The final, usually held on the first Sunday in July, serves as the culmination of a series of games played during May and June, and the results determine which team receives the Mick Mackey Cup.

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

The Munster final, particularly when played in Semple Stadium in Thurles, is considered one of the biggest and best sporting occasions in Ireland.

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

Despite losing, Cork advanced to the Munster semi-final as Tipperary champions Clonoulty used players from other clubs to supplement their team.

The inaugural Munster final between Cork and Clare was to be played on Wednesday 29 August 1888, however, the provincial showpiece ended in disarray.

Clare champions Ogonelloe, who had received a walkover from South Liberties of Limerick in the semi-final, however, this was later disputed.

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

In spite of winning the Munster title in 1891, Kerry eventually became a county dominated by Gaelic football.

The two teams began their hegemony by winning 18 championship titles between 1890 and 1909 with Cork setting a number of records during this time — becoming the first team to win successive titles in 1893, claiming a first three-in-a-row the following year and setting the then all-time record of five successive championships between 1901 and 1905.

After twenty years, Limerick emerged to break the dominance of the "big two" when they claimed five championship titles between 1910 and 1923.

The 1990s saw a more equitable period develop in the championship with every team reaching at least one Munster final and title victories for all but Waterford.

The dominance of Cork and Tipperary eventually led to both these teams being placed on opposite sides of the championship draw.

This practice was eventually abolished with a return to the open draw in which three of the five teams automatically qualified for the semi-final stage of the championship.

The new format led to the introduction of the round robin within the championship and the creation of the Joe McDonagh Cup.

A system of promotion and relegation exists between the Munster Championship and the Joe McDonagh Cup.

The third-placed team in the group enter the All-Ireland Championship at the preliminary quarter-final stage where they play either the champions or runners-up of the Joe McDonagh Cup.

Munster Championship matches were traditionally played at neutral venues or at a location that was deemed to be halfway between the two participants; however, teams eventually came to home and away agreements depending on the capacity of their stadiums.

[12] In November 2018, the Munster Council once again voted against allowing Waterford to play home games in Nowlan Park.

[13] On 28 February 2019, it was confirmed that Waterford would play their two home championship games at Walsh Park after resolving a 'structural issue' which reduced the venue's capacity in 2018.

[14] Stadium attendances are a significant source of regular income for the Munster Council and for the teams involved.

The 2017 figure represented the highest combined total for a Munster Championship since 2009, when 136,908 fans attended five games, including a semi-final replay between Limerick and Waterford.

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

In this capacity, Paddy Leahy won several Munster Championship titles served as chairman of the Tipperary senior hurling selection committee between 1949 and 1965.

When Telefís Éireann was established on 31 December 1961, the new station was interested in the broadcasting of championship games.

The first edition of the programme on 8 July 1979 featured extensive coverage and analysis of the Munster final between Cork and Limerick.

Following the completion of the initial three-year deal in 2010, the GAA were satisfied to give TV3 an expanded role in Gaelic games broadcasting.

[21] The possibility of unlikely victories in the various rounds of the championship, where lower ranked teams beat higher placed opposition in what is known as a "giant killing", is much anticipated by the public.