1969 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1969 was the 83rd staging of Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition. Kilkenny won the championship, beating Cork 2-15 to 2-9 in the final at Croke Park, Dublin.

1969 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

Championship details
Dates	25 May - 7 September 1969
Teams	13
All-Ireland champions
Winning team	Kilkenny (17th win)
Captain	Eddie Keher
All-Ireland Finalists
Losing team	Cork
Captain	Denis Murphy
Provincial champions
Munster	Cork
Leinster	Kilkenny
Ulster	Not Played
Connacht	Not Played
Championship statistics
No. matches played	12
Top Scorer	Paddy Molloy (8-18)
Player of the Year	Ted Carroll
All-Star Team	See here
← 1968 1970 →

The championship

Participating counties

Province	County	Most recent success
		All-Ireland	Provincial
Leinster	Dublin	1938	1961
	Kilkenny	1967	1967
	Laois	1915	1949
	Offaly
	Westmeath
	Wexford	1968	1968
Munster	Clare	1914	1932
	Cork	1966	1966
	Galway	1923	1922
	Limerick	1940	1955
	Tipperary	1965	1968
	Waterford	1959	1963
Britain	London	1901

Format

Leinster Championship

First round: (1 match) This is a single match between two of the weaker teams drawn from the province of Leinster. One team is eliminated at this stage, while the winners advance to the quarter-final.

Quarter-final: (1 match) This is a single match between the winner of the first round and another team drawn from the province of Leinster. One team is eliminated at this stage, while the winners advance to the semi-finals.

Semi-finals: (2 matches) The winners of the quarter-final join three other Leinster teams to make up the semi-final pairings. Two teams are eliminated at this stage, while two teams advance to the Leinster final.

Final: (1 match) The winners of the two semi-finals contest this game. One team is eliminated at this stage, while the winners advance to the All-Ireland semi-final.

Munster Championship

Quarter-final: (2 matches) These are two lone matches between the first four teams drawn from the province of Munster. Two teams are eliminated at this stage, while two teams advance to the semi-finals.

Semi-finals: (2 matches) The winners of the two quarter-finals join the other two Munster teams to make up the semi-final pairings. Two teams are eliminated at this stage, while two teams advance to the final.

Final: (1 match) The winners of the two semi-finals contest this game. One team is eliminated at this stage, while the winners advance to the All-Ireland final.

All-Ireland Championship

Semi-final: (1 match) This is a lone match between London and the Leinster champions. One team is eliminated at this stage, while the winner advances to the All-Ireland final.

Final: (1 match) The semi-final winner and the Munster champions contest the final.

Fixtures

Munster Senior Hurling Championship

June 1
Quarter-Final

Waterford	1-12 – 3-18	Tipperary
T. Walsh (0-9), M. Hickey (2-1), P. Enright (0-1), D. Mahon (0-1).		J. Doyle (1-8), M. Keating (1-5), J. Flanagan (1-1), M. Roche (0-2), S. McLoughlin (0-1), F. Loughnane (0-1).

Walsh Park Waterford

Referee: M. Slattery (Clare)

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June 15
Quarter-Final

Cork	3-8 – 1-4	Clare
C. McCarthy (3-1), E. O'Brien (0-3), P. Hegarty (0-2), C. Cullinane (0-1), W. Walsh (0-1).		T. Ryan (0-4), L. Danaher (1-0).

Thurles Sportsfield, Thurles

Attendance: 21,200

Referee: S. O'Connor (Limerick)

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June 22
Semi-Final

Tipperary	0-14 – 2-5	Limerick
J. Doyle (0-5), M. Keating (0-4), F. Loughnane (0-3), D. Nealon (0-1), J. Flanagan (0-1).		T. Bluett (2-0), E. Cregan (0-3), M. Dowling (0-1), A. Dunworth (0-1).

Cork Athletic Grounds Cork

Referee: M. Slattery (Clare)

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June 29
Semi-Final

Cork	3-15 – 1-10	Galway
C. McCarthy (1-5), C. Cullinane (1-2), W. Walsh (1-2), P. Hegarty (0-3), G. McCarthy (0-2), D. Coughlan (0-1).		J. Connolly (0-4), B. O'Connor (1-0), P. Mitchell (0-2), D. Coen (0-2), M. O'Connor (0-1), P. Fahy (0-1).

Gaelic Grounds, Limerick

Attendance: 10,000

Referee: G. Fitzgerald (Limerick)

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July 27
Final

Cork	4-6 – 0-9	Tipperary
W. Walsh (3-0), C. McCarthy (1-1), P. Hegarty (0-2), D. Coughlan (0-2), T. Ryan (0-1).		J. Doyle (0-5), J. Flanagan (0-1), S. McLoughlin (0-1), N. O'Dwyer (0-1), P. J. Ryan (0-1).

