The 2003 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Guinness Hurling Championship) was the 117th since its establishment in 1887. The first matches of the season were played in May 2003, and the championship ended on 14 September 2003. Kilkenny went into the 2003 championship as defending champions, having won their twenty-seventh All-Ireland title the previous year.

The championship culminated with the All-Ireland final, held at Croke Park, Dublin. The match was contested by Kilkenny and Cork. It was their first meeting in the final since 1999. Kilkenny won the game by 1-14 to 1-11. It was their second All-Ireland title in succession.

Team changes

To Championship 
Promoted from the All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship

 Kerry

From Championship 
Regraded to the All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship

 None

Teams

General information 
Twenty two counties will compete in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: one team in the Connacht Senior Hurling Championship, ten teams in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, six teams in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship and five teams in the Ulster Senior Hurling Championship.

Summary

Championships

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship

Preliminary rounds

Final Rounds

Munster Senior Hurling Championship

Matches

Ulster Senior Hurling Championship

All-Ireland qualifiers

Preliminary Rounds

Round 1

Round 2

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

All-Ireland quarter-finals

All-Ireland semi-finals

All-Ireland Final 

{{football box |
date = September 7 Final|
team1 =  Kilkenny|
score = 1-14 - 1-11 |
team2 =  Cork|
goals1 = M. Comerford 1-4; H. Shefflin 0-6 (0-4 frees); T. Walsh 0-3; D. Lyng 0-1 |
goals2 = J. Deane 0-5 (0-4 frees); S. Ó hAilpín 1-0; N. McCarthy 0-2; T. McCarthy, B. O'Connor, J. O'Connor and S. McGrath 0-1 each|
stadium = Croke Park, Dublin | referee = P. O'Connor (Limerick) :Match Report }}

Stadia and locations
Championship statistics

 Top scorers 

 Overall 

Scoring events
Last goal of the championship: Martin Comerford for Kilkenny against Cork (All-Ireland final)
First hat-trick of the championship: John Mullane for Waterford against Cork (Munster final)
Widest winning margin: 43 pointsAntrim 8-27 - 1-05 London (Ulster preliminary round)
Most goals in a match: 9Antrim 8-27 - 1-05 London (Ulster preliminary round)
Most points in a match: 41Tipperary 3-28 - 0-13 Laois (All-Ireland qualifiers)
Most goals by one team in a match: 8Antrim 8-27 - 1-05 London (Ulster preliminary round)
Most goals scored by a losing team: 3Waterford 3-12 - 3-16 Cork  (Munster final)
Carlow 3-07 - 3-15 Waterford (Munster final)
Most points scored by a losing team: 17'''
Galway 1-17 - 1-18 Tipperary (All-Ireland qualifiers)

Team statistics
Most goals scored - Antrim (13)
Most points scored - Tipperary (91)
Most goals conceded - Carlow and Wexford (10)
Most points conceded - Wexford (102)
Fewest goals scored - Kildare and Wicklow (0)
Fewest points scored - Kildare (7)
Fewest points conceded - Kildare (15)
Fewest goals conceded - Wicklow (0)

Miscellaneous 
 First-time championship meetings:
 Kerry v Westmeath (Qualifiers preliminary round)
 Kerry v Carlow (Qualifiers preliminary round)
 Kerry v Derry (Qualifiers preliminary round)
 Wexford v Waterford (Qualifiers round 2)
 Kerry return to the Munster Senior Hurling Championship for the first time since 2000.
 Kerry's wins over Westmeath, Carlow and Derry were the first time they won three All-Ireland Senior Hulring Championship matches in a row.

See also

 2003 All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship
 2003 All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship
 2003 All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship

References

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships
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