The final served as the culmination of a series of games played during the summer months, and the results determined which team received the M. J.

The winners of the Connacht final, like their counterparts in the other provincial championships in Leinster, Munster and Ulster, advanced directly to the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland series of games.

The championships were open to all affiliated clubs who would first compete in county-based competitions, to be run by local county committees.

Because of this, and in an effort to reduce travelling costs, the GAA decided to introduce provincial championships in Leinster and Munster.

The inaugural Connacht Championship featured just two teams, with Galway and Sligo automatically qualifying for the final.

Postponements, disqualifications, objections, withdrawals and walkovers were regular occurrences during the initial years of the championship.

In spite of contesting the inaugural Connacht Championship in 1900, Sligo only fielded a team at senior level in one other occasion - 1913.

After representing the province unopposed from 1917 to 1921, a significant defeat by Roscommon in the 1922 final lead to the championship being suspended.

Both these teams contested the finals from 1995 to 1999, however, Galway asserted their dominance and claimed all five championship titles with an average winning margin of 14 points.

The Connacht Senior Hurling Championship was run on a knock-out basis in which once a team loses they are eliminated from the competition.

The winner used progress directly to the All-Ireland semi-finals, while losing teams were eliminated after a single defeat.

Two counties were scheduled to compete in 2000: At the end of the Connacht final, the winning team was presented with a trophy.

He was a National Hurling League-winning captain with Galway in 1951, however, he never finished on the winning side in a championship game despite playing from 1936 until 1953.