The championship was won by Cork who defeated Galway by a ten-point margin in the final.
[2][3][4][5][6] Colette O'Mahony scored 3–5 as Cork beat Kilkenny in a high scoring and exciting semi-final, and substitute and Lynn Dunlea snatched an unlikely winning goal when completely surrounded by Kilkenny defenders to see Cork go through by a point, 5–10 to 2–18.
Galway qualified for their first All-Ireland final since 1962 when they defeated Wexford in another high-scoring semi-final at Duggan Park.
Croke Park resembled a building site as Cork won their second successive All Ireland.
When the game hovered invitingly for both teams in the first five minutes of the second half, they were the side that were able to grasp it.