2021 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

2021 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
Championship details
Dates	26 June — 22 August 2021
Teams	11
All-Ireland champions
Winning team	Limerick (10th win)
Captain	Declan Hannon
Manager	John Kiely
All-Ireland Finalists
Losing team	Cork
Captain	Patrick Horgan
Manager	Kieran Kingston
Provincial champions
Munster	Limerick
Leinster	Kilkenny
Ulster	Not Played
Connacht	Not Played
Championship statistics
No. matches played	17
Goals total	60 (3.52 per game)
Points total	674 (39.64 per game)
Top Scorer	Patrick Horgan (0-54)
All-Star Team	See here
	← 2020 2022 →

The 2021 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 134th staging of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county hurling tournament, since its establishment in 1887. The championship began on 26 June and ended on 22 August 2021.

Antrim, having won the 2020 Joe McDonagh Cup, returned to the Leinster Championship for the first time since the 2015 competition.^[1]^[2] Limerick entered the championship as the defending champions.^[3]

The All-Ireland final was played on 22 August 2021 at Croke Park in Dublin, between Limerick and Cork, in what was their first ever meeting in a final. Limerick won the match with a display that is regarded by many to be one of the greatest performances by a team in an All Ireland Final. Limerick showed immense dominance in the first half opening a 13 point gap, the scores 3-18 to 1-11 at the interval. This dominance would continue in the second half in more subdued fashion but Limerick still managed to extend their lead to 16 by the final whistle, the full time score 3-32 to 1-22. This was the first time in history that Limerick claimed back to back championships, their 10th championship title overall and third title in four seasons.^[4]

Cork's Patrick Horgan was the championship's top scorer with 0-54.

Limerick captain Declan Hannon also made history becoming only the second captain after the legendary Christy Ring to lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup on three separate occasions.

Format change[]

In December 2020, a plan by the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) was approved by the GAA's management committee. The plan saw the introduction of a new format, with the championship being run on a provincial knock-out/qualifier basis, in line with the pre-2018 format, thus resulting in the provincial round robins being discarded.^[5] Relegation to and promotion from the Joe McDonagh Cup was re-introduced. The two beaten Leinster quarter-final teams are due to play a preliminary qualifier round, with the losers dropping to the McDonagh Cup and winners progressing to round 1 of the qualifiers.^[6]

Round 1 of the qualifiers will feature the playoff winners playing a Munster quarter-finalist or semi-finalist, and a Leinster semi-finalist playing a Munster quarter-finalist or semi-finalist.

Round 2 of the qualifiers will feature the Round 1 winners playing a Munster or Leinster semi-finalist, with the winners advancing to the All-Ireland quarter-finals.^[7]

The draws for the hurling championship were delayed until 19 and 20 April 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[8]

Qualification and progression[]

	Teams entering in this round	Teams advancing from previous round
Preliminary Round (2 teams)	Leinster Quarter-Finalists Munster third-placed team Joe McDonagh Cup champions Joe McDonagh Cup runners-up
Round 1 (4 teams)	Leinster Semi-Finalist Munster Semi-Finalist Munster Quarter-Finalist Leinster runners-up Munster	Winner from the preliminary Round
Round 2 (4 Teams)	Leinster Semi-Finalist Munster Semi-Finalist	2 Winners from Round 1
Quarter-Finals (4 Teams)	Leinster Runners-Up Munster Runners-Up	2 Winners from Round 2
Semi-Finals (4 teams)	Leinster Champions Munster Champions	2 winners from Quarter-Finals
Final (2 teams)		2 winners from the Semi-Finals

Teams[]

Personnel and general information[]

