Kilkenny are back as GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Champions for the 8th time since 2000 and for the 33rd time in all after beating defending champions, Tipperary by 2-17 to 1-16 in the final, played in front of a crowd of 81,214 at Croke Park.

It was a magnificent win for Kilkenny who led all the way. A cracking goal by midfielder, Michael Fennelly helped Kilkenny to an interval lead of 1-8 to 0-6. A goal by Richie Hogan in the 49th minute put them eight points clear and while a goal by Tipperary sub, Pa Bourke, sparked a revival, the closest they came was three points before Eoin Larkin fired over the insurance point in stoppage time.

The victory brought Kilkenny's All-Ireland haul to eight under Brian Cody (2000-02-03-06-07-08-09-11) and gives them a lead of three over Cork at the top of the honours table.

How Kilkenny won their 33rd
All-Ireland title
Kilkenny 1-26 Wexford 1-15 (Leinster semi-final)
Kilkenny4-17 Dublin 1-15 (Leinster final)
Kilkenny 2-19 Waterford 1-16 (All-Ireland semi-final)
Kilkenny 2-17 Tipperary 1-16 (All-Ireland final)
Average For: 2-21; Average Against: 1-16

Kilkenny Scorers
Henry Shefflin………1-32 (0-22 frees, 0-2 '65s')
Richie Hogan………..4-4
Michael Rice………...1-8
Eoin Larkin………….1-7
Colin Fennelly……….1-5
Michael Fennelly……1-5
Richie Power………...0-7 (0-1 free)
TJ Reid………………0-5
Brian Hogan…………0-2
Eddie Brennan……….0-2
Paddy Hogan………...0-1
Paul Murphy…………0-1

Top Scorers - 2011 GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship
Dublin's Paul Ryan finished as top scorer in the 2011 senior hurling
championship. He hit 2-47, leaving him six points clear of Patrick Horgan
(Cork). The top ten were as follows:
Paul Ryan (Dublin)…………..2-47 (53pts)
Patrick Horgan (Cork)………3-38 (47pts)
Neil McManus (Antrim)…….0-43 (43pts)
Eoin Kelly (Tipperary)………4-30 (42pts)
Joe Canning (Galway)………3-31 (40pts)
Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny ……1-32 (35pts)
Lar Corbett (Tipperary)……..7-9 (30 pts)
Pauric Mahony (Waterford)…0-29 (29pts)
Declan Hannon (Limerick)……0-28 (28pts)
Shane Dooley (Offaly)…………2-22 (28pts)

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Honours Table
33: Kilkenny (1904-1905-1907-1909-1911-1912-1913-1922-1932-1933-1935- 1939-1947-1957-1963-1967-1969-1972-1974-1975-1979-1982-1983-1992- 1993-2000-2002- 2003-2006-2007-2008-2009-2011).

30: Cork (1890-1892-1893-1894-1902-1903-1919-1926-1928-1929-1931-1941-1942-1943-1944-1946- 1952-1953-1954-1966-1970-1976-1977-1978- 1984-1986-1990-1999-2004-2005).

26: Tipperary (1887-1895-1896-1898-1899-1900-1906-1908-1916-1925-1930-1937-1945-1949-1950-1951- 1958-1961-962-1964-1965-1971-1989-1991- 2001-2010)

7: Limerick (1897-1918-21-34-36-40-73).
6: Dublin (1889-1917-1920-1924-1927-1938).
6: Wexford (1910-1955-1956-1960-1968-1996)
4: Galway (1923-1980-1987-1988)
4: Offaly (1981-1985-1994-1998)
3: Clare (1914-1995-1997)
2: Waterford (1948-1959)
1: Kerry (1891)
1: Laois (1915)
1: London (1901)

GALWAY PURSUE UNDERAGE DOUBLE
With the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Hurling title secured, Galway go in search of the Bord Gáis Energy GAA Hurling U-21 crown on Saturday evening when they take on Dublin in the final in Semple Stadium, Thurles (7.00pm). Galway are seeking their 10th U-21 title while Dublin have yet to win the title.
They have appeared in the final on three occasions, losing all three to Tipperary in 1967 and to Galway in 1972 and 2007.
Galway have won the title nine times, their last success coming in 2007. Dublin will be anchored by senior stars, Liam Rushe, Daire Plunkett and Danny Sutcliffe while Galway have influential performers in David Burke, Barry Daly and Johnny Coen. Dublin had a trouble-free run to the final, beating Carlow, Offaly, Wexford and Antrim by an average margin of 16 points while Galway's sole outing was against Munster champions, Limerick, whom they beat by two
points.
Dublin and Galway met in last year's All-Ireland semi-final with the westerners winning by 2-14 to 1-10 before losing the final to Tipperary.

