top scorers

Season

Rank	Player	County	Tally	Total	Matches	Average
1	Éamonn Cregan	Limerick	2–17	23	3	7.66
2	Ned Buggy	Wexford	1–16	19	2	9.50
3	Mick Brennan	Kilkenny	2–12	18	3	6.00
4	Joe McKenna	Limerick	4-5	17	3	5.66
5	Charlie McCarthy	Cork	1–12	15	3	5.00
	Liam O'Brien	Kilkenny	1–12	15	3	5.00
	P. J. Molloy	Galway	1–12	15	3	5.00
8	Mick Crotty	Kilkenny	2-5	11	3	3.66
	Matt Ruth	Kilkenny	2-5	11	3	3.66
10	Mick Holden	Dublin	2-3	9	1	9.00
	Ray Cummins	Cork	2-3	9	3	3.00

Single game

Rank	Player	County	Tally	Total	Opposition
1	Éamonn Moroney	Clare	2–4	10	Waterford
	Joe McKenna	Clare	2–4	10	Kilkenny
	Liam 'Chunky' O'Brien	Clare	1–7	10	Kilkenny
	Ned Buggy	Wexford	0–10	10	Offaly
5	Mick Holden	Dublin	2–3	9	Kilkenny
	P. J. Molloy	Galway	1–6	9	Cork
	Ned Buggy	Wexford	1–6	9	Kilkenny
8	Éamonn Cregan	Limerick	0–8	8	Clare
	Mick 'Cloney' Brennan	Kilkenny	0–8	8	Wexford
10	Mick Crotty	Kilkenny	1–4	7	Dublin
	Joe McKenna	Limerick	1–4	7	Waterford
	Matt Ruth	Kilkenny	1–4	7	Wexford
	Charlie McCarthy	Cork	1–4	7	Limerick

Broadcasting

The following matches were broadcast live on television in Ireland on RTÉ.

Round	RTÉ
All-Ireland semi-final	Cork vs Galway
All-Ireland final	Kilkenny vs Galway

Sources

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