Team	Colours	Manager	Captain	Vice-captain(s)	Most recent success
Team	Colours	Manager	Captain	Vice-captain(s)	All-Ireland	Provincial	League
Antrim		Darren Gleeson	Conor McCann	Paddy Burke		2017
Cork		Kieran Kingston	Patrick Horgan		2005	2018	1998
Clare		Brian Lohan	John Conlon		2013	1998	2016
Dublin		Mattie Kenny	Danny Sutcliffe		1938	2013	2011
Galway		Shane O'Neill	Pádraic Mannion		2017	2018	2021
Kilkenny		Brian Cody	Adrian Mullen	Richie Reid	2015	2020	2021
Laois		Séamus Plunkett	Enda Rowland		1915	1949
Limerick		John Kiely	Declan Hannon		2020	2020	2020
Tipperary		Liam Sheedy	Séamus Callanan	Noel McGrath	2019	2016	2008
Waterford		Liam Cahill	Conor Prunty	Jamie Barron Stephen Bennett	1959	2010	2015
Wexford		Davy Fitzgerald	Lee Chin	Matthew O'Hanlon	1996	2019	1972-73

Summary[]

Championships[]

Level on Pyramid	Competition	Champions	Runners-Up
Tier 1	2021 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship	Limerick	Cork
	2021 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship	Kilkenny	Dublin
	2021 Munster Senior Hurling Championship	Limerick	Tipperary
Tier 2	2021 Joe McDonagh Cup	Westmeath	Kerry
Tier 3	2021 Christy Ring Cup	Offaly	Derry
Tier 4	2021 Nicky Rackard Cup	Mayo	Tyrone
Tier 5	2021 Lory Meagher Cup	Fermanagh	Cavan

Provincial Championships[]

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship[]

Quarter-Finals

Semi-Finals

Final

Dublin

3-31

Antrim

0-22

Galway

1-14

Dublin

1-18

Dublin

0-19

Kilkenny

1-25

Kilkenny

2-37

Laois

1-23

Wexford

2-29

Wexford

5-31

Leinster quarter-finals[]

26 June 2021 Quarter-final	Dublin	3–31 (40) – (22) 0–22	Antrim	Navan
15:00 IST (UTC+1)				Venue: Páirc Tailteann
	Gls: R Hayes 1, C Boland 1, C O'Sullivan 1. Pts: D Burke 11 (6f); C Crummey 3, D Sutcliffe 3, R Hayes 3, R McBride 2, C O’Sullivan 2, C Burke 1, E O’Donnell 1, O O’Rorke 1, C Boland 1, F Whitely 1, S Moran 1, P Crummey 1.	Report	Pts: C Clarke 9 (6f, 1 65), N McManus 6, K Molloy 3, C Boland 1, M Bradley 1, C Cunning 1, C McCann 1, J McNaughton 1 (f) each.	Referee: L Gordon (Galway)

26 June 2021 Quarter-final	Laois	1–23 (26) – (46) 5–31	Wexford	Kilkenny
18:00 IST (UTC+1)				Venue: UPMC Nowlan Park
	Gls: C Comerford 1. Pts: PJ Scully 8 (5fs 1 ‘65’), C Dwyer 4, P Purcell 3, C Collier 2, R King 2, J Kelly 1, L Cleere 1, M Whelan 1, C Comerford 1.	Report	Gls: C McDonald 2, L Chin 1, R O'Connor 1, D Dunne 1, Pts: R O’Connor 7; P Morris 5 (1f); C McDonald 4; K Foley 3; D O’Keeffe 2, M Dwyer 2, L Chin 2 (1f); L Og McGovern 2; C Dunbar 1, M Fanning 1 (f), S Murphy 1, G Bailey 1.	Referee: T Walsh (Waterford)

Leinster semi-finals[]

3 July 2021 Semi-final	Dublin	1–18 (21) – (17) 1–14	Galway	Dublin
14:00 IST (UTC+1)				Venue: Croke Park
	Gls: C Crummey 1 Pts: D Burke 6 (4f), D Sutcliffe 3, D Gray 2, R Hayes 2, A Nolan 1 (f), C Burke 1, R McBride 1, C Boland 1, C O’Sullivan 1.	Report	Gls: C Whelan 1 Pts: J Canning 6 (4f, 1 ’65), C Whelan 2, E Niland 2 (1f), P Mannion 1, C Mannion 1, C Cooney 1, A Harte 1.	Referee: J Murphy (Limerick)

