2026 National Hurling League

2026 National Hurling League

League details
Dates	24 January – 5 April, 2026
Teams	35
League champions
← 2025 2027 →

The 2026 National Hurling League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Allianz Hurling League, is the 95th staging of the National Hurling League (NHL), an annual hurling tournament for county teams. Thirty-two county teams from Ireland, and three from England, compete.^[1][2][3]

Cork are the reigning champions.^[4]

Teams by Province and Division
Province	Division 1A	Division 1B	Division 2	Division 3	Division 4	Total
Connacht	1	0	1	1	2	5
Leinster	2	4	3	2	1	12
Munster	4	1	1	0	0	6
Ulster	0	2	1	4	2	9
Britain	0	0	1	0	2	3
Total	7	7	7	7	7	35

The 2026 National Hurling League consists of five divisions of seven teams. Each team plays every other team in its division once. Two points are awarded for a win and one for a draw.

In the top division, Division 1A, teams compete to become the National Hurling League (NHL) champions. The top two teams qualify for the NHL Final.

Teams compete for promotion and relegation to a higher or lower league. In Divisions 1B, 2, 3 and 4, the first- and second-placed teams play in the divisional final and are both promoted, while the bottom two teams of divisions 1A, 1B, 2 and 3 are relegated.

As per the Official GAA Guide - Part 1 - Section 6.21^[5] -

If two teams in the same group are equal on points on completion of the league phase, the following tie-breaking criteria are applied:

1. Where two teams only are involved - the outcome of the meeting of the two teams in the previous game in the Competition;

If three or more teams in the same group are equal on points on completion of the league phase, the following tie-breaking criteria are applied:

1. Scoring Difference (subtracting the total scores against from total scores for);
2. Highest Total Score For;
3. A Play-Off.

In the event that two teams or more finish with equal points, but have been affected by a disqualification, loss of game on a proven objection, retirement or walkover, the tie shall be decided by the following means:

1. Score Difference from the games in which only the teams involved, (teams tied on points), have played each other. (subtracting the total Scores Against from total Scores For)
2. Highest Total Score For, in which only the teams involved, have played each other, and have finished equal in (i)
3. A Play-Off

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	Limerick	5	4	0	1	138	104	+34	8	Advance to NHL Final
2	Cork	5	4	0	1	130	112	+18	8
3	Tipperary	5	3	0	2	136	132	+4	6
4	Galway	5	3	0	2	131	101	+30	6
5	Kilkenny	5	2	0	3	101	124	−23	4
6	Waterford (R)	6	2	0	4	131	148	−17	4	Relegation to 2027 NHL Division 1B
7	Offaly (R)	5	0	0	5	89	135	−46	0

Waterford's game against Tipperary was postponed due to bereavement.^[22]

Overall

Rank	Player	Team	Tally	Total	Matches	Average
1	Reuben Halloran	Waterford	1-37	40	5	8.00
2	Aidan O'Connor	Limerick	0-39	39	4	9.75
3	Adam Screeney	Offaly	0-36	36	5	7.20
4	Cathal Mannion	Galway	1-27	30	4	7.50
5	Eoin Cody	Kilkenny	2-18	24	4	6.00
	Alan Connolly	Cork	1-21	24	4	6.00
7	Jason Forde	Tipperary	3-12	21	2	10.50
8	Cian Kenny	Kilkenny	0-17	17	3	5.66
9	Shane O'Brien	Limerick	1-11	14	3	4.66
	Darragh Fitzgibbon	Cork	0-14	14	4	3.50
	Aaron Niland	Galway	0-14	14	4	3.50

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	Clare (P)	6	6	0	0	194	129	+65	12	Advance to NHL Division 1B Final and promotion to 2027 NHL Division 1A
2	Dublin	5	3	1	1	165	105	+60	7
3	Wexford	5	3	1	1	131	121	+10	7
4	Kildare	5	3	0	2	127	120	+7	6
5	Antrim	5	1	0	4	101	128	−27	2
6	Carlow	5	1	0	4	100	135	−35	2	Relegation to 2027 NHL Division 2
7	Down	5	0	0	5	98	178	−80	0

