1997 National Hurling League
| League details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 9 March – 5 October 1997 |
| Teams | 32 |
| League champions | |
| Winners | Limerick (11th win) |
| Captain | Gary Kirby |
| Manager | Éamonn Cregan |
| League runners-up | |
| Runners-up | Galway |
| Manager | Cyril Farrell |
| Other division winners | |
| Division 2 | Dublin |
|
← 1995–96 1998 → | |
The 1997 National Hurling League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Church & General National Hurling League, was the 66th edition of the National Hurling League (NHL), an annual hurling competition for the GAA county teams.[1] Limerick won, beating Galway in the final. This was the first NHL season to take place in a single calendar year.
Structure
There are eight teams in each division. Each plays each other team once, home or away, and receives two points for a win and one for a draw.
The top two teams in Division 1 advance to the semi-finals. The third- and fourth-placed teams in Division 1 go into the quarter-finals, as do the top two teams in Division 2.
The top three teams in Divisions 2, 3 and 4 are promoted for the following season. The bottom three in Divisions 1, 2 and 3 are relegated.
Division placings
Division 1
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kilkenny | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 10 | |
| 2 | Limerick | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 10 | Division 1 champions |
| 3 | Galway | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 10 | Division 1 runners-up |
| 4 | Tipperary | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | |
| 5 | Offaly | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 8 | |
| 6 | Clare | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Relegated to Division 2 |
| 7 | Wexford | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | Relegated to Division 2 |
| 8 | Laois | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | Relegated to Division 2 |
Results
| July 19 Quarter-final | Tipperary | 0-14 - 0-8 | Dublin | Semple Stadium, Thurles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 19 Quarter-final | Cork | 1-10 - 3-12 | Kilkenny | Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 23 Semi-final | Galway | 1-14 - 0-6 | Tipperary | Cusack Park, Ennis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 24 Semi-final | Kilkenny | 0-10 - 1-17 | Limerick | Nowlan Park, Kilkenny |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 5 Final | Limerick | 1-12 - 1-9 | Galway | Cusack Park, Ennis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Division 2
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dublin | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | Promoted to Division 1 |
| 2 | Cork | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 12 | Promoted to Division 1 |
| 3 | Waterford | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 10 | Promoted to Division 1 |
| 4 | Antrim | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 6 | |
| 5 | Meath | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 6 | |
| 6 | London | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | |
| 7 | Westmeath | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | |
| 8 | Kerry | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 |