3 July 2021 Semi-final	Kilkenny	2–37 (43) – (35) 2–29 (aet)	Wexford	Dublin
16:30 IST (UTC+1)		(HT: 0–15 – 0–14) (FT: 1–27 – 1–27)		Venue: Croke Park
	Gls: E Cody 1, W Walsh 1. Pts: TJ Reid 16 (11fs, 1 ‘65); E Cody 5, R Reid 2, J Maher 2, J Bergin 2, E Murphy 1 (f), T Walsh 1, W Walsh 1, C Fogarty 1, A Mullen 1, J Donnelly 1, M Keoghan 1, A Murphy 1, B Ryan 1, M Carey 1.	Report	Gls: M Fanning 1 (pen), D Dunne 1. Pts: L Chin 14 (12fs), R O’Connor 3, L Óg McGovern 2, S Murphy 2, C McDonald 2, M O’Hanlon 1, D O’Keeffe 1, P Morris 1 (f), J O’Connor 1, L Ryan 1, M Fanning 1 (f).	Referee: F Horgan (Tipperary)

Leinster final[]

17 July 2021 Final	Dublin	0–19 (19) – (28) 1–25	Kilkenny	Dublin
19:30 IST (UTC+1)				Venue: Croke Park
	Pts: D Burke 10 (8f), D Sutcliffe 2, C Crummey 2, C Boland 1, A Nolan 1 (f), R McBride 1, J Malone 1, D Keogh 1.	Report	Gls: TJ Reid 1. Pts: TJ Reid 10 (8f, 1 65), J Maher 3, A Mullen 2, A Murphy 2, J Bergin 2, M Keoghan 2, E Cody 1, C Buckley 1, J Bergin 1, M Carey 1.	Referee: J Murphy (Limerick) Attendance: 9,000

Munster Senior Hurling Championship[]

Quarter-Finals

Semi-Finals

Final

Limerick

2-22

Cork

1-17

Limerick

2-29

Tipperary

3-21

Tipperary

3-23

Waterford

0-21

Clare

2-22

Clare

1-22

Munster quarter-final[]

27 June 2021 Quarter-final	Waterford	0–21 (21) – (25) 1–22	Clare	Thurles
15:30 IST (UTC+1)				Venue: Semple Stadium
	Pts: Stephen Bennett 12 (10f), A Gleeson 4, C Lyons 1, P Curran 1, K Bennett 1, N Montgomery 1, M Kearney 1.	Report	Gls: T Kelly 1 (pen) Pts: T Kelly 12 (7f), A McCarthy 3, D Reidy 2, I Galvin 2, R Taylor 2, D Ryan 1.	Referee: C Lyons (Cork) TV: RTÉ 1

Munster semi-finals[]

3 July 2021 Semi-final	Limerick	2–22 (28) – (20) 1–17	Cork	Thurles
19:00 IST (UTC+1)				Venue: Semple Stadium
	Gls: K Hayes 1, D O'Donovan 1. Pts: A Gillane 6 (6f), D Byrnes 3 (1f), C Lynch 3, P Casey 3, S Flanagan 2, G Hegarty 2, W O’Donoghue 1, G Mulcahy 1, D Reidy 1.	Report	Gls: S Kingston 1. Pts: P Horgan 5 (5f), J O’Connor 3, D Fitzgibbon 3, S Barrett 2, T O'Mahony 1, S Harnedy 1, R O'Flynn 1, S Kingston 1.	Referee: P O'Dwyer (Carlow) TV: Sky Sports

4 July 2021 Semi-final	Tipperary	3–23 (32) – (28) 2–22	Clare	Limerick
15:45 IST (UTC+1)		(HT: 1–13 – 2–11)		Venue: LIT Gaelic Grounds
	Gls: J Forde 1 (pen), S Callanan 1 , M Breen 1. Pts: J Forde 8 (3fs, 1 s/l, 1 65), J O’Dwyer 4, J Morris 3, D McCormack 2, A Flynn 2, R Maher 1, S Callanan 1, M Breen 1, W Connors 1.	Report	Gls: T Kelly 1, I Galvin 1. Pts: T Kelly 9 (8fs), I Galvin 3, R Taylor 2, C Malone 2, A Shanagher 1, C Galvin 1, D Reidy 1, A McCarthy 1, J Conlon 1, R Hayes 1.	Referee: J Owens (Wexford) TV: RTÉ 2

