# 2014 National Hurling League

The 2014 National Hurling League was the 83rd staging of the National Hurling League. The league began on 15 February. The divisional stage of the competition finished on 23 March.
In the final played on 4 May at Semple Stadium, Kilkenny defeated Tipperary by 2-25 1-27 with TJ Reid getting the winning point in the last minute of extra-time. Tipperary had led by 1-11 to 1-9 at half time, the Tipperary goal coming from John O'Dwyer when he connected with Noel McGrath's sideline cut to touch the ball to the net from the edge of the square. The game finished in a draw at 2-17 to 1-20 after 70 minutes with injury time points for Tipperary from Shane Bourke and Kieran Bergin sending the game to extra time.
Both goals for Kilkenny came from penalties and both scored by TJ Reid and the sides were level 11 times.

## Format

* Division 1A: Top four teams qualify for NHL quarter-finals. Bottom two teams play a relegation playoff, with the losing team relegated to Division 1B.
* Division 1B: Top team promoted to 1A. Top four teams qualify for NHL quarter-finals. Bottom two teams play a relegation playoff, with the losing team playing a promotion-relegation match against the Division 2A champions.
* Division 2A: Top two teams play Division 2A final, with the winning team playing a promotion-relegation match against the loser of the Division 1B relegation playoff. Bottom team relegated to Division 2B.
* Division 2B: Top two teams play division final, with the winner being promoted. Bottom two teams play a relegation playoff, with the losing team playing a promotion-relegation match against the Division 3A champions.
* Division 3A: Top two teams play Division 3A final, with the winning team playing a promotion-relegation match against the loser of the Division 2B relegation playoff. Bottom team relegated to Division 3B.
* Division 3B: Top two teams play division final, with the winner being promoted.

## Division 1A
### Division 1A

NHL quarter-finals  Relegation play-off
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| Clare | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10–84 | 3–90 | 15 | 7 |
| Kilkenny (C) | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 14–99 | 8–82 | 25 | 6 |
| Galway | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6–88 | 4–87 | 7 | 5 |
| Tipperary | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 9–85 | 12–86 | −10 | 4 |
| Dublin | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5–80 | 5–90 | −10 | 4 |
| Waterford (R) | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1–85 | 13–76 | −27 | 4 |
* Tipperary and Dublin are separated by total points scored (Tipperary 107, Dublin 95).

#### Top scorers
##### Season

| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Matches | Average |
| 2 | Pauric Mahony | Waterford | 1–53 | 56 | 6 | 9.33 |
| 1 | Séamus Callanan | Tipperary | 5–62 | 77 | 7 | 11.00 |
| 3 | Conor Cooney | Galway | 3–38 | 47 | 6 | 7.83 |
| 4 | Colin Ryan | Clare | 1–38 | 41 | 6 | 6.83 |
| 5 | Alan McCrabbe | Dublin | 0–38 | 38 | 6 | 6.33 |

##### Single game

| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Opposition |
| 1 | T. J. Reid | Kilkenny | 3–8 | 17 | Wexford |
| 2 | Séamus Callanan | Tipperary | 3–6 | 15 | Kilkenny |
| 3 | Séamus Callanan | Tipperary | 1–11 | 14 | Galway |
| 4 | Colin Fennelly | Kilkenny | 3–5 | 14 | Tipperary |
| 5 | Conor Cooney | Galway | 1–9 | 12 | Limerick |
| 5 | Colin Ryan | Clare | 1–9 | 12 | Kilkenny |
| 5 | Henry Shefflin | Kilkenny | 0–12 | 12 | Clare |
| 5 | Tony Kelly | Clare | 0–12 | 12 | Galway |
| 9 | Patrick Horgan | Cork | 1–8 | 11 | Tipperary |
| 9 | Ian Byrne | Wexford | 1–8 | 11 | Kilkenny |
| 9 | Pauric Mahony | Waterford | 1–8 | 11 | Dublin |
| 9 | Conor Cooney | Galway | 1–8 | 11 | Kilkenny |
| 9 | Pauric Mahony | Waterford | 0–11 | 11 | Galway |
| 9 | Séamus Callanan | Tipperary | 0–11 | 11 | Dublin |
| 9 | Pauric Mahony | Waterford | 0–11 | 11 | Dublin |