Gaelic Grounds, Limerick

Attendance: 43,569

Referee: S. O'Connor (Limerick)

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Leinster Senior Hurling Championship

May 25
First Round

Laois	5-12 – 0-1	Westmeath
P. Bates (2-4), J. Cuddy (1-1), G. Conroy (1-1), T. Keenan (1-1), J. Lyons (0-2), J. Dooley (0-1), P. Dowling (0-1), E. Jones (0-1).		P. Bradley (0-1).

O'Connor Park, Tullamore

Referee: J. Dowling (Offaly)

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June 15
Quarter-Final

Laois	2-5 – 8-10	Offaly
C. O'Brien (2-0), P. Bates (0-3), P. Dowling (0-2).		P. Molloy (5-4), T. Dooley (2-0), W. Gorman (1-1), J. Healion (0-3), G. Burke (0-1), P. Mulhaire (0-1).

O'Moore Park, Portlaoise

Referee: P. Johnston (Kilkenny)

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June 22
Semi-Final

Kilkenny	2-20 – 2-6	Dublin
E. Keher (1-10), P. Moran (1-0), M. Lawlor (0-3), P. Lawlor (0-3), J. Kinsella (0-2), J. Millea (0-1), P. Delaney (0-1).		J. Dolan (1-1), N. Kinsella (1-0), E. Flynn (0-3), A. Loughnane (0-1), D. Foley (0-1).

Wexford Park, Wexford

Attendance: 5,000

Referee: B. Stack (Laois)

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June 29
Semi-Final

Offaly	5-10 – 3-11	Wexford
P. Molloy (3-4), J. Flaherty (1-3), W. Gorman (1-1), G. Burke (0-1), P. J. Whelehan (0-1).		T. Doran (2-3), M. Botler (1-1), P. Lynch (0-3), C. Jacob (0-2), W. Murphy (0-1), P. Sinnott (0-1).

Croke Park, Dublin

Referee: J. Rankin (Laois)

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July 20
Final

Kilkenny	3-9 – 0-16	Offaly
P. Delaney (3-0), E. Keher (0-5), M. Brennan (0-2), J. Millea (0-1), J. Lynch (0-1).		P. Molloy (0-8), J. Flaherty (0-3), D. Hanniffy (0-2), P. Mulhaire (0-1), J. Kirwan (0-1), J. Healion (0-1).

Croke Park, Dublin

Referee: J. Gray (Dublin)

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All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

August 17
Semi-Final

Kilkenny	3-22 – 1-10	London
Fr. T. Murphy (3-1), E. Keher (0-12), P. Kavanagh (0-3), P. Delaney (0-2), F. Cummins (0-1), S. Buckley (0-1), J. Millea (0-1), S. Cleere (0-1).		J. Bennett (0-5), T. Connolly (1-0), B. Barry (0-3), N. Power (0-1), P. Fahy (0-1).

Croke Park, Dublin

Referee: A. Higgins (Galway)

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September 7
Final

Kilkenny	2-15 – 2-9	Cork
E. Keher (0-8), M. Brennan (1-1), J. Millea (1-0), M. Coogan (0-3), P. Kavanagh (0-1), P. Moran (0-1), M. Lawler (0-1).		C. McCarthy (1-6), P. Hegarty (1-1), E. O'Brien (0-1), G. McCarthy (0-1).

Croke Park, Dublin

Attendance: 66,844

Referee: S. O'Connor (Limerick)

Kilkenny

Cork

Championship statistics

Scoring

• Hat-trick heroes:
  • First hat-trick of the championship: Charlie McCarthy for Cork against Clare (Munster quarter-final)
  • Second hat-trick of the championship: Paddy Molloy for Offaly against Laois (Leinster quarter-final)
  • Third hat-trick of the championship: Paddy Molloy for Offaly against Wexford (Leinster semi-final)
  • Fourth hat-trick of the championship: Willie Walsh for Cork against Tipperary (Munster final)
  • Fifth hat-trick of the championship:Fr. Tom Walsh for Kilkenny against London (All-Ireland semi-final)
• Widest winning margin: 26 points
  • Laois 5-12 : 0-1 Westmeath (Leinster first round)
• Most goals in a match: 10
  • Offaly 8-10 : 2-5 Laois (Leinster quarter-final)
• Most points in a match: 32
  • Kilkenny 3-22 : 1-10 London (All-Ireland semi-final)
• Most goals by one team in a match: 8
  • Offaly 8-10 : 2-5 Laois (Leinster quarter-final)
• Most goals scored by a losing team: 3
  • Wexford 3-11 : 5-10 Offaly (Leinster semi-final)
• Most points scored by a losing team: 12
  • Waterford 1-12 : 3-18 Tipperary(Munster quarter-final)

Miscellaneous

• Offaly reach the Leinster final for the first time since 1928.
• Kilkenny's 2-15 to 2-9 victory over Cork in the All-Ireland final was their biggest triumph over their archrivals since the 1905 All-Ireland final. The score on that occasion was 7-7 to 2-9.