Munster final[]

18 July 2021 Final	Limerick	2–29 (35) – (30) 3–21	Tipperary	Cork
16:15 IST (UTC+1)		(HT: 0–12 – 2–16)		Venue: Páirc Uí Chaoimh
	Gls: S Flanagan 1, K Hayes 1. Pts: A Gillane 6 (4f), T Morrissey 6 (1f), P Casey 5, D Byrnes 4 (2f, 1 65), S Flanagan 3, G Hegarty 3, C Lynch 1, D Reidy 1.	Report	Gls: J Morris 1, J O'Dwyer 1, M Kehoe 1. Pts: J Forde 11 (3f, 1 65), J Morris 2, J O’Dwyer 2, R Maher 1, D McCormack 1, S Callanan 1, S Kennedy 1, W Connors 1, M Breen 1.	Referee: P O'Dwyer (Carlow) Attendance: 7,000 TV: RTÉ 2

All-Ireland Qualifiers[]

Bracket[]

Preliminary Round

Round 1

Round 2

All-Ireland Quarter-Finals

Clare

2-25

Wexford

2-22

Cork

3-19

Clare

1-23

Cork

Antrim

2-21

Waterford

Laois

2-27

Laois

2-21

Waterford

3-23

Galway

3-20

Waterford

1-30

Qualifiers preliminary round[]

The two teams beaten in the Leinster quarter-finals met in the preliminary round on 10 July with the winners going into the round 1 draw which was held on 12 July.^[9] Antrim were relegated to the 2022 Joe McDonagh Cup as a result of losing this match.

10 July 2021 Preliminary round	Antrim	2–21 (27) – (33) 2–27	Laois	Dublin
14:30 IST (UTC+1)				Venue: Parnell Park
	Gls: E O’Neill 2. Pts: C Clarke 8 (7fs, one 65), N McManus 4, K Molloy 3, C Cunning 2, J McNaughton 2 (1f), C Johnston 1, S Elliott 1.	Report	Gls: P Purcell 2. Pts: PJ Scully 9 (8fs, two s/l), J Kelly 4, P Delaney 3, W Dunphy 3, P Purcell 2, R King 2, C Collier 1, C McEvoy 1, F C-Fennell 1, C Dwyer 1.	Referee: S Cleere (Kilkenny)

Qualifiers round 1[]

17 July 2021 Round 1	Clare	2–25 (31) – (28) 2–22	Wexford	Thurles
13:30 IST (UTC+1)				Venue: Semple Stadium
	Gls: C Malone 1, G Cooney 1. Pts: T Kelly 9 (7f), A McCarthy 3, D Reidy 3, R Taylor 3, A Shanagher 2, M Rodgers 2, D Ryan 1, C Malone 1, R Hayes 1.	Report	Gls: L Chin 1, D O'Keeffe 1. Pts: L Chin 12 (9f, 1'65); C Dunbar 5, C McDonald 2, R O'Connor 2, L Óg McGovern 1.	Referee: F Horgan (Tipperary)

17 July 2021 Round 1	Laois	2–21 (27) – (32) 3–23	Waterford	Kilkenny
14:00 IST (UTC+1)				Venue: Nowlan Park
	Gls: P Purcell 1, C Comerford 1. Pts: PJ Scully 0-10 (9f, 1 s/l), P Purcell 4, C Dwyer 2, E Rowland 1 (f), P Delaney 1, C Collier 1, J Keyes 1, A Dunphy 1.	Report	Gls: Stephen Bennett 1, P Curran 1, L Moran 1. Pts: Stephen Bennett 8 (7f, 1 ’65), D Hutchinson 3, P Curran 2, C Lyons 2, A Gleeson 2, I Daly 1, N Montgonery 1, L Moran 1, J Prendergast 1, J Fagan 1, D Lyons 1.	Referee: L Gordon (Galway)

Qualifiers round 2[]

