The 2006 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 120th staging of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county hurling tournament, since its establishment in 1887. The draw for the provincial fixtures took place on 12 November 2005. The championship began on 14 May 2006 and ended on 3 September 2006 Cork entered the championship as defending champions. On 3 September 2006, Kilkenny won the championship after a 1–16 to 1–13 defeat of Cork in the All-Ireland final at Croke Park. This was their 29th All-Ireland title overall and their first title since 2003. Kilkenny's Henry Shefflin was the championship's top scorer with 2-47.

Team changes

To Championship

Promoted from the Christy Ring Cup

From Championship

Relegated to the Christy Ring Cup

Teams

General information

Twelve counties will compete in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: one team in the Connacht Senior Hurling Championship, six teams in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship and five teams in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship.

Overview

Twelve teams participated in hurling's top tier in 2006. For the first time since 1983, the Ulster champions were not represented in the wider All-Ireland series of games. Antrim, in spite of being Ulster champions in 2005, subsequently lost all of their All-Ireland qualifier games and were relegated to the Christy Ring Cup after being beaten by Offaly and Laois in the relegation play-offs.

Personnel and general information

Provincial championships

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

Munster Senior Hurling Championship

Quarter-final

Semi-finals

Final

Ulster Senior Hurling Championship

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

Cup competitions

Christy Ring Cup

Group A

Group B

Knockout stage

Nicky Rackard Cup

All-Ireland qualifiers

Group A

Results

Group B

Results

Relegation play-off

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

Bracket

All-Ireland quarter-finals

All-Ireland semi-finals

All-Ireland Final

Championship statistics

Top scorers

Overall

In a single game

Miscellaneous