# 1974 All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship

The 1974 All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship was the first staging of the All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's secondary inter-county hurling tournament. The championship began on 12 May 1974 and ended on 23 June 1974.
On 23 June 1974, Kildare won the championship following a 1–26 to 3–13 defeat of Antrim in the All-Ireland final. This was their fourth All-Ireland title in hurling, following on from earlier successes in the intermediate and junior grades. The prize for the winners was a place in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.
Kildare's Johnny Walsh was the championship's top scorer with 0-20.

## Teams
### General information

Nine counties will compete in the championship:
| County | Last Provincial Title | Last All-Ireland Title | Appearance |
| Antrim | 1949 | — | 1st |
| Down | 1942 | — | 1st |
| Carlow | — | — | 1st |
| Hertfordshire | — | — | 1st |
| Kerry | 1891 | 1891 | 1st |
| Kildare | — | — | 1st |
| Meath | — | — | 1st |
| Westmeath | — | — | 1st |
| Wicklow | — | — | 1st |
| Leinster | Munster | Ulster | Britain |
| Carlow Kildare Meath Westmeath Wicklow | Kerry | Antrim Down | Hertfordshire |

## Format

First round: (4 matches) These are four matches between the eight native participating teams. Four teams are eliminated at this stage. Two winning teams automatically qualify for the semi-final stage. Two other winning teams play off in a lone quarter-final.
Quarter-final: (1 match) This is a single match between two first round winners. One team is eliminated at this stage while the winners advance to the semi-final.
Semi-finals: (2 matches) The two winners of the first round join the winners of the lone quarter-final and British representatives Hertfordshire to make up the semi-final pairings. Two teams are eliminated at this stage while the winners advance to the final.
Final: (1 match) The winners of the two semi-finals contest this game. One team is eliminated at this stage while the winners are allowed to participate in a preliminary round for the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.

## Championship statistics
### Scoring

* Widest winning margin: 13 points
** Kildare 3-18 : 2-8 Meath (All-Ireland quarter-final)
* Most goals in a match: 9
** Hertfordshire 4-13 : 5-15 Antrim (All-Ireland semi-final replay)
* Most points in a match: 39
** Kildare 1-26 : 3-13 Antrim (All-Ireland final)
* Most goals by one team in a match: 5
** Antrim 5-15 : 4-13 Hertfordshire (All-Ireland semi-final replay)
* Most goals scored by a losing team: 4
** Hertfordshire 4-13 : 5-15 Antrim (All-Ireland semi-final replay)
* Most points scored by a losing team: 13
** Hertfordshire 4-13 : 5-15 Antrim (All-Ireland semi-final replay)
** Antrim 3-13 : 1-26 Kildare (All-Ireland final)

### Overall

* Most goals scored - Antrim (14)
* Fewest goals scored - Wicklow, Kerry (0)
* Most goals conceded - Antrim (9)
* Most points scored - Kildare (58)
* Fewest points scored - Wicklow (4)
* Most points conceded - Antrim (52)

## Top scorers
### Season

| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Matches | Average |
| 1 | Johnny Walsh | Kildare | 0-20 | 20 | 4 | 5.00 |
| 2 | Eddie Donnelly | Antrim | 3-10 | 19 | 4 | 4.75 |
| 3 | Willie Richmond | Kildare | 4-4 | 16 | 4 | 4.00 |
| 4 | Séamus Richmond | Antrim | 4-3 | 15 | 4 | 3.75 |
| 4 | Ned Walsh | Kildare | 3-6 | 15 | 4 | 3.75 |
| 6 | Mick Deely | Kildare | 2-8 | 14 | 4 | 3.50 |
| 7 | Martin Cuddy | Hertfordshire | 2-6 | 12 | 2 | 6.00 |

### Single game

| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Opposition |
| 1 | Séamus Richmond | Antrim | 3-1 | 10 | Hertfordshire |
| 1 | Johnny Walsh | Kildare | 0-10 | 10 | Antrim |
| 3 | Mick Deely | Kildare | 2-2 | 8 | Meath |
| 4 | Willie Richmond | Antrim | 2-1 | 7 | Kildare |
| 4 | Martin Cuddy | Hertfordshire | 2-1 | 7 | Antrim |
| 4 | Eddie Donnelly | Antrim | 2-1 | 7 | Wicklow |
| 4 | Richie Melia | Meath | 1-4 | 7 | Carlow |
| 4 | John Cuddy | Hertfordshire | 1-4 | 7 | Antrim |
| 4 | Pat Quirke | Carlow | 0-7 | 7 | Meath |
| 10 | Willie Richmond | Antrim | 2-0 | 6 | Hertfordshire |
| 10 | Brian Gilmore | Down | 1-3 | 6 | Westmeath |
| 10 | Ned Walsh | Kildare | 1-3 | 6 | Westmeath |
| 10 | Eddie Dornan | Antrim | 1-3 | 6 | Hertfordshire |
| 10 | Johnny Walshe | Kildare | 0-6 | 6 | Meath |