1975 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1975 was the 89th staging of Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition. Kilkenny won the championship, beating Galway 2-22 to 2-10 in the final at Croke Park, Dublin.

1975 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

Championship details
Dates	1 June - 7 September 1975
Teams	13
All-Ireland champions
Winning team	Kilkenny (20th win)
Captain	Billy Fitzpatrick
All-Ireland Finalists
Losing team	Galway
Captain	John Connolly
Provincial champions
Munster	Cork
Leinster	Kilkenny
Ulster	Not Played
Connacht	Not Played
Championship statistics
No. matches played	14
Top Scorer	Eddie Keher (4-23)
Player of the Year	Liam 'Chunky' O'Brien
All-Star Team	See here
← 1974 1976 →

Rule change

As a result of a decision taken at the Gaelic Athletic Association's (GAA) annual congress the previous year, as of 1975 all provincial finals, All-Ireland semi-finals and the All-Ireland final itself were reduced to 70 minutes playing time. Prior to this all championship matches were eighty minutes in duration for the past 5 years.

The championship

Format

Munster Championship

First round: (1 match) This is a single match between the first two teams drawn from the province of Munster. One team is eliminated at this stage while the winners advance to the semi-finals.

Semi-finals: (2 matches) The winner of the first round joins the other three Munster teams to make up the semi-final pairings. Two teams are eliminated at this stage while the winners advance to the final.

Final: (1 match) The winner 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.

Leinster Championship

First round: (2 matches) These are two matches between the first four teams drawn from the province of Leinster. Two teams are eliminated at this stage while the winners advance to the semi-finals.

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

All-Ireland Championship

Quarter-final: (1 match) This is a single match between Galway and the winners of the All-Ireland 'B' championship. One team is eliminated at this stage while the winners advance to the semi-final.

Semi-final: (1 match) This is a single match between the Munster champions and the winners of the quarter-final. One team is eliminated at this stage while the winners advance to the final.

Final: (1 match) The winners of the semi-final and the Leinster champions contest this game.

Provincial championships

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship

June 1, 1975
First Round

Dublin	6-7 – 1-3	Laois
M. Bermingham (3-4), P. J. Holden (1-1), V. Holden (1-0), T. Grealish (1-0), R. Walsh (0-1), M. Reidy (0-1).		J. Kirwan (1-0), M. Mahon (0-1), M. Walsh (0-1), M. Dunphy (0-1).

Geraldine Park, Athy

Referee: N. Matthews (Waterford)

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June 22, 1975
First Round

Offaly	6-6 – 4-12	Kildare
B. Moylan (4-4), P. Mulhaire (2-0), M. Cleere (0-2).		P. White (1-10), M. Moore (2-0), T. White (1-0), R. Burke (0-2).

O'Moore Park, Portlaoise

Referee: J. Rankins (Laois)

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June 30, 1975
Semi-Final

Kilkenny	3-16 – 1-7	Dublin
E. Keher (1-8), L. O'Brien (1-0), M. Brennan (1-0), K. Purcell (0-3), M. Crotty (0-3), B. Fitzpatrick (0-1), B. Cody (0-1).		M. Bermingham (1-1), P. Quigley (0-4), T. Grealish (0-1), V. Holden (0-1).

Wexford Park, Wexford

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July 7, 1975
First Round Replay

Offaly	1-14 – 0-11	Kildare
B. Moylan (0-9), J. Egan (1-0), M. Cleere (0-3), D. Hanniffy (0-1), P. Horan (0-1).		B. Burke (0-3), M. Moore (0-2), T. Guinan (0-1), J. O'Leary (0-1), Tony Carew (0-1), Tommy Carew (0-1), T. White (0-1), J. O'Connell (0-1).

Nowlan Park, Kilkenny

Referee: J. Rankins (Laois)

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July 13, 1975
Semi-Final

Wexford	1-29 – 1-18	Offaly
S. Kinsella (1-8), M. Quigley (0-5), J. Quigley (0-4), T. Byrne (0-3), M. Casey (0-3), T. Doran (0-2), D. Bernie (0-2), C. Kehoe (0-1), C. Doran (0-1).		B. Moylan (0-9), G. Mooney (1-2), B. Coolahan (0-2), P. Horan (0-1), J. Kelly (0-1), M. Clarke (0-1), D. Hanniffy (0-1), P. Mulhaire (0-1).

