2003 National Hurling League
# 2003 National Hurling League

The 2003 National Hurling League was the 72nd seasons of the National Hurling League.

## Division 1

Kilkenny came into the season as defending champions of the 2002 season. Laois entered Division 1 as the promoted team.

On 5 May 2003, Kilkenny won the title following a 5–14 to 5–13 win over Tipperary in the final. It was their second league title in succession and their 11th National League title overall.

Derry, who lost all of their group stage matches, were relegated from Division 1 after losing all of their matches in the relegation group. Antrim won Division 2 and secured promotion to the top tier.

Tipperary's Eoin Kelly was the Division 1 top scorer with 6-56.

### Division 1A table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Kilkenny | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | Advanced to Group 1 |
| 2 | Clare | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | Advanced to Group 1 |
| 3 | Galway | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | Advanced to Group 1 |
| 4 | Laois | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | Advanced to Group 2 |
| 5 | Waterford | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | Advanced to Group 2 |
| 6 | Dublin | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | Advanced to Group 2 |

### Division 1B table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Tipperary | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 8 | Advanced to Group 1 |
| 2 | Cork | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 8 | Advanced to Group 1 |
| 3 | Wexford | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | Advanced to Group 1 |
| 4 | Offaly | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | Advanced to Group 2 |
| 5 | Limerick | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | Advanced to Group 2 |
| 6 | Derry | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | Advanced to Group 2 |

### Group 1 table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Tipperary | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 13 | Division 1 runners-up |
| 2 | Kilkenny | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | Division 1 champions |
| 3 | Cork | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 12 |
| 4 | Wexford | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| 5 | Galway | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| 6 | Clare | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 |

### Group 2 table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Limerick | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 2 | Waterford | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| 3 | Offaly | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| 4 | Laois | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| 5 | Dublin | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 6 | Derry | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | Relegated to Division 2 |

### Knock-out stage

Final

### Scoring statistics

**Top scorers overall**

| Rank | Player | Team | Tally | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Eoin Kelly | Tipperary | 6-56 | 74 |
| 2 | Henry Shefflin | Kilkenny | 4-52 | 64 |
| 3 | Niall Gilligan | Clare | 5-45 | 60 |
| 4 | Damien Murray | Offaly | 8-35 | 59 |
| 5 | Paul Codd | Wexford | 3-47 | 56 |

**Top scorers in a single game**

| Rank | Player | Team | Tally | Total | Opposition |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Donncha Sheehan | Limerick | 4-02 | 14 | Derry |
| 1 | Eoin Kelly | Tipperary | 3-05 | 14 | Cork |
| 1 | Eoin Fitzgerald | Cork | 2-08 | 14 | Derry |
| 1 | Henry Shefflin | Kilkenny | 1-11 | 14 | Clare |
| 1 | Ollie Collins | Derry | 1-11 | 14 | Tipperary |
| 6 | Eoin Kelly | Waterford | 3-04 | 13 | Laois |
| 6 | Eoin Kelly | Tipperary | 1-10 | 13 | Derry |
| 6 | Paul Codd | Wexford | 1-10 | 13 | Kilkenny |
| 6 | Henry Shefflin | Kilkenny | 0-13 | 13 | Wexford |
| 10 | Lar Corbett | Tipperary | 3-03 | 12 | Offaly |
| 10 | Niall Gilligan | Clare | 2-06 | 12 | Galway |
| 10 | Ollie Collins | Derry | 2-06 | 12 | Dublin |
| 10 | Damien Murray | Offaly | 2-06 | 12 | Waterford |

## Division 2

### Division 2A table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Antrim | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | Advanced to Group 1 |
| 2 | Down | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | Advanced to Group 1 |
| 3 | Westmeath | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | Advanced to Group 1 |
| 4 | Kildare | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | Advanced to Group 2 |
| 5 | Roscommon | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | Advanced to Group 2 |

### Division 2B table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Kerry | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | Advanced to Group 1 |
| 2 | Meath | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | Advanced to Group 1 |
| 3 | Carlow | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | Advanced to Group 1 |
| 4 | Wicklow | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | Advanced to Group 2 |
| 5 | Longford | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | Advanced to Group 2 |

### Group 1 table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Kerry | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 12 | Division 2 runners-up |
| 2 | Antrim | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | Division 2 champions |
| 3 | Meath | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 4 | Down | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| 5 | Westmeath | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| 6 | Carlow | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 |

### Group 2 table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Wicklow | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | Kildare | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | Roscommon | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | Longford | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | Relegated to Division 3 |

## Division 3

### Division 3A table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Sligo | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | Advanced to Group 1 |
| 2 | Mayo | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | Advanced to Group 1 |
| 3 | Armagh | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | Advanced to Group 1 |
| 4 | Donegal | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | Advanced to Group 1 |
| 5 | Leitrim | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | Advanced to Group 1 |

### Division 3B table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Monaghan | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | Advanced to Group 1 |
| 2 | Louth | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | Advanced to Group 1 |
| 3 | Tyrone | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | Advanced to Group 1 |
| 4 | Cavan | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | Advanced to Group 1 |
| 5 | Fermanagh | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | Advanced to Group 1 |

### Group 1 table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Mayo | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | Division 3 champions |
| 2 | Sligo | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 | Division 3 runners-up |
| 3 | Louth | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 4 | Monaghan | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| 5 | Armagh | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| 6 | Tyrone | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 |

### Group 2 table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Donegal | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 2 | Leitirm | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Cavan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | Fermanagh | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |

### Knock-out stage

Final