## Division 1B
### Division 1B

Promotion & NHL quarter-finals  NHL quarter-finals  Relegation play-off
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| Cork (P) | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3–97 | 3–74 | 23 | 9 |
| Limerick | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 7–89 | 5–65 | 30 | 8 |
| Wexford | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 7–83 | 7–80 | 3 | 6 |
| Laois | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5–78 | 5–87 | −9 | 4 |
| Offaly | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 12–87 | 10–86 | 7 | 3 |
| Antrim | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6–65 | 10–107 | −54 | 0 |

#### Top scorers
##### Season

| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Matches | Average |
| 1 | Patrick Horgan | Cork | 2–43 | 49 | 5 | 9.80 |
| 2 | Joe Bergin | Offaly | 1–29 | 32 | 4 | 8.00 |
| 3 | Conor Allis | Limerick | 0–31 | 31 | 5 | 6.20 |
| 4 | Stephen Maher | Laois | 1–22 | 25 | 5 | 5.00 |
| 5 | Paul Shields | Antrim | 0–22 | 22 | 5 | 4.40 |

##### Single game

| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Opposition |
| 1 | Patrick Horgan | Cork | 1–10 | 13 | Wexford |
| 2 | Stephen Maher | Laois | 1–9 | 12 | Offaly |
| 2 | Joe Bergin | Offaly | 0–12 | 12 | Limerick |
| 4 | Stephen Quirke | Offaly | 1–8 | 11 | Antrim |
| 4 | Patrick Horgan | Cork | 1–8 | 11 | Offaly |
| 4 | Patrick Horgan | Cork | 0–11 | 11 | Antrim |
| 4 | Shane Dowling | Limerick | 0–11 | 11 | Cork |
| 4 | Conor Allis | Limerick | 0–11 | 11 | Antrim |
| 9 | Ross King | Laois | 1–7 | 10 | Antrim |
| 9 | Paul Morris | Wexford | 0–10 | 10 | Cork |
| 9 | Conor Allis | Limerick | 0–10 | 10 | Wexford |
| 9 | Ian Byrne | Wexford | 0–10 | 10 | Laois |

## Division 2A
### Division 2A

Division winners  Relegated
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| Kerry | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 14–92 | 6–72 | 44 | 10 |
| Carlow | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 7–88 | 4–55 | 41 | 8 |
| Derry | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 11–58 | 9–79 | −15 | 5 |
| London | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2–70 | 5–73 | −12 | 3 |
| Westmeath | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5–60 | 9–72 | −24 | 3 |
| Kildare (R) | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5–71 | 11–88 | −35 | 1 |

#### Top scorers
##### Season

| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Matches | Average |
| 1 | Shane Nolan | Kerry | 2–34 | 40 | 5 | 8.00 |
| 2 | Noel Conaty | Westmeath | 2–22 | 28 | 5 | 5.60 |
| 3 | Seán Murphy | Carlow | 2–20 | 26 | 5 | 5.20 |
| 4 | Gerry Keegan | Kildare | 1–21 | 24 | 5 | 4.80 |
| 5 | Marty Kavanagh | Carlow | 1–19 | 22 | 5 | 4.40 |

##### Single game

| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Opposition |
| 1 | Shane Nolan | Kerry | 1–11 | 14 | Derry |
| 2 | Ruairí Convery | Derry | 1–10 | 13 | Kildare |
| 3 | Marty Kavanagh | Carlow | 1–7 | 10 | Kildare |
| 3 | Ruairí Convery | Derry | 1–7 | 10 | London |
| 5 | Stephen Lambert | London | 0–9 | 9 | Kildare |
| 5 | Willie Greene | Kildare | 0–9 | 9 | London |
| 7 | Brendan Rodgers | Derry | 2–2 | 8 | Westmeath |
| 7 | Gerry Keegan | Kildare | 1–5 | 8 | Westmeath |
| 7 | Mikey Boyle | Kerry | 1–5 | 8 | Kildare |
| 7 | Derek McNicholas | Westmeath | 1–5 | 8 | Kerry |
| 7 | Seán Murphy | Carlow | 1–5 | 8 | Derry |
| 7 | Shane Nolan | Kerry | 0–8 | 8 | Kildare |

