The 1971 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 84th staging of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county hurling tournament. The championship began on 16 May 1971 and ended on 5 September 1971.
Cork were the defending champions but were defeated by Limerick in the Munster semi-final. Antrim, who won the All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship in 1970, were promoted to the senior championship after a long absence.
The All-Ireland final was played at Croke Park in Dublin on 5 September 1971 between Tipperary and Kilkenny, in what was their 16th championship meeting overall and a first meeting in the All-Ireland final four years. Tipperary won the match by 5âÂÂ17 to 5âÂÂ14 to claim their 22nd All-Ireland title overall and a first title in six years.
Kilkenny's Eddie Keher was the championship's top scorer with 4âÂÂ43. Tipperary's Michael 'Babs' Keating was the choice for Texaco Hurler of the Year.
The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1971 was run on a provincial basis as usual. It was a knockout tournament with pairings drawn at random in the respective provinces â there were no seeds.
Each match was played as a single leg. If a match was drawn there was a replay. If both sides were still level at the end of that game another replay had to take place.
Quarter-final: (1 match) This was a single match between the first two teams drawn from the province of Munster.
Semi-finals: (2 matches) The winner of the lone quarter-final joined the other three Munster teams to make up the semi-final pairings.
Final: (1 match) The winner of the two semi-finals contested this game.
First round: (1 match) This was a single match between two of the 'weaker' teams drawn from the province of Leinster.
Quarter-finals: (2 matches) The winner of the first-round game joined three other Leinster teams to make up the two quarter-final pairings.
Semi-finals: (2 matches) The winners of the two quarter-finals joined Kilkenny and Wexford, who received a bye to this stage, to make up the semi-final pairings.
Final: (1 match) The winner of the two semi-finals contested this game.
Quarter-final: (1 match) This was a single match between Antrim and Galway, two teams who faced no competition in their respective provinces.
Semi-finals: (2 matches) The winner of the lone quarter-final joined London and the Munster and Leinster champions to make up the semi-final pairings. The provincial champions were drawn in opposite semi-finals.
Final: (1 match) The winner of the two semi-finals contested this game.
First roundQuarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Quarter-finalsSemi-finals
Final
The following players made their début in the 1971 championship:
The following players played their last game in the 1971 championship: