# 1998 National Hurling League

The 1998 National Hurling League (known as the Church & General National Hurling League) was the 67th season of the National Hurling League.

## Division 1

The league saw a major restructuring of the usual four divisions of eight teams. Division 1 was split into Group 1A and Group 1B with each group consisting of six teams. The top two teams in each group qualified for the knock-out stage.
Limerick came into the season as defending champions of the 1997 season. Antrim, Cork, Dublin and Waterford all entered Division 1 as part of the restructuring.
On 17 May 1998, Cork won the title after a 2-14 to 0-13 win over Waterford in the final. It was their 14th league title overall and their first since 1992-93.
Cork's Joe Deane was the Division 1 top scorer with 3-30.

### Division 1A table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| 1 | Limerick | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 7-57 | 4-58 | 18 | 10 |
| 2 | Clare | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5-83 | 9-52 | 19 | 6 |
| 3 | Galway | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9-67 | 4-66 | 16 | 6 |
| 4 | Dublin | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8-59 | 5-62 | 6 | 4 |
| 5 | Offaly | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6-62 | 10-58 | -8 | 2 |
| 6 | Antrim | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 7-47 | 9-49 | -8 | 2 |

### Division 1B table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts | Notes |
| 1 | Cork | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5-64 | 6-42 | 19 | 9 | Division 1 champions |
| 2 | Waterford | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8-64 | 8-52 | 12 | 7 | Division 1 runners-up |
| 3 | Wexford | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4-60 | 2-60 | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | Tipperary | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10-52 | 7-57 | 4 | 3 |
| 5 | Laois | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3-54 | 8-56 | -17 | 3 |
| 6 | Kilkenny | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5-54 | 5-69 | -15 | 2 |

### Knock-out stage

Semi-finals
Final

### Scoring statistics
#### Top scorers overall

| Rank | Player | Team | Tally | Total | Matches | Average |
| 1 | Joe Deane | Cork | 3-30 | 49 | 6 | 8.16 |
| 2 | Paul Flynn | Waterford | 5-31 | 46 | 7 | 6.57 |
| 3 | Paul Codd | Wexford | 1-33 | 36 | 5 | 7.20 |
| 4 | Jamesie O'Connor | Clare | 0-30 | 30 | 6 | 5.00 |
| 5 | Ken McGrath | Waterford | 1-26 | 29 | 7 | 4.14 |
| 6 | Gary Kirby | Limerick | 3-19 | 28 | 5 | 5.60 |
| 7 | David Cuddy | Laois | 1-22 | 25 | 5 | 5.00 |
| 8 | Eamon Morrissey | Dublin | 6-6 | 24 | 5 | 4.80 |
| 9 | Eugene O'Neill | Tipperary | 0-20 | 20 | 4 | 5.00 |
| 10 | Niall Moloney | Galway | 2-13 | 19 | 4 | 4.75 |
| 10 | Francis Forde | Galway | 1-16 | 19 | 4 | 4.75 |

#### Top scorers in a single game

| Rank | Player | Team | Tally | Total | Opposition |
| 1 | Darragh Coen | Galway | 0-12 | 12 | Clare |
| 2 | Francis Forde | Galway | 1-08 | 11 | Offaly |
| 3 | Paul Flynn | Waterford | 2-04 | 10 | Laois |
| 3 | Paul Codd | Wexford | 1-07 | 10 | Tipperary |
| 3 | Jamesie O'Connor | Clare | 0-10 | 10 | Antrim |
| 6 | Paul Flynn | Waterford | 1-06 | 9 | Tipperary |
| 6 | Niall Moloney | Kilkenny | 1-06 | 9 | Tipperary |
| 6 | Paul Codd | Wexford | 0-09 | 9 | Laois |
| 6 | Joe Deane | Cork | 0-09 | 9 | Clare |
| 6 | Paul Flynn | Waterford | 0-09 | 9 | Limerick |

## Division 2

The league saw a major restructuring of the usual four divisions of eight teams. Division 2 was split into Group 2A and Group 2B with each group consisting of seven teams. The top two teams in each group qualified for the knock-out stage.
Armagh, Carlow, Derry, Down, Kildare, Louth, Monaghan, Roscommon, Tyrone and Wicklow all entered Division 1 as part of the restructuring.
On 25 July 1998, Kerry won the title after a 1-11 to 2-6 win over Westmeath in a replay of the final. It was their 5th Division 2 league title overall and their first since 1967-68.

### Division 2A table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts | Notes |
| 1 | Carlow | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 17-88 | 5-52 | 72 | 10 |
| 2 | Kerry | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 17-99 | 5-71 | 64 | 10 | Division 2 champions |
| 3 | Derry | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 13-73 | 5-64 | 33 | 8 |
| 4 | Wicklow | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4-84 | 8-51 | 21 | 8 |
| 5 | Monaghan | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6-40 | 18-82 | -78 | 4 |
| 6 | Roscommon | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 12-53 | 8-68 | -3 | 2 |
| 7 | Armagh | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2-41 | 22-90 | -109 | 0 |

### Division 2B table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts | Notes |
| 1 | Down | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 20-100 | 6-39 | 103 | 12 |
| 2 | Westmeath | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 21-80 | 7-38 | 84 | 10 | Division 2 runners-up |
| 3 | London | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 7-56 | 9-50 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | Meath | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 12-69 | 10-60 | 15 | 4 |
| 5 | Kildare | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5-54 | 14-65 | -28 | 4 |
| 6 | Tyrone | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6-40 | 18-89 | -85 | 4 |
| 7 | Louth | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9-28 | 16-96 | -89 | 0 |

### Knock-out stage

Semi-finals
Finals

## Division 3

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts | Notes |
| 1 | Cavan | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 12-40 | 4-36 | 48 | 11 | Division 3 runners-up |
| 2 | Mayo | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 14-79 | 10-26 | 65 | 10 | Division 3 champions |
| 3 | Leitrim | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5-41 | 9-51 | -22 | 7 |
| 4 | Longford | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10-57 | 7-51 | 15 | 6 |
| 5 | Fermanagh | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6-52 | 2-58 | 6 | 6 |
| 6 | Sligo | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6-30 | 13-79 | -70 | 2 |
| 7 | Donegal | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5-38 | 13-66 | -52 | 0 |

### Knock-out stage

Final