The 1988–89 National Hurling League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Royal Liver National Hurling League, was the 58th season of the National Hurling League (NHL), an annual hurling competition for the GAA county teams. It was won by . This season was notable as the first to hold both semi-finals and the final at Croke Park, giving the League additional prestige.
Division 1
Tipperary came into the season as defending champions of the 1987-88 season. Antrim and Offaly entered Division 1 as the two promoted teams.
On 30 April 1989, Galway won the title after a 2-16 to 4-8 win over Tipperary. It was their first league title since 1987 and their fifth National League title overall.
Waterford were the first team to be relegated after losing all of but one of their group stage games, while Offaly suffered the same fate after losing a series of play-off games with Antrim and Wexford.
Table
PosTeamPldWDLPtsNotes1 Galway (C)770014National Hurling League champions2 Tipperary 751111National Hurling League runners-up3 Kilkenny 741294 Limerick 740385 Wexford 720546 Antrim 720547 Offaly (R)72054 Relegated to Division 28 Waterford (R)71060
Group stage
Play-offs
Knock-out stage
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Scoring statistics
Top scorers overall
Rank Player Team Tally Total1Adrian RonanKilkenny2-47532Mark CorriganOffaly0-50503Joe CooneyGalway4-37494Pat McGrathTipperary3-39485Gary KirbyLimerick2-35416Gerry BurkeGalway7-14357Olcan McFetridgeAntrim1-27308Éanna RyanGalway4-1628Danny McNaughtonAntrim2-222810Kieran DelahuntyWaterford0-2323
Top scorers in a single game
Rank Player Team Tally Total Opposition1Gary KirbyLimerick2-0612KilkennyJimmy HolohanWexford1-0912Waterford3Paddy CorriganOffaly2-0410LimerickDanny McNaughtonAntrim1-0710WexfordPat McGrathTipperary1-0710LimerickJoe CooneyGalway1-0710TipperaryPat McGrathTipperary0-1010WexfordTom DempseyWexford0-1010AntrimMark CorriganOffaly0-1010Antrim10Shane FitzgibbonLimerick3-009WexfordGerry BurkeGalway2-039OffalyAdrian RonanKilkenny1-069WaterfordGary KirbyLimerick0-099AntrimAdrian RonanKilkenny0-099Offaly
Division 2
Clare, Cork, Derry and Meath entered Division 2 as the promoted and relegated teams from the previous season.
On 12 March 1989, Dublin secured the title following a 3-7 to 1-3 win over Cork in the final round of the group stage. Cork secured promotion to Division 1 as the second-placed team.
Kerry and Derry were relegated from Division 2.
Table
PosTeamPldWDLPtsNotes1 Dublin (C)760112 Promoted to Division 12 Cork7601123 Clare 7502104 Laois 741295 Westmeath 721456 Meath 711537 Derry71153 Relegated to Division 37 Kerry71062
Group stage
Division 3
Down, Longford and Roscommon entered Division 3 as the promoted and relegated teams from the previous season.
On 12 March 1989, Down secured the title following a 7-5 to 1-9 win over Kildare in the final round of the group stage. Carlow secured promotion to Division 1 as the second-placed team.
Longford and Mayo were relegated from Division 3.
Table
PosTeamPldWDLPtsNotes1 Down (C)770014 Promoted to Division 22 Carlow7601123 Roscommon 640284 Kildare 740385 Armagh 730366 Wicklow 720547 Longford60060 Relegated to Division 47 Mayo60060
Division 4
Tyrone entered Division 4 as the relegated team from the previous season.
On 7 May 1989, Monaghan secured the title following a 4-7 to 1-9 win over Louth in the league final.
Knock-out stage
Semi-finals
Final
References