24 July 2021 Round 2	Waterford	1–30 (33) – (29) 3–20	Galway	Thurles
14:00 IST (UTC+1)				Venue: Semple Stadium
	Gls: J Fagan 1. Pts: Stephen Bennett 11 (7f, 1 '65), J Barron 4, A Gleeson 3 (1 sdl), J Fagan 2, P Curran 2, J Prendergast 2, C Lyons 2, S Bennett 1, P Hogan 1, K Bennett 1, M Kiely 1.	Report	Gls: J Flynn 2, C Mannion 1. Pts: J Canning 9 (8f), C Whelan 3, E Niland 2, C Cooney 1, J Cooney 1, J Coen 1, J Flynn 1, A Tuohy 1, B Concannon 1.	Referee: Sean Stack (Dublin) TV: Sky Sports

24 July 2021 Round 2	Cork	3–19 (28) – (26) 1–23	Clare	Limerick
16:30 IST (UTC+1)				Venue: Gaelic Grounds
	Gls: S Barrett 1, S Kingston 1, J O'Connor 1. Pts: P Horgan 10 (4fs, 3 65s); D Fitzgibbon 2, S Harnedy 2; L Meade 1, R O’Flynn 1, S Barrett 1, S Kingston 1; A Connolly 1.	Report	Gls: T Kelly 1. Pts: T Kelly 11 (1-0 pen, 8fs); C Malone 3; A McCarthy 2; R Hayes 1, D Ryan 1, D McInerney 1, C Galvin 1, I Galvin 1, R Taylor 1, S Golden 1.	Referee: J Keenan (Wicklow) TV: Sky Sports

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship[]

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

Dublin

0-24

Cork

2-26

Kilkenny

1-32

Cork

1-37

Cork

1-22

Limerick

3-32

Limerick

1-25

Tipperary

2-27

Waterford

0-17

Waterford

4-28

All-Ireland quarter-finals[]

The beaten Leinster and Munster finalists play the two winners of round two of the qualifiers. The draw was made on 26 July.^[10]

31 July 2021 Quarter-final	Tipperary	2–27 (33) – (40) 4–28	Waterford	Cork
13:30 IST (UTC+1)				Venue: Páirc Uí Chaoimh
	Gls: S Callanan 2. Pts: J Forde 12 (7f, 2 ’65), J O’Dwyer 4, M Breen 3, R Maher 3, J McGrath 2, N McGrath 1, M Kehoe 1, W Connors 1.	Report	Gls: D Hutchinson 1, Stephen Bennett 1 (pen), A Gleeson 1, N Montgomery 1. Pts: J Barron 4, D Hutchinson 3, Stephen Bennett 3 (1f), A Gleeson 3 (2 s/l), P Hogan 3, N Montgomery 2, K Bennett 2, M Kiely 2, J Fagan, 2, S McNulty 1, C Lyons 1, P Curran 1, C Dunford 1.	Referee: C Lyons (Cork) TV: RTÉ2

31 July 2021 Quarter-final	Dublin	0–24 (24) – (32) 2–26	Cork	Thurles
19:00 IST (UTC+1)				Venue: Semple Stadium
	Pts: D Burke 13 (7f, 1 65), C O'Sullivan 3, C Burke 2, D Sutcliffe 2, L Rushe 1, R McBride 1, C Boland 1, J Malone 1.	Report	Gls: T O'Mahony 1, S Kingston 1. Pts: P Horgan 12 (8fs, 1 65), S Harnedy 4, J O'Connor 3, R O'Flynn 2, C Cahalane 1, S Barrett 1, N O'Leary 1, T O'Mahony 1, A Connolly 1.	Referee: J Owens (Wexford) TV: Sky Sports

All-Ireland semi-finals[]

7 August 2021 Semi-final	Limerick	1–25 (28) – (17) 0–17	Waterford	Dublin
17:30 IST (UTC+1)				Venue: Croke Park
	Gls: A Gillane 1. Pts: A Gillane 5 (4f), T Morrissey 5, S Flanagan 4, C Lynch 3, D Byrnes 3 (2f), P Casey 2, W O’Donoghue 1, G Hegarty 1, D O’Donovan 1 (f).	Report	Pts: Stephen Bennett 6 (5f), A Gleeson 4 (1 sl, 1f), D Hutchinson 2, C Lyons 2, J Barron 2, K Bennett 1.	Referee: J Keenan (Wicklow) Attendance: 24,000 TV: RTÉ2 Sky Sports

