final where Kilkenny were the opponents in the first championship decider to be played at what is now Croke Park. Tipp took a commanding 1–6 to 1–0 lead at half-time and went on to hammer "the Cats" by 6–8 to 1–10 at the final whistle. Tipperary's Paddy Riordan is said to have scored all but one point of his team's total. Tipperary were the masters of the hurling world again in 1896. After securing a second consecutive Munster title the team lined out against Dublin in the All-Ireland final. Tipp scored a goal in the very first minute and took a remarkable 4–6 to 0–1 lead at half-time. The game turned into a rout as Tipperary won easily by 8–14 to 0–4. This game still holds the record as the most one-sided All-Ireland final of all-time. Tipperary surrendered their provincial crown to Limerick in 1897, who later faced Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final. Both sides were hoping to win the All-Ireland title for the first time. "The Cats" got off to a great start and led by 2–4 to 1–1 at half-time. Limerick, however, powered on in the second half and used their new technique of hooking. They got two quick goals early in the half and scored the winning goal from a free after fifty-two minutes. At the final whistle Limerick emerged victorious by 3–4 to 2–4. It was Limerick's first All-Ireland title. Tipperary reclaimed the provincial title in 1898 and qualified for an All-Ireland final showdown with Kilkenny. In a high-scoring and exciting game Kilkenny were on top for the first twenty-five minutes. In the second-half Tipp took the upper-hand with captain Mikey Maher scoring three goals. A huge 7–13 to 3–10 score line gave Tipp the victory. After retaining the provincial title in 1899 Tipperary subsequently advanced to the All-Ireland final where Wexford provided the opposition. Wexford held Tipp for the first fifteen minutes; however, the Munster men still took a 2–6 to 1–3 lead at half-time. Tipp went on the rampage in the second half and finished with a score of 3–12 to 1–4. The Wexford team walked off the field with ten minutes left in the game because they couldn't find a substitute for an injured player. Tipp were awarded the title. In 1900 Tipperary trounced Kerry, Kilkenny and Galway to book a place in the All-Ireland final. A new innovation was introduced this year