Previous All-Ireland U-21 title wins
9 - Galway (1972-78-83-86-91-93-96-2005-2007)
0 - Dublin

Paths to the final
Dublin 4-11 Carlow 0-11 (Leinster quarter-final)
Dublin 0-21 Offaly 0-8 (Leinster semi-final)
Dublin 1-19 Wexford 0-11 (Leinster final)
Dublin 3-23 Antrim 0-6 (All-Ireland semi-final)
***
Galway 0-22 Limerick 2-14 (All-Ireland semi-final)
Previous Dublin-Galway U-21 Finals
2007: Galway 5-11 Dublin 0-12
1972: Galway 2-9 Dublin 1-10
GAA Hurling Championships 2011 - Where the titles went
All-Ireland Senior: Kilkenny
All-Ireland Minor: Galway
All-Ireland U21: Galway or Dublin
***
Leinster Senior: Kilkenny
Leinster Minor: Dublin
Leinster U21: Dublin
***
Munster Senior: Tipperary
Munster Minor: Clare
Munster U21: Limerick
***
Ulster Senior: Antrim
Ulster Minor: Antrim
Ulster U21: Down
***
Christy Ring Cup: Kerry
Nicky Rackard Cup: London
Lory Meagher Cup: Donegal

GAA HURLING ALL-IRELAND SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 2011 RESULTS
LEINSTER
First round
May 14: Antrim 1-21 Laois 3-12, Portlaoise.
May 22: Westmeath 4-10 Carlow 1-14, Dr. Cullen Park.
Quarter-finals
May 29: Dublin 2-21 Offaly 1-20, Parnell Park; Wexford 3-16 Antrim 1-11, Wexford Park.
June 4: Galway 4-17 Westmeath 2-14, Mullingar.
Semi-finals
June 11: Kilkenny 1-26 Wexford 1-15; Wexford Park.
June 18: Dublin 0-19 Galway 2-7, Tullamore.
Final
July 3: Kilkenny 4-17 Dublin 1-15, Croke Park.

MUNSTER
Quarter-final
May 29: Tipperary 3-22 Cork 0-23, Thurles.
Semi-finals
June 12: Waterford 3-15 Limerick 3-14, Thurles.
June 19: Tipperary 4-19 Clare 1-19, Limerick.
Final
July 10: Tipperary 7-19 Waterford 0-19, Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

ULSTER
First round
May 14: Down 3-16 Donegal 1-13, Letterkenny; Derry 2-13 Tyrone 0-6,
Omagh; Armagh 5-19 Fermanagh 5-6, Enniskillen.
Quarter-finals
May 28: Down 3-19 Derry 1-9, Casement Park; Armagh 2-18 Monaghan 2-6, Newry
Semi-final
June 12: Armagh 0-14 Down 1-10, Casement Park.
Final
July 3: Antrim 2-20 Armagh 2-12, Casement Park.

ALL-IRELAND QUALIFIERS
Preliminary Round
June 18: Antrim v Westmeath; Cork 10-20 Laois 1-13.
Phase 1
June 25: Antrim 0-23 Carlow 1-12, Casement Park; Cork 2-17 Offaly 2-16,
Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Phase 2
July 2: Galway 4-25 Clare 0-20, Pearse Stadium; Limerick 1-22 Wexford 2-13, Gaelic Grounds
Phase 3
July 9: Limerick 3-22 Antrim 0-12, Parnell Park; Galway 2-23 Cork 1-14, Gaelic Grounds.

ALL-IRELAND QUARTER-FINALS
July 23: Dublin 3-13 Limerick 0-18, Thurles; Waterford 2-23 Galway 2-13, Thurles.

ALL-IRELAND SEMI-FINALS
August 7: Kilkenny 2-19 Waterford 1-16, Croke Park.
August 14: Tipperary 1-19 Dublin 0-18, Croke Park.

ALL-IRELAND FINAL
September 4: Kilkenny 2-17 Tipperary 1-16, Croke Park. Tweet

Most Read Stories