In 2016 the bottom team in the Leinster qualifier group will be relegated to next year's Christy Ring Cup (2nd tier).

Their place in next year's Leinster qualifier group will be taken by the winner of 2016's Christy Ring Cup.

Kerry qualified for this year's Leinster Championship by winning the 2015 Christy Ring Cup.

The qualifiers eventually result in two teams who play the beaten finalists of the Leinster and Munster championships in the two All-Ireland quarter-finals.

Connacht and Ulster teams can qualify for the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship by winning the Christy Ring Cup (tier 2).

Antrim, who finished bottom of the 2015 Leinster qualifier group, were relegated to the 2016 Christy Ring Cup.

Their place in the 2016 Leinster qualifier group went to Kerry who won the 2015 Christy Ring Cup and gained automatic promotion.

Alan Corcoran Cian Dillon Shane O'Donnell James Mulrooney Hawkeye was used for the first time in the Munster Hurling Championship in Thurles when Tipperary played Cork on 22 May 2016.

[8] These matches were broadcast live on television in Ireland Knockout StageMatches Last year's Leinster champions receive a bye into the semi-finals.

An informal system of promotion or relegation operates in this round; if a team from the qualifier group wins their quarter-final, they will be seeded in next year's Leinster championship and the beaten seeded team will compete in next year's Leinster qualifier group.

Widest winning margin: 35 points Most goals in a match: 5 Most points in a match: 49 Most goals by one team in a match: 5 Highest aggregate score: 61 Lowest aggregate score: 34 Most goals scored by a losing team: 2 Sean Cleere - Kilkenny Brian Gavin - Offaly Fergal Horgan - Tipperary John Keenan - Wicklow Alan Kelly - Galway Barry Kelly - Westmeath Diarmuid Kirwan - Cork Colm Lyons - Cork James McGrath - Westmeath Paud O'Dwyer - Carlow James Owens - Wexford Johnny Ryan - Tipperary Highest attendances: Total attendance: 486,553Average attendance: 24,328 The Sunday Game team of the year was picked on 4 September, which was the night of the final.

The panel consisting of Brendan Cummins, Henry Shefflin, Michael Duignan, Ger Loughnane, Liam Sheedy, Eddie Brennan and Cyril Farrell selected Tipperary's Séamus Callanan as the Sunday game player of the year.