Overall

Rank	Player	Team	Tally	Total	Matches	Average
1	Mark Rodgers	Clare	0-23	23	2	11.50
2	Dónal Burke	Dublin	0-22	22	2	11.00
3	Seán Elliott	Antrim	0-17	17	2	8.50
4	Simon Roche	Wexford	0-16	16	2	8.00
5	Pearse Óg McCrickard	Down	0-13	13	2	6.50
6	Tony Kelly	Clare	1-08	11	2	5.50
7	Jack Sheridan	Kildare	0-09	9	1	9.00
8	Brian Hayes	Dublin	1-04	7	2	3.50
	Donagh Murphy	Carlow	1-04	7	1	7.00
	Shane Meehan	Clare	1-04	7	2	3.50

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	Laois (P)	5	5	0	0	141	75	+66	10	Advance to NHL Division 2 Final and promotion to 2027 NHL Division 1B
2	Kerry	5	3	1	1	153	89	+64	7
3	Westmeath	5	3	1	1	113	107	+6	7
4	Meath	5	3	0	2	99	102	−3	6
5	London	5	1	1	3	92	123	−31	3
6	Derry (R)	6	1	0	5	115	145	−30	2	Relegation to 2027 NHL Division 3
7	Mayo	5	0	1	4	81	153	−72	1

Overall

Rank	Player	Team	Tally	Total	Matches	Average
1	Ryan Duffy	Mayo	0-21	21	2	10.50
2	Aaron Dunphy	Laois	0-18	18	2	9.00
	Ronan Walsh	Kerry	3-09	18	2	9.00
4	Shea Cassidy	Derry	0-15	15	2	7.50
5	Oisín Maunsell	Kerry	1-11	14	2	7.00
6	James Keyes	Laois	3-04	13	2	6.50
7	Paul Kennedy	London	1-06	9	2	4.50
8	Tom Shine	Meath	0-08	8	1	8.00
	Jack Kelly	Laois	0-08	8	2	4.00
	Cillian Dunne	Laois	2-02	8	2	4.00

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	Roscommon	5	4	1	0	111	89	+22	9	Advance to NHL Division 3 Final and promotion to 2027 NHL Division 2
2	Wicklow	5	4	0	1	124	68	+56	8
3	Donegal	5	4	0	1	137	76	+61	8
4	Tyrone	6	3	1	2	134	121	+13	7
5	Louth	5	2	0	3	92	110	−18	4
6	Fermanagh (R)	5	0	0	5	89	156	−67	0	Relegation to 2027 NHL Division 4
7	Armagh (R)	5	0	0	5	63	130	−67	0

Overall

Rank	Player	Team	Tally	Total	Matches	Average
1	Gerard Gilmore	Donegal	0-24	24	2	12.00
2	Darren Geoghegan	Louth	0-19	19	2	9.50
3	Aiden Kelly	Tyrone	0-18	18	2	9.00
4	Jack Loughran	Armagh	0-13	13	2	6.50
5	Pádraig Doran	Wicklow	0-11	11	2	5.50
	Seánie Germaine	Wicklow	2-05	11	2	5.50
	Ciarán McKelvey	Louth	1-08	11	2	5.50
	John Kealy	Donegal	2-05	11	2	5.50
9	Liam McKinney	Donegal	0-09	9	2	4.50
10	Conor Morris	Roscommon	0-07	7	1	3.50
	Pierce Mullin	Tyrone	2-01	7	2	3.50

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	Sligo (P)	5	5	0	0	168	56	+112	10	Advance to NHL Division 4 Final and promotion to 2027 NHL Division 3
2	Longford (P)	5	4	1	0	109	75	+34	9
3	Leitrim	6	4	0	2	148	112	+36	8
4	Cavan	5	2	0	3	92	117	−25	4
5	Warwickshire	5	1	1	3	72	125	−53	3
6	Monaghan	5	1	0	4	73	116	−43	2
7	Lancashire	5	0	0	5	85	146	−61	0

Overall

Rank	Player	Team	Tally	Total	Matches	Average
1	Robert O'Kelly Lynch	Sligo	2-28	34	3	11.33
2	Niall Arthur	Monaghan	0-25	25	3	8.33
3	Seán O'Riordan	Leitrim	0-23	23	3	7.67
4	Martin Farrell	Longford	1-19	22	3	7.33
5	Gerard O'Kelly Lynch	Sligo	5-05	20	3	6.67
6	Seán Keating	Cavan	2-11	17	2	8.50
7	Reuben Murray	Longford	0-15	15	3	5.00
8	Colm Canning	Leitrim	1-11	14	3	4.67
9	Daniel Miller	Leitrim	0-12	12	3	4.00
10	Peter Boylan	Lancashire	0-11	11	2	5.50