The 1990 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 104th staging of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county hurling tournament. The draw for the 1990 provincial fixtures took place in November 1989. The championship began on 13 May 1990 and ended on 2 September 1990.
Tipperary were the defending champions but were defeated by Cork in the Munster final. London qualified for the championship for the first time in two years.
On 2 September 1990, Cork won the championship following a 5–15 to 2–21 defeat of Galway in the All-Ireland final. This was their 27th All-Ireland title, their first in four championship seasons.
Cork's John Fitzgibbon was the championship's top scorer with 7-09. Cork's Tony O'Sullivan was the unanimous choice for Hurler of the Year.
Championship draw
As a result of the Republic of Ireland football team qualifying for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, the Munster Council took precautions in avoiding a fixtures clash and a potential loss of revenue by changing the dates and times of their games.
Team changes
To Championship Promoted from the All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship
London (qualified)
From Championship Regraded to the All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship
Derry Kildare Westmeath
Teams Overview
A total of fifteen teams contested the championship, two fewer teams than participated in the 1989 championship.
The Leinster championship was reduced to five teams as Westmeath decided to opt out and field a team in the All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship.
The Ulster championship was reduced to just two teams as Derry also decided to field a team in the lower championship.
General information Fifteen counties will compete in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: one team from the Connacht Senior Hurling Championship, five teams in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, six teams in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship, two teams from the Ulster Senior Hurling Championship and one team from the All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship. CountyLast provincial titleLast championship titlePosition in 1989 ChampionshipCurrent championship Antrim1989—Runners-upUlster Senior Hurling Championship Clare19321914Munster quarter-finalsMunster Senior Hurling Championship Cork19861986Munster semi-finalsMunster Senior Hurling Championship Down1942—Ulster runners-upUlster Senior Hurling Championship Dublin19611938Leinster quarter-finalsLeinster Senior Hurling ChampionshipGalway19221988Semi-finalsConnacht Senior Hurling Championship Kerry18911891Munster quarter-finalsMunster Senior Hurling ChampionshipKilkenny19871983Leinster runners-upLeinster Senior Hurling Championship Laois19491915Leinster semi-finalsLeinster Senior Hurling ChampionshipLimerick19811973Munster semi-finalsMunster Senior Hurling ChampionshipLondon—1901All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship Offaly19891985Semi-finalsLeinster Senior Hurling ChampionshipTipperary19891989ChampionsMunster Senior Hurling ChampionshipWaterford19631959Munster runners-upMunster Senior Hurling ChampionshipWexford19771968Leinster semi-finalsLeinster Senior Hurling Championship
Team summaries TeamGroundsAntrimCasement ParkClareCusack ParkCorkPáirc Uí ChaoimhDownPáirc EslerDublinParnell ParkGalwayPearse StadiumKerryAustin Stack ParkKilkennyNowlan ParkLaoisO'Moore ParkLimerickGaelic GroundsLondonEmerald GAA GroundsOffalySt. Brendan's ParkTipperarySemple StadiumWaterfordWalsh ParkWexfordWexford Park
Provincial championships Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
Bracket
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Leinster final
Munster Senior Hurling Championship
Ulster Senior Hurling Championship
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
Bracket
All-Ireland quarter-finals
All-Ireland semi-finals
All-Ireland final
Championship statistics Scoring First goal of the championship: Shane Fitzgibbon for Limerick against Clare (Munster quarter-final, 13 May 1990) Widest winning margin: 16 points Cork 4–15 : 1–8 Waterford (Munster semi-final, 3 June 1990) Offaly 4–15 : 1–8 Kilkenny (Leinster semi-final, 17 June 1990) Most goals in a match: 7 Wexford 2–23 : 5–4 Laois (Leinster quarter -final, 27 May 1990) Cork 5–15 : 2–21 Galway (All-Ireland final, 2 September 1990) Most points in a match: 37 Tipperary 2–20 : 1–17 Limerick (Munster semi-final, 10 June 1990) Most goals by one team in a match: 5 Laois 5–4 : 2–23 Wexford (Leinster quarter -final, 27 May 1990) Cork 5–15 : 2–21 Galway (All-Ireland final, 2 September 1990) Most goals scored by a losing team: 5 Laois 5–4 : 2–23 Wexford (Leinster quarter -final, 27 May 1990) Most points scored by a losing team: 21 Galway 2–21 : 5–15 Cork (All-Ireland final, 2 September 1990)
Miscellaneous
Cork were the first county since Tipperary in 1900 to be All-Ireland Champions in both football and hurling, 100 years after becoming the first team to do so in 1890. Tipperary (1895 and 1900) and Cork (1890 and 1990) are the only counties to have won the All-Ireland football and hurling champions in the same season.
Top scorers Season Rank Player County Tally Total Matches Average1John FitzgibbonCork7-093056.002Joe CooneyGalway1–242739.003Kevin HennessyCork5–112655.204Mark FoleyCork3–122154.205Ger FitzGeraldCork2–111753.406Tony O'SullivanCork0–161653.207Gary KirbyLimerick0–151527.508Nicky EnglishTipperary1–111427.00John HolohanWexford0–141427.0010Michael ClearyTipperary1-081125.50
Single game Rank Player County Tally Total Opposition1Mark FoleyCork2-0713Tipperary2John HolohanWexford0–1212Laois3Joe CooneyGalway1-0710Cork4Ger FitzGeraldCork2-039WaterfordKevin HennessyCork2-039WaterfordJoe CooneyGalway0-099London5Kevin HennessyCork2-028KerryJohn FitzgibbonCork2-028AntrimMichael ClearyTipperary1-058CorkJoe CooneyGalway0-088Offaly
Broadcasting
The following matches were broadcast live on television in Ireland on RTÉ. In the United Kingdom Channel 4 broadcast live coverage of the All-Ireland final. Highlights of a number of other games were shown on The Sunday Game.
Round RTÉ Channel 4 All-Ireland semi-finalsCork vs AntrimGalway vs Offaly All-Ireland finalCork vs GalwayCork 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). Nolan, Pat, Flashbacks: A Half Century of Cork Hurling (The Collins Press, 2000). Sweeney, Éamonn, Munster Hurling Legends (The O'Brien Press, 2002).
References