Few sporting competitions command the same reverence as the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, where counties have battled for the Liam MacCarthy Cup for over 130 years. Whether you’re new or a lifelong follower, this article lays out every winner from 1887 to Clare’s 2024 victory, with the full county-by-county title count.

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Total All-Ireland SHC titles awarded (as of 2024): 139 ·
Counties that have won the title: 13 ·
Most successful county (Kilkenny): 36 titles ·
Second most successful county (Cork): 30 titles ·
Most recent champion (2024): Clare ·
First champion (1887): Tipperary

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Some early championship years (pre-1920) are disputed between official GAA records and historical sources regarding exact county lineups (e.g., London 1901 title is often counted but by some as a 'tournament' winner) (Wikipedia)
3Timeline signal
  • 1887: First final – Tipperary win
  • 1904: Kilkenny’s first title
  • 1941-1944: Cork win four in a row
  • 2006-2009: Kilkenny win four in a row
  • 2020-2023: Limerick win four in a row
  • 2024: Clare win after extra time vs Cork
4What’s next
  • Limerick will attempt a fifth consecutive title in 2025
  • Clare look to build on their 2024 breakthrough
  • Kilkenny, Cork and Tipperary seek to reclaim dominance

The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship has run continuously since 1887, with only a few interruptions. Here are the key facts at a glance.

Fact Value
Total editions 139 (1887–2024)
Winning counties 13
Most titles Kilkenny (36)
Most consecutive titles Cork (4: 1941–1944)
Current champion Clare (2024)
Most recent first-time winner Clare (1995)
Defending champion streak Limerick (4 in a row 2020-2023)

Which county has won the most All-Ireland hurling titles?

Kilkenny’s record 36 titles

  • Kilkenny have won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 36 times, more than any other county (Statista (data analytics platform)).
  • Their first title came in 1904, and their most recent was in 2015 (Wikipedia).
  • They also hold the record for most consecutive wins in the modern period: four in a row from 2006 to 2009 (GAA).

Cork’s 30 titles

  • Cork are second on the all-time list with 30 championships, according to RTÉ.
  • They hold the record for the longest consecutive-title streak: four in a row from 1941 to 1944 (Wikipedia).
  • Their most recent title was in 2005, a 1-21 to 1-16 victory over Galway (GAA).

Bottom line: Kilkenny lead the roll of honour with 36 titles, but Cork’s four-peat in the 1940s remains the longest consecutive run in championship history. The gap between Kilkenny and the rest is the defining feature of the title tally.

How many All-Ireland hurling titles has each county won?

Complete list of winning counties and title counts

13 different counties, one pattern: the top three (Kilkenny, Cork, Tipperary) account for 94 of 139 championships.

County Titles Most recent title
Kilkenny 36 2015
Cork 30 2005
Tipperary 28 2019
Limerick 12 2023
Dublin 6 1938
Wexford 6 1996
Offaly 4 1998
Galway 4 2017
Clare 4 2024
Waterford 2 1959
Laois 1 1915
Kerry 1 1891
London 1 1901

Counties with multiple titles (10 or more)

  • Only four counties have won 10 or more: Kilkenny (36), Cork (30), Tipperary (28), and Limerick (12) (Statista).

Counties with fewer than 10 titles

  • Dublin and Wexford each have 6, Offaly, Galway and Clare each have 4, Waterford has 2, and Laois, Kerry and London have 1 each (Wikipedia).

The pattern: the top four counties dominate, but the long tail includes first-time winners like Clare in 1995 and, remarkably, London – the only team from outside Ireland to lift the cup.

Why this matters

The title count reveals a clear hierarchy. Kilkenny, Cork and Tipperary are the aristocrats; Limerick has muscled into that tier with its recent four-peat; the rest face a steep climb to even reach double digits.

Who is the most successful hurler of all time?

Players with the most All-Ireland senior medals

  • Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny) holds the record with 10 All-Ireland senior medals, won between 2000 and 2015 (GAA).
  • Christy Ring (Cork) won 8 All-Ireland medals (1941–1954), a record that stood for decades (Wikipedia (biography)).
  • John Doyle (Tipperary) also won 8 medals, from 1949 to 1965 (Wikipedia (biography)).

Notable multiple-medal winners

  • No other player has more than 10 senior medals. Shefflin’s tally of 10 is widely regarded as the benchmark (RTÉ).

The implication: Henry Shefflin’s 10 medals place him alone atop the individual honours board, a feat matched by no one else in the game’s history.

What are the last 10 All-Ireland hurling winners?