Croke Park, Dublin

Referee: P. Johnston (Kilkenny)

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August 3, 1975
Final

Kilkenny	2-20 – 2-14	Wexford
E. Keher (1-8), L. O'Brien (0-4), B. Fitzpatrick (0-3), M. Crotty (0-2), M. Brennan (0-1), K. Purcell (0-1), F. Cummins (0-1).		N. Buggy (1-7), T. Doran (1-0), M. Quigley (0-2), J. Murphy (0-2), C. Keogh (0-1), T. Byrne (0-1), M. Casey (0-1).

Croke Park, Dublin

Attendance: 26,228

Referee: J. Rankins (Laois)

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Munster Senior Hurling Championship

June 8, 1975
First Round

Waterford	0-6 – 4-15	Cork
J. Galvin (0-2), M. Ormonde (0-2), P. O'Grady (0-1), A. Reide (0-1).		C. McCarthy (2-1), S. O'Leary (1-2), G. McCarthy (1-2), J. Barry-Murphy (0-5), E. O'Donoghue (0-2), R. Cummins (0-1), D. Allen (0-1), C. Roche (0-1).

Walsh Park, Waterford

Referee: J. O'Grady (Limerick)

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June 29, 1975
Semi-Final

Cork	3-14 – 1-9	Clare
S. O'Leary (2-2), G. McCarthy (0-5), C. McCarthy (1-1), R. Cummins (0-3), D. Allen (0-2), J. Barry-Murphy (0-1).		T. Ryan (1-0), C. Honan (0-3), J. McNamara (0-3), M. Moroney (0-2), J. Callinan (0-1).

Gaelic Grounds, Limerick

Referee: J. O'Grady (Limerick)

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July 6, 1975
Semi-Final

Tipperary	3-13 – 2-16	Limerick
M. Keating (2-3), F. Loughnane (1-3), J. Flanagan (0-3), S. Hogan (0-1), P. J. Ryan (0-1), F. Murphy (0-1), T. Butler (0-1).		R. Bennis (1-6), F. Nolan (0-4), G. Moloney (1-0), E. Grimes (0-3), L. O'Donoghue (0-2), J. Neenan (0-1).

Semple Stadium, Thurles

Attendance: 25,000

Referee: N. Dalton (Waterford)

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July 20, 1975
Semi-Final Replay

Limerick	0-17 – 1-10	Tipperary
R. Bennis (0-9), L. O'Donoghue (0-2), E. Grimes (0-2), N. Rea (0-2), E. Cregan (0-1), J. McKenna (0-1).		J. Flanagan (0-6), F. Murphy (1-1), F. Loughnane (0-1), M. Keating (0-1), P. J. Ryan (0-1).

Gaelic Grounds, Limerick

Attendance: 32,000

Referee: N. Dalton (Waterford)

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July 27, 1975
Final

Limerick	0-12 – 3-14	Cork
R. Bennis (0-6), E. Grimes (0-2), J. Meenan (0-1), F. Nolan (0-1), J. McKenna (0-1), L. O'Donoghue (0-1).		C. McCarthy (1-5), J. Barry-Murphy (1-2), W. Walsh (1-1), R. Cummins (0-3), D. Allen (0-2), S. O'Leary (0-1).

Gaelic Grounds, Limerick

Attendance: 46,851

Referee: J. Moloney (Tipperary)

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All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

All-Ireland quarter-finals

July 6, 1975
Quarter-Final

Westmeath	1-8 – 6-14	Galway
M. Flanagan (1-2), P. Jackson (1-0, own goal), P. Curran (0-2), J. Keary (0-1), E. Clarke (0-1), M. Carr (0-1), M. Fagan (0-1).		P. Fahy (2-0), P. J. Qualter (1-3), J. Connolly (1-3), M. Barrett (1-0), M. Connolly (0-3), P. J. Molloy (0-2), F. Burke (0-1).

Páirc Chiaráin, Athlone

Attendance: 7,000

Referee: M. Spain (Offaly)

All-Ireland semi-finals

August 17, 1975
Semi-Final

Galway	4-15 – 2-19	Cork
G. Coone (1-3), P. J. Qualter (1-2), J. Connolly (1-1), F. Burke (1-0), P. J. Molloy (0-3), P. Fahy (0-3), M. Connolly (0-3).		C. Roche (1-5), J. Barry-Murphy (1-1), S. O'Leary (0-4), G. McCarthy (0-3), C. McCarthy (0-2), E. O'Donoghue (0-1), R. Cummins (0-1), W. Walsh (0-1), D. Allen (0-1).

Croke Park, Dublin

Attendance: 27,020

Referee: M. Spain (Offaly)

All-Ireland final

Main article: 1975 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final

September 7, 1975
Final

Kilkenny	2-22 – 2-10	Galway
E. Keher (2-7), L. O'Brien (0-5), M. Crotty (0-5), M. Brennan (0-2), P. Delaney (0-1), P. Henderson (0-1), F. Cummins (0-1).		G. Coone (0-6), F. Burke (1-0), P. J. Qualter (1-0), P. J. Molloy (0-3), J. Connolly (0-1).

Croke Park, Dublin

Attendance: 63,711

Referee: S. O'Connor (Limerick)

Kilkenny

Galway

Championship statistics

Miscellaneous

• All championship games were reduced from eighty to seventy minutes.
• The All-Ireland semi-final saw Galway defeat Cork for the very first time in the history of the championship. It was also Cork's first-ever defeat in an All-Ireland semi-final.
• The All-Ireland final between Galway and Kilkenny was the first time that these two sides met at this stage of the championship.
• It was revealed after the All-Ireland final that Kilkenny's Liam 'Chunky' O'Brien had two teeth extracted on the day before the final and had to call a doctor to his home at 1 a.m. on the Sunday morning to stop a gum haemorrhage.

Top scorers

Season

Rank	Player	County	Tally	Total	Matches	Average
1	Eddie Keher	Kilkenny	4-23	35	3	11.66
2	Barney Moylan	Offaly	4-22	34	3	11.33
3	Richie Bennis	Limerick	1-21	24	3	8.00
4	Charlie McCarthy	Cork	4-9	21	4	5.25
5	Seánie O'Leary	Cork	4-8	20	4	5.00
6	Mick Bermingham	Dublin	4-5	17	2	8.50
7	Jimmy Barry-Murphy	Cork	2-9	15	4	3.75
8	P. J. Qualter	Galway	3-5	14	3	4.66
9	Pat White	Kildare	1-10	13	2	6.50
10	Liam O'Brien	Kilkenny	1-9	12	3	4.00
	Gerry Coone	Galway	1-9	12	3	4.00

Single game

Rank	Player	County	Tally	Total	Opposition
1	Barney Moylan	Offaly	4-4	16	Kildare
2	Mick Bermingham	Dublin	3-4	13	Laois
	Eddie Keher	Kilkenny	2-7	13	Galway
	Pat White	Kildare	1-10	13	Offaly
5	Eddie Keher	Kilkenny	1-8	11	Dublin
	Seánie Kinsella	Wexford	1-8	11	Offaly
	Eddie Keher	Kilkenny	1-8	11	Wexford
8	Ned Buggy	Wexford	1-7	10	Kilkenny
9	Michael 'Babs' Keating	Tipperary	2-3	9	Limerick
	Richie Bennis	Limerick	1-6	9	Tipperary
	Barney Moylan	Offaly	0-9	9	Kildare
	Barney Moylan	Offaly	0-9	9	Wexford
	Richie Bennis	Limerick	0-9	9	Tipperary

Player facts

Debutantes

The following players made their début in the 1975 championship:

Player	Team	Date	Opposition	Game
Dinny Allen	Cork	June 8	Waterford	Munster quarter-final
Jimmy Barry-Murphy	Cork	June 8	Waterford	Munster quarter-final

References

• Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists (Hodder Headline Ireland, 2005).
• Donegan, Des, The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games (DBA Publications Limited, 2005).