It is the highest inter-county hurling competition for male players under the age of 17 in the province of Munster, and has been contested every year since the 1928 championship.

The final serves as the culmination of a series of games played during March and May, where the result determines which team receives the TWA Cup.

The Munster finalists, like their counterparts in the Leinster Championship, are rewarded by advancing directly to the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland series of games.

This was supplemented by the creation of the Munster Junior Championship in 1910 which provided a springboard to develop players before progressing to senior level.

The inaugural Munster Championship featured Clare, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford.

Played in Thurles Sportsfield as the curtain raiser to the senior final, Waterford claimed a seven-point victory in the inaugural game.

Due to a lack of competition in the various Connacht Championships, a proposal by the Galway County Board led to a wider debate regarding hurling.

In 2003 a play-off format was adopted which gave the defeated first-round teams a second chance to progress to the semi-finals.

Fixtures in the five group stage rounds of the championship are played at the home ground of one of the two teams.

The final has historically been played at either Semple Stadium, Páirc Uí Chaoimh or the Gaelic Grounds.

As of the 2018 championship, the final will be played at one of these venues as per the home and away agreements between Cork, Limerick and Tipperary at senior level.

[2] Following a proposal from the Tipperary County Board, the Munster Council approved the commissioning of the John Doyle Cup in 2024.