1 1 1 th ▁st aging ▁of ▁Ireland ' s ▁premier ▁hur ling ▁competition . ▁ ▁Cla re ▁won ▁the ▁championship , ▁be ating ▁Ti pper ary ▁ 0 - 2 0 ▁to ▁ 2 - 1 3 ▁ ▁in ▁the ▁final ▁at ▁Cro ke ▁Park , ▁Dublin . ▁ ▁Pre - ch ampion ship ▁ ▁The ▁' back - door ' ▁system ▁ ▁Since ▁its ▁in ception ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 7 ▁the ▁championship ▁had ▁been ▁played ▁on ▁a ▁straight ▁knock - out ▁basis . ▁ ▁If ▁any ▁team ▁was ▁defeated ▁at ▁any ▁stage ▁of ▁the ▁provincial ▁or ▁All - I reland ▁compet itions ▁it ▁meant ▁automatic ▁elim ination . ▁ ▁This ▁system ▁was ▁de emed ▁the ▁fair est ▁as ▁the ▁All - I reland ▁champions ▁would ▁always ▁be ▁the ▁team ▁who ▁won ▁all ▁of ▁their ▁games . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁some ▁problems ▁with ▁this ▁system . ▁ ▁Over ▁the ▁years ▁Gal way ▁had ▁become ▁the ▁only ▁cred ible ▁hur ling ▁team ▁in ▁Con n acht , ▁thus ▁giving ▁them ▁an ▁automatic ▁pass ▁into ▁the ▁All - I reland ▁semi - final s ▁every ▁year . ▁ ▁Similarly ▁in ▁Ul ster ▁there ▁were ▁many ▁problems ▁as ▁hur ling ▁was ▁much ▁we aker ▁and ▁conf ined ▁to ▁a ▁small ▁few ▁count ies ▁in ▁the ▁north - east ▁of ▁the ▁province . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁the ▁Hur ling ▁Development ▁Committee ▁began ▁investig ating ▁a ▁way ▁of ▁impro ving ▁hur ling ▁in ▁general ▁and ▁rev amp ing ▁the ▁championship .