Top scorers

Season

Rank	Player	County	Tally	Total	Matches	Average
1	Paddy Molloy	Offaly	8-18	42	3	14.00
2	Eddie Keher	Kilkenny	1-35	38	4	9.50
3	Charlie McCarthy	Cork	6-13	31	4	7.75
4	Jimmy Doyle	Tipperary	1-18	21	3	7.00
5	Willie Walsh	Cork	4-03	15	4	3.75
6	Paddy Bates	Laois	2-07	13	2	6.50
7	Pat Delaney	Kilkenny	3-03	12	4	3.00
	Michael Keating	Tipperary	1-09	12	3	4.00
8	Pat Hegarty	Cork	1-08	11	4	2.75
9	Tom Murphy	Kilkenny	3-01	10	2	5.00

Single game

Rank	Player	County	Tally	Total	Opposition
1	Paddy Molloy	Offaly	5-05	19	Laois
2	Paddy Molloy	Offaly	3-04	13	Wexford
	Eddie Keher	Kilkenny	1-10	13	Dublin
4	Eddie Keher	Kilkenny	0-12	12	London
5	Jimmy Doyle	Tipperary	1-08	11	Waterford
6	Charlie McCarthy	Tipperary	3-01	10	Clare
	Tom Murphy	Kilkenny	3-01	10	London
	Paddy Bates	Laois	2-04	10	Westmeath
9	Willie Walsh	Cork	3-00	9	Tipperary
	Pat Delaney	Kilkenny	3-00	9	Offaly
	Tony Doran	Wexford	2-03	9	Offaly
	Charlie McCarthy	Cork	1-06	9	Kilkenny
	Tom Walsh	Waterford	0-09	9	Tipperary

Debutantes

The following players made their début in the 1969 championship:

Player	Team	Date	Opposition	Game
Paschal Russell	Clare	June 15	Cork	Munster quarter-final
Dónal Clifford	Cork	June 15	Clare	Munster quarter-final
Charlie Cullinane	Cork	June 15	Clare	Munster quarter-final
Pat Hegarty	Cork	June 15	Clare	Munster quarter-final
Tony Maher	Cork	June 15	Clare	Munster quarter-final
Roger Tuohy	Cork	June 15	Clare	Munster quarter-final
Willie Walsh	Cork	June 15	Clare	Munster quarter-final
Pat Delaney	Kilkenny	June 22	Dublin	Leinster semi-final
Mick Lawler	Kilkenny	June 22	Dublin	Leinster semi-final
Joe Millea	Kilkenny	June 22	Dublin	Leinster semi-final
Ray Cummins	Cork	July 27	Tipperary	Munster final
Séamus Looney	Cork	September 7	Kilkenny	All-Ireland final
Joe Murphy	Cork	September 7	Kilkenny	All-Ireland final

Retirees

The following players played their last game in the 1969 championship:

Player	Team	Last Game	Date	Opposition	Début
Naoise Jordan	Clare	Leinster final	June 15	Cork	1958
Éamonn Russell	Clare	Leinster final	June 15	Cork	1962
Tom Ryan	Clare	Leinster final	June 15	Cork	1958
Éamonn Fox	Offaly	Leinster final	July 20	Kilkenny	1963
Mick Burns	Tipperary	Munster final	July 27	Cork	1958
Seán McLoughlin	Tipperary	Munster final	July 27	Cork	1958
Donie Nealon	Tipperary	Munster final	July 27	Cork	1958
Noel O'Gorman	Tipperary	Munster final	July 27	Cork	1965
Denis Murphy	Cork	All-Ireland final	September 7	Kilkenny	1960
Joe Murphy	Cork	All-Ireland final	September 7	Kilkenny	1969
Tom Murphy	Kilkenny	All-Ireland final	September 7	Cork	1963

References

• Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists (Hodder Headline Ireland, 2005).
• Donegan, Des, The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games (DBA Publications Limited, 2005).
• Nolan, Pat, Flashbacks: A Half Century of Cork Hurling (The Collins Press, 2000).