## Division 2B
### Division 2B

Division final/Promotion play-off  Relegation play-off
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| Down | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 9–79 | 3–51 | 46 | 10 |
| Wicklow (C) (P) | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 6–86 | 3–55 | 40 | 8 |
| Meath | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6–74 | 7–46 | 25 | 6 |
| Mayo | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3–61 | 4–62 | −4 | 4 |
| Fingal (R) | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 10–52 | 16–99 | −65 | 2 |
| Armagh | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 7–55 | 8–92 | −32 | 0 |

#### Top scorers
##### Season

| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Matches | Average |
| 1 | Mikey Lee | Wicklow | 2–42 | 48 | 5 | 9.60 |
| 2 | J. M. Sheridan | Fingal | 1–34 | 37 | 5 | 7.40 |
| 3 | Mattie Lennon | Armagh | 3–26 | 35 | 5 | 7.00 |
| 4 | Kenny Feeney | Mayo | 0–32 | 32 | 5 | 6.40 |
| 5 | Derek Doran | Meath | 3–9 | 18 | 5 | 3.60 |

##### Single game

| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Opposition |
| 1 | Mikey Lee | Wicklow | 2–14 | 20 | Fingal |
| 2 | Derek Doran | Meath | 3–3 | 12 | Fingal |
| 2 | Kenny Feeney | Mayo | 0–12 | 12 | Armagh |
| 4 | J. M. Sheridan | Fingal | 0–11 | 11 | Armagh |
| 5 | Stephen Hoban | Mayo | 2–3 | 9 | Fingal |
| 5 | Willie McGrath | Meath | 1–6 | 9 | Fingal |
| 7 | Mattie Lennon | Armagh | 1–5 | 8 | Down |
| 7 | Mattie Lennon | Armagh | 1–5 | 8 | Meath |
| 7 | Mikey Lee | Wicklow | 0–8 | 8 | Down |
| 7 | Mikey Lee | Wicklow | 0–8 | 8 | Mayo |
| 7 | Mattie Lennon | Armagh | 0–8 | 8 | Wicklow |
| 7 | Kenny Feeney | Mayo | 0–8 | 8 | Down |

## Division 3A
### Division 3A

Division winners and promotion  Relegation
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| Roscommon | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 13–69 | 2–62 | 40 | 8 |
| Donegal (P) | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 8–85 | 9–56 | 26 | 8 |
| Fermanagh | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 10–59 | 9–75 | −13 | 6 |
| Monaghan | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5–59 | 10–61 | −17 | 4 |
| Louth | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 8–64 | 10–69 | −11 | 2 |
| Longford (R) | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 7–53 | 11–66 | −25 | 2 |

#### Top scorers
##### Season

| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Matches | Average |
| 1 | Gerry Fallon | Roscommon | 1–34 | 37 | 4 | 9.25 |
| 2 | Lee Henderson | Donegal | 1–30 | 33 | 4 | 8.25 |
| 2 | Hugh Byrne | Monaghan | 1–29 | 32 | 4 | 8.00 |

## Division 3B
### Division 3B

Division winners and promotion
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| Tyrone (P) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6–43 | 3–32 | 20 | 6 |
| Leitrim | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3–33 | 3–34 | −1 | 4 |
| Warwickshire | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2–38 | 6–33 | −7 | 2 |
| Sligo | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5–24 | 4–39 | −12 | 0 |

#### Top scorers
##### Season

| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Matches | Average |
| 1 | Pádraig O'Donnell | Leitrim | 0–10 | 10 | 2 | 5.00 |

## Tickets

The GAA announced in January 2014 that tickets purchased before the day of the games would cost €10, a reduction of €3 from previous seasons, whereas the cost of entry on the day of the game would be raised to €15.