8 August 2021 Semi-final	Kilkenny	1–32 (35) – (40) 1–37 (a.e.t.)	Cork	Dublin
15:30 IST (UTC+1)				Venue: Croke Park
	Gls: A Mullen 1. Pts: TJ Reid 13 (11f, 1 65), ECody 4, B Ryan 4, AA Mullen 3, Murphy 2, R Hogan 1, R Reid 1, J Maher 1, P Walsh 1, M Carey 1, C Fogarty 1	Report	Gls: J O'Connor 1. Pts: P Horgan 15 (9f), S Kingston 7, J O’Connor 3, A Cadogan 3, R O’Flynn 2, S Harnedy 2, S Barrett 1, M Coleman 1, D Fitzgibbon 1, N O’Leary 1, D Dalton 1	Referee: F Horgan (Tipperary) Attendance: 24,000 TV: RTÉ2 Sky Sports

All-Ireland final[]

RTÉ, Sky Sports

22 August 2021
15:30 IST (UTC+1)
All-Ireland Final

Report

Limerick	3-32 (41) – (25) 1-22	Cork
(HT: 3-18 (27) - (14) 1-11)
Gls: G Hegarty 2, A Gillane 1. Pts: A Gillane 6 (3f), C Lynch 6, P Casey 5, T Morrissey 3, G Hegarty 2, D Byrnes 2 (1f), D Hannon 2, B Nash 1, D O'Donovan 1, S Flanagan 1, G Mulcahy 1, D Reidy 1, P Ryan 1.		Gls: S Kingston 1. Pts: P Horgan 12 (10f), S Harnedy 4, N O'Leary 1, M Coleman 1 (f), L Meade 1, J O'Connor 1, S Barrett 1, A Cadogan 1.

Croke Park, Dublin
Referee: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary)
Attendance: 40,000

Championship statistics[]

Top scorers[]

Top scorer overall

Rank	Player	Club	Tally	Total	Matches	Average
1	Patrick Horgan	Cork	0-54	54	5	10.80
2	Tony Kelly	Clare	3-41	50	4	12.50
3	Stephen Bennett	Waterford	2-40	46	5	9.20
4	T. J. Reid	Kilkenny	1-39	42	3	14.00
5	Donal Burke	Dublin	0-40	40	4	10.00
6	Lee Chin	Wexford	2-28	34	3	11.33
6	Jason Forde	Tipperary	1-31	34	3	11.33
8	Aaron Gillane	Limerick	2-23	29	4	7.25
9	P. J. Scully	Laois	0-27	27	3	9.00
10	Shane Kingston	Cork	4-09	21	5	4.20

In a single game

Rank	Player	Club	Tally	Total	Opposition
1	T. J. Reid	Kilkenny	0-16	16	Wexford
2	Tony Kelly	Clare	1-12	15	Waterford
	Lee Chin	Wexford	1-12	15	Clare
	Patrick Horgan	Cork	0-15	15	Kilkenny
5	Tony Kelly	Clare	1-11	14	Cork
5	Lee Chin	Wexford	0-14	14	Kilkenny
7	T. J. Reid	Kilkenny	1-10	13	Dublin
	T. J. Reid	Kilkenny	0-13	13	Cork
	Donal Burke	Dublin	0-13	13	Cork
10	Tony Kelly	Clare	1-09	12	Tipperary
	Patrick Horgan	Cork	0-12	12	Limerick
	Jason Forde	Tipperary	0-12	12	Waterford
	Stephen Bennett	Waterford	0-12	12	Clare
	Patrick Horgan	Cork	0-12	12	Dublin

Miscellaneous[]

