The team's performances in the provincial championship and their comprehensive defeat of Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final resulted in the premier county being given the bookies nod.

Kilkenny had struggles through each of their provincial games and only scraped past Antrim in the All-Ireland semi-final.

Kilkenny took the game to Tipperary from the throw-in, with veteran hurler Christy Heffernan causing havoc for the Tipp defence, a group of players who had been lambasted for their earlier performance against Cork.

Defensive grit kept Tipperary in the game in the first half and both sides left the field at half-time with 0-9 apiece.

Declan Carr had the honour of collecting the Liam MacCarthy Cup on the occasion of Tipperary’s twenty-fourth All-Ireland victory.