Date 1 April 1888 Referee P. White (Offaly) | Venue Birr Sportsfield, Birr Attendance c. 5,000 | |
Event 1887 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship | ||
The 1887 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final was a hurling match that was played at Birr Sportsfield, Birr on 1 April 1888 to determine the winners of the 1887 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, the first season of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, a tournament organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association for inter-county hurling teams in Ireland. The final was contested by club representatives Thurles Blues of Tipperary and Meelick of Galway, with Tipperary winning by 1-01 to 0-00.
The All-Ireland final between Tipperary and Galway was a unique occasion as it was the first ever championship meeting between the two teams.
Tipperary's clash with Galway proved to be their toughest championship test yet. At a crucial stage in the second-half team captain Jim Stapleton led a charge down the field. Spotting a free player he passed the sliotar to Tom Healy who went on to score the very first goal in an All-Ireland final.
Tipperary's All-Ireland victory was their first in what would be a remarkable record of securing an All-Ireland title in every decade. Tipperary also held a record of never losing an Ireland Final from 1887 to 1909.