Limerick won a Munster Senior Hurling Championship three-in-a-row for the first time since 1934–1935–1936.^[11]
Kilkenny's sixth year in a row without an All-Ireland senior title, equalling their title drought of 1994–1999.^[12]
Cork's sixteenth year in a row without an All-Ireland senior title, surpassing their title drought of 1904–1918.
Limerick scored 3-32 (41 points) in the All-Ireland final, the highest ever score in a final.
It is the first time since Kilkenny in 2014-2015 that a county team won back-to-back All Ireland Hurling Championship titles.
Limerick retained the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship for the first time in their history. This was their tenth title, making them the first county outside the Big Three to reach double figures.
Limerick became the 6th county in history to win back-to-back All-Ireland hurling titles after Kilkenny, Cork, Tipperary, Galway and Wexford.
Cork reached the final for the first time since 2013.
Two new scoring feats were achieved on 24 July. Joe Canning surpassed Henry Shefflin's record haul to become the all-time top championship scorer.^[13] Patrick Horgan became the third player, after Canning and Shefflin, to have broken the 500-point barrier.
Limerick played against Tipperary, Waterford and Cork twice (Munster Semi-final and All-Ireland Final) to retain the Liam MacCarthy cup, a first time that any county won a complete championship facing only one set of teams from a single province, in this case all Munster opposition.
Limerick had eleven players represented on The Sunday Game team of the year, a first for any male intercounty team in both Hurling and Gaelic Football, beating the previous record of nine representatives held by both Limerick in 2020 and Kilkenny in 2008.

Awards[]

Sunday Game Team of the Year

The Sunday Game team of the year was picked 22 August on the night of the final. The panel consisting of Jackie Tyrrell, Brendan Cummins, Shane Dowling and Ursula Jacob chose Cian Lynch as the Sunday game player of the year.^[14]^[15]^[16]

1. Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny)
2. Sean Finn (Limerick)
3. Conor Prunty (Waterford)
4. Barry Nash (Limerick)
5. Diarmuid Byrnes (Limerick)
6. Declan Hannon (Limerick)
7. Kyle Hayes (Limerick)
8. William O’Donoghue (Limerick)
9. Tony Kelly (Clare)
10. Jack O’Connor (Cork)
11. Cian Lynch (Limerick)
12. Tom Morrissey (Limerick)
13. Aaron Gillane (Limerick)
14. Seamus Flanagan (Limerick)
15. Peter Casey (Limerick)

All Star Team of the Year

On 9 December, the All-Stars winners were announced with Limerick having a record twelve players named on the team.^[17] Its the first time that a county has reached double figures in the final 15.^[18] On 10 December during a televised special on RTE, Cian Lynch was named as the All Stars Hurler of the Year with Eoin Cody named the All Stars Young Hurler of the Year.^[19]^[20]

Pos.	Player	Team	Appearances
GK	Eoin Murphy	Kilkenny	3
RCB	Seán Finn	Limerick	4
FB	Conor Prunty	Waterford	1
LCB	Barry Nash	Limerick	1
RWB	Diarmaid Byrnes	Limerick	2
CB	Declan Hannon	Limerick	2
LWB	Kyle Hayes	Limerick	2
MD	William O'Donoghue	Limerick	1
MD	Darragh O'Donovan	Limerick	1
RWF	Gearóid Hegarty	Limerick	2
CF	Cian Lynch^HOTY	Limerick	3
LWF	Tom Morrissey	Limerick	2
RCF	Tony Kelly	Clare	3
FF	Séamus Flanagan	Limerick	1
LCF	Peter Casey	Limerick	1

References[]

