The 2016 All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship was the 53rd staging of the All-Ireland inter-county championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1964. The championship began on 25 May 2016 and ended on 10 September 2016.
Limerick entered the championship as the defending champions. They were beaten by Tipperary in the Munster semi-final.
On 10 September 2016 Waterford won the championship following a 5-15 to 0-14 defeat of Galway in the All-Ireland final. This was their second All-Ireland title and their first in 24 championship seasons.
Format
Leinster, Munster and Ulster each organise a provincial under-21 championship. Connacht do not organise a provincial championship and are represented by Galway. The three provincial champions and Galway enter the All-Ireland semi-finals.
New trophy
In September 2016 the GAA established a new trophy named The James Nowlan Cup to be presented to the All-Ireland under-21 hurling champions.
The old trophy, the Cross of Cashel, was retired after the 2015 final having been introduced in 1967.
Provincial championships
Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship
Quarter-final
Semi-finals
Final
Ulster Under-21 Hurling Championship
Semi-finals
Final
All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship
Semi-finals
Final
Statistics
Top Scorer Overall Rank Player County Tally Total Matches Average1Patrick CurranWaterford3-3443410.752Saul McCaughanAntrim2-2127393Stephen BennettWaterford6-052345.75Emmet NolanOffaly4-112337.665Oisín KellyOffaly6-032137.006Ronan LynchLimerick1-1720210.007Chris BennettDublin2-142045.008Seán TreacyDublin3-081744.259Cormac O'DohertyDerry2-101628.00Brian MolloyGalway0-161628.00Dylan MurrayOffaly0-161635.33
Top Scorer In A Single Game
Rank Player County Tally Total Opposition1Emmet NolanOffaly2-0713KildarePatrick CurranWaterford2-0713Antrim3Chris BennettDublin2-0612WestmeathMark KavanaghLaois1-0912CarlowPatrick CurranWaterford1-0912Galway6Ronan LynchLimerick1-0811CorkSaul McCaughanAntrim1-0811Down8Oisín KellyOffaly3-0110KildareCiarán DoyleWestmeath1-0710DublinCormac O'DohertyDerry1-0710AntrimPatrick CurranWaterford0-1010ClareBrian MolloyGalway0-1010Dublin
Awards Team of the Year Jordan Henley Conor Gleeson Eoghan O'Donnell Darragh Lyons Micheál Harney Austin Gleeson Shane Barrett (Dublin) Dan Nevin Ronan Lynch Shane Barrett (Waterford) Brian Molloy Andrew Coffey Patrick Curran Stephen Bennett Niall Mitchell
References