<P> The All - Ireland Senior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition established by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1887 . The All - Ireland Championship is open to the top hurling teams in Ireland, with 14 teams currently participating . Originally, only the county club champions of their respective county championships were allowed to participate . However, this was changed in the 1890s when teams involving non-county championship - winning players began to emerge . Tipperary, represented by Thurles Sarsfields, won the inaugural championship, beating Galway, represented by Meelick, in the 1887 final . </P> <P> The prize for the All - Ireland champions is the Liam MacCarthy Cup . </P> <P> Kilkenny hold the record for the most victories, winning the competition thirty - six times since its inception . They have also won the competition the most times in - a-row, winning it four times from 2006 to 2009, a record they share with Cork who won it four times from 1941 to 1944 . Kilkenny have also been runners - up the most times, losing the final twenty - five times . The province of Munster has provided the most champions, with seventy - one wins between all six counties . </P> <P> The current champions are Galway who beat Waterford 0 - 26 to 2 - 17 in the 2017 final at Croke Park . </P>

When did cork last win the all ireland hurling final