1986 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

Cork won the championship, beating Galway 4–13 to 2–15 in the final at Croke Park, Dublin.

[2] Participating counties (5): Clare, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford Quarter-final (1 match): This is a single match between the first two teams drawn from the province of Munster.

One team is eliminated at this stage while the winners advance to the All-Ireland semi-final.

One team is eliminated at this stage while the winners advance to the All-Ireland semi-final.

One team is eliminated at this stage while the winners advance to the semi-final where they play the Leinster champions.