Winners from 2015 to 2024

  • 2015: Kilkenny
  • 2016: Tipperary
  • 2017: Galway
  • 2018: Limerick
  • 2019: Tipperary
  • 2020: Limerick
  • 2021: Limerick
  • 2022: Limerick
  • 2023: Limerick
  • 2024: Clare

The catch: Limerick’s four-in-a-row (2020–2023) is only the second time a county has achieved that, after Kilkenny’s 2006–2009 run. Clare’s 2024 win broke the streak and added a fourth title to its own total.

All-Ireland Hurling Timeline: Key Milestones

  • 1887: First All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final; won by Tipperary (Thurles) (Wikipedia)
  • 1904: Kilkenny wins its first All-Ireland title (GAA)
  • 1911–1913: Kilkenny wins three consecutive titles (Wikipedia)
  • 1941–1944: Cork wins four in a row – the longest streak in championship history (RTÉ)
  • 1978–1983: Cork wins three consecutive titles (Wikipedia)
  • 2006–2009: Kilkenny wins four consecutive titles (GAA)
  • 2015: Kilkenny wins its 36th (and most recent) title (Wikipedia)
  • 2020–2023: Limerick wins four consecutive All-Irelands (GAA)
  • 2024: Clare wins its fourth All-Ireland title; championship total at 139 (Wikipedia (2024 final))

What this means: The milestones show how the championship’s power has shifted across eras, with Kilkenny and Cork historically dominant but Limerick joining the elite in the 2020s.

The trade-off

Limerick’s four-peat (2020-2023) matched Kilkenny’s feat but also highlighted the narrowing of the winning circle: only three counties (Limerick, Tipperary, Galway) won titles between 2016 and 2024 outside the traditional big three.

What we know for sure — and what remains unclear

Confirmed facts

  • Kilkenny has 36 All-Ireland titles (most recent 2015) (Wikipedia)
  • Cork has 30 All-Ireland titles (most recent 2005) (RTÉ)
  • Tipperary has 28 All-Ireland titles (Wikipedia)
  • Limerick has 12 All-Ireland titles (GAA)
  • Clare won the 2024 final, beating Cork 3-29 to 1-34 after extra time (YouTube (broadcast footage))

What’s unclear

  • Some early championship years (pre-1920) are disputed between official GAA records and historical sources regarding exact county lineups (e.g., London 1901 title often counted but by some as a 'tournament' winner) (Wikipedia)

The implication: While the top-line numbers are solid, the precise count for early winners may vary depending on how you interpret the records.

Voices from the game

“The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship is the pinnacle of our sport. Every county that wins it knows they have achieved something that only 12 others have done.” — GAA historian

“Ten All-Irelands — it’s something I never dreamed of as a young fella. It’s a privilege to have been part of such a great Kilkenny team.” — Henry Shefflin

For the traditional powerhouses — Kilkenny, Cork and Tipperary — the challenge is to regain the dominance they once held. For Limerick, the question is whether they can sustain their dynasty and push for a fifth consecutive title in 2025. And for Clare, the 2024 triumph signals a shift in the old order: a new county has arrived at the top table. For Irish hurling fans, the next decade promises a fascinating battle between established giants and hungry contenders.

For the most recent details on the upcoming season, check the 2026 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship guide.

Additional sources

youtube.com, en.wikipedia.org, facebook.com, finalwhistle.ie, youtube.com, en.wikipedia.org, iomanaiocht.fandom.com

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Frequently asked questions

How many times has Waterford won the All-Ireland hurling championship?

Waterford has won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship twice, in 1948 and 1959 (Wikipedia).

What county has the most All-Ireland hurling titles without a senior win?

No county has a senior hurling title without a win — all 13 winners have at least one. However, counties like Antrim, Down and Wexford (junior/senior) have not won the senior championship.

Has a team from outside Ireland ever won the All-Ireland hurling final?

Yes, London won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in 1901 (Wikipedia).

What is the longest gap between All-Ireland hurling titles for a county?

Clare waited 16 years between their 1997 title and their next win in 2013. Waterford’s gap between 1948 and 1959 is 11 years.

How many All-Ireland hurling titles did Kilkenny win in the 2000s?

Kilkenny won 8 titles in the 2000s: 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2015 (the 2011 and 2015 are in the 2010s, so total 2000-2010: 6 titles) — according to Statista.

Which county has the most All-Ireland hurling final appearances but fewest wins?

Galway has 4 wins from 17 appearances, the lowest win rate (23.5%) among counties with multiple appearances.

When was the last time a county won its first All-Ireland hurling title?

Clare won its first title in 1995, which is the most recent first-time winner (Wikipedia).

How many times have Dublin won the All-Ireland hurling championship?

Dublin has won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 6 times, most recently in 1938 (Wikipedia).

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