The 1948 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 62nd staging of the All-Ireland hurling championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1887. The championship began on 16 May 1948 and ended on 5 September 1948.
Kilkenny entered the championship as the defending champions, however, they were beaten by Laois in the Leinster semi-finals.
The All-Ireland final was played on 5 September 1948 at Croke Park in Dublin, between Waterford and Dublin, in what was their second meeting in the final overall and a first meeting in the final in 10 years. Waterford won the match by 6–07 to 4–02 to claim their first ever All-Ireland title
Format
The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was run on a provincial basis as usual. All games were played on a knockout basis whereby once a team lost they were eliminated from the championship. The format for the All-Ireland series of games ran as follows: The winners of the Leinster Championship advanced directly to the first All-Ireland semi-final. The winners of the Munster Championship advanced directly to the second All-Ireland semi-final. Antrim, the representatives from the Ulster Championship, were drawn to play the Leinster champions in the All-Ireland semi-final. Galway, a team who faced no competition in the Connacht Championship, entered the championship at the All-Ireland semi-final stage where they were drawn to play the Munster champions.
Provincial championships Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
First round
Semi-finals
Final
Munster Senior Hurling Championship
First round
Semi-finals
Final
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship All-Ireland semi-finals
All-Ireland Final
Championship statistics Top scorers
Overall
Rank Player County Tally Total Matches Average1John KeaneWaterford4-082045.00Jimmy KennedyTipperary4-082045.002Mickey WilliamsDublin6-011944.753Jim PriorDublin5-021744.254Seán Óg Ó CeallacháinDublin3-071644.005Nicky RackardWexford4-031527.506Fint MoloneyLaois4-011334.66Harry GrayLaois2-071334.667Jackie PowerLimerick4-001226.00Paddy LalorLaois4-001234.00
In a single game
Rank Player County Tally Total Opposition1Nicky RackardWexford4-0012Offaly2Jim PriorDublin3-0211Antrim3Liam WhiteLaois2-0410Westmeath4Paddy LalorLaois3-009KilkennyJackie PowerLimerick3-009TipperaryWillie McAllisterClare3-009WaterfordMickey WilliamsDublin3-009Antrim5John KeaneWaterford2-028DublinJimmy KennedyDublin2-028Waterford6Paddy KehoeWexford2-017OffalyMickey WilliamsDublin2-017LaoisJim DevittTipperary2-017LimerickJack LynchCork2-017LimerickChristy RingCork1-047WaterfordSeán Óg Ó CeallacháinDublin1-047AntrimJosie GallagherGalway1-047Waterford
Sources Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists (Hodder Headline Ireland, 2005). Donegan, Des, The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games (DBA Publications Limited, 2005).