^ Cormican, Eoghan (13 December 2020). "Antrim see off Kerry to secure McDonagh Cup success at Croke Park". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
^ "Cusack fears for Antrim in 2021 Leinster championship". RTÉ Sport. 13 December 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
^ Fogarty, John (13 December 2020). "Superb Limerick regain All-Ireland title with emphatic win". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
^ Ryan, Eoin (22 August 2021). "Limerick crush Cork to claim back-to-back All-Irelands". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
^ Keys, Colm (18 December 2020). "No Super 8s or hurling round robin, new league format and county before club - GAA approve plan for 2021 season". Irish Independent. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
^ O'Brien, Kevin (21 December 2020). "GAA set to unveil plan for 2021 season with inter-county February start and July All-Ireland finals". The 42. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
^ "All the football and hurling championship fixtures and dates". Meath Chronicle.
^ "Limerick and Cork set for Munster SHC semi-final showdown". The 42. 19 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
^ "Clare to face Wexford in qualifier Semple Stadium showdown". RTE Sport. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
^ "Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Semple Stadium to host quarter-finals as GAA fixtures revealed". The 42. 26 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
^ "85-year wait ends as Limerick topple Tipperary to win historic Munster hurling title". Limerick Leader. 18 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
^ Clancy, James (August 7, 2021). "Cork v Kilkenny All-Ireland Senior Hurling Semi-Final Full Preview". Cork Beo.
^ "Canning breaks all-time scoring record but can't prevent Galway's defeat to Deise". Hogan Stand. 24 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
^ "Limerick dominate Sunday Game Hurling Team of the Year". Hogan Stand. 22 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
^ "Cian Lynch on top as Sunday Game name Hurling Team of the Year". RTE Sport. 22 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
^ "All-Ireland champions Limerick dominate Sunday Game Team of the Year". The 42. 22 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
^ "12 awards for Limerick as 2021 All-Star hurling team is named". The 42. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
^ "Record-breaking Limerick dominate 2021 PwC All-Stars hurling team". GAA.ie. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
^ "Limerick's Cian Lynch and Tyrone's Kieran McGeary named 2021 Hurler and Footballer of the Year". The 42. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
^ "Lynch and McGeary crowned PwC Players of the Year". GAA.ie. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.

[1] Cormican, Eoghan (13 December 2020). "Antrim see off Kerry to secure McDonagh Cup success at Croke Park". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 13 December 2020.

[2] "Cusack fears for Antrim in 2021 Leinster championship". RTÉ Sport. 13 December 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.

[3] Fogarty, John (13 December 2020). "Superb Limerick regain All-Ireland title with emphatic win". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 13 December 2020.

[4] Ryan, Eoin (22 August 2021). "Limerick crush Cork to claim back-to-back All-Irelands". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 22 August 2021.

[5] Keys, Colm (18 December 2020). "No Super 8s or hurling round robin, new league format and county before club - GAA approve plan for 2021 season". Irish Independent. Retrieved 21 December 2020.

[6] O'Brien, Kevin (21 December 2020). "GAA set to unveil plan for 2021 season with inter-county February start and July All-Ireland finals". The 42. Retrieved 21 December 2020.

[7] "All the football and hurling championship fixtures and dates". Meath Chronicle.

[8] "Limerick and Cork set for Munster SHC semi-final showdown". The 42. 19 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.

[9] "Clare to face Wexford in qualifier Semple Stadium showdown". RTE Sport. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.

[10] "Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Semple Stadium to host quarter-finals as GAA fixtures revealed". The 42. 26 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.

[11] "85-year wait ends as Limerick topple Tipperary to win historic Munster hurling title". Limerick Leader. 18 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.

[12] Clancy, James (August 7, 2021). "Cork v Kilkenny All-Ireland Senior Hurling Semi-Final Full Preview". Cork Beo.

[13] "Canning breaks all-time scoring record but can't prevent Galway's defeat to Deise". Hogan Stand. 24 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.

[14] "Limerick dominate Sunday Game Hurling Team of the Year". Hogan Stand. 22 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.

[15] "Cian Lynch on top as Sunday Game name Hurling Team of the Year". RTE Sport. 22 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.

[16] "All-Ireland champions Limerick dominate Sunday Game Team of the Year". The 42. 22 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.

[17] "12 awards for Limerick as 2021 All-Star hurling team is named". The 42. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.

[18] "Record-breaking Limerick dominate 2021 PwC All-Stars hurling team". GAA.ie. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.

[19] "Limerick's Cian Lynch and Tyrone's Kieran McGeary named 2021 Hurler and Footballer of the Year". The 42. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.

[20] "Lynch and McGeary crowned PwC Players of the Year". GAA.ie. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.

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