2010 National Hurling League
The 2010 National Hurling League was the 79th season of the National Hurling League. 35 teams competed in the league.
Galway were the champions, defeating Cork in the final.
Teams
Team summaries
| Team | Stadium | Manager | Position last season |
| Kilkenny | Nowlan Park | Brian Cody | |
| Tipperary | Semple Stadium | Liam Sheedy | |
| Galway | Pearse Stadium | John McIntyre | |
| Dublin | Parnell Park | Anthony Daly | |
| Waterford | Walsh Park | Davy Fitzgerald | |
| Limerick | Gaelic Grounds | Justin McCarthy | |
| Cork | Páirc Uí Chaoimh | Denis Walsh | |
| Offaly | O'Connor Park | Joe Dooley |
Format
The 2010 format of the National Hurling League is a system consisting of five divisions. There are thirty-five teams competing: Divisions One and Two have eight teams in each, Division Three A contains six, Division Three B seven, and there are six teams in Division Four.Division 1
Division 1 contains eight teams. Each team plays all the others once. The top two play the final; the winners of the final are the 2010 NHL champions. The last-placed team is relegated.Division 2
Division 2 contains eight teams. Each team plays all the others once. The top two play the final; the winners of the final are the 2010 Division Two champions and are promoted. The last-placed team is relegated to Division 3A.Division 3A
Division 3A contains six teams. The top two teams shall contest the final; the winners of the final are the 2010 Division Three champions and are promoted. The last-placed team is relegated to Division 3B.Division 3B
Division 3B contains seven teams. The top two teams shall contest the final; the winners of the final are the 2010 Division 3B champions and are promoted to Division 3A. The last-placed team is relegated.Division 4
Division 4 contains six teams. Each team plays all the others once. The top two play the final; the winners of the final are the 2010 Division Four champions and are promoted to Division 3B.Division 1
came into the season as defending champions of the 2009 season. Offaly entered Division 1 as the promoted team.On 2 May 2010, Galway won the title following a 2–22 to 1–17 win over Cork in the final. It was their first league title since 2004 and their 9th National League title overall.
Limerick, who lost all of their group stage matches, were relegated from Division 1. Wexford won Division 2 and secured promotion to the top tier.
Offaly's Shane Dooley was the Division 1 top scorer with 6-57.
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Notes |
| 1 | Galway | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 12 | Division 1 champions |
| 2 | Cork | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 11 | Division 1 runners-up |
| 3 | Tipperary | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | - |
| 4 | Kilkenny | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 8 | - |
| 5 | Waterford | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | - |
| 6 | Offaly | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | - |
| 7 | Dublin | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | - |
| 8 | Limerick | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | Relegated to Division 2 |
- Kilkenny were placed ahead of Waterford as they won the head-to-head match between the teams
- Offaly were placed ahead of Dublin as they won the head-to-head match between the teams
Group stage
Knock-out stage
FinalScoring statistics
;Top scorers overall| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Matches | Average |
| 1 | Shane Dooley | Offaly | 6-57 | 75 | 7 | 10.71 |
| 2 | Eoin Kelly | Waterford | 4-47 | 59 | 5 | 11.80 |
| 3 | Alan McCrabbe | Dublin | 1-47 | 50 | 7 | 7.14 |
| 4 | Ger Farragher | Galway | 0-44 | 44 | 7 | 6.28 |
| 5 | Patrick Horgan | Cork | 2-37 | 43 | 7 | 6.14 |
| 6 | Eoin Kelly | Tipperary | 2-35 | 41 | 6 | 6.83 |
| 7 | Paudie McNamara | Limerick | 3-27 | 36 | 7 | 5.14 |
| 8 | Richie Power | Kilkenny | 2-29 | 35 | 4 | 8.75 |
| 9 | Niall Healy | Galway | 3-15 | 24 | 6 | 4.00 |
| 9 | Maurice Shanahan | Waterford | 0-24 | 24 | 6 | 4.00 |
;Top scorers in a single game
| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Opposition |
| 1 | Eoin Kelly | Waterford | 1-17 | 20 | Cork |
| 2 | Shane Dooley | Offaly | 2-10 | 16 | Dublin |
| 3 | Niall Healy | Galway | 2-09 | 15 | Cork |
| 4 | Richie Power | Kilkenny | 2-07 | 13 | Dublin |
| 4 | Shane Dooley | Offaly | 1-10 | 13 | Waterford |
| 4 | Eoin Kelly | Waterford | 1-10 | 13 | Limerick |
| 7 | Shane Dooley | Offaly | 2-06 | 12 | Tipperary |
| 8 | Shane Dooley | Offaly | 1-08 | 11 | Cork |
| 8 | Paudie McNamara | Limerick | 0-11 | 11 | Kilkenny |
| 10 | Eoin Kelly | Tipperary | 1-07 | 10 | Kilkenny |
| 10 | Patrick Horgan | Cork | 1-07 | 10 | Tipperary |
| 10 | Eoin Kelly | Waterford | 1-07 | 10 | Tipperary |
| 10 | Paudie McNamara | Limerick | 1-07 | 10 | Dublin |
| 10 | Alan McCrabbe | Dublin | 0-10 | 10 | Tipperary |
| 10 | Shane Dooley | Offaly | 0-10 | 10 | Limerick |
| 10 | Alan McCrabbe | Dublin | 0-10 | 10 | Limerick |
Division 2
and Kildare entered Division 2 as the respective relegated and promoted teams from the 2009 season.On 2 May 2010, Wexford won the title following a 1–16 to 2–9 win over Clare in the final.
Kildare were relegated from Division 2 after losing all but one of their group stage matches. They spent just one season in Division 2.
Wexford's Diarmuid Lyng was the Division 2 top scorer with 1-58.
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Notes |
| 1 | Clare | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 13 | Division 2 runners-up |
| 2 | Wexford | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 11 | Division 2 champions |
| 3 | Laois | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 10 | - |
| 4 | Carlow | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 8 | - |
| 5 | Antrim | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | - |
| 6 | Down | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | - |
| 7 | Westmeath | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | - |
| 8 | Kildare | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | Relegated to Division 3 |
Group stage
Knock-out stage
FinalScoring statistics
;Top scorers overall| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Matches | Average |
| 1 | Diarmuid Lyng | Wexford | 1-58 | 61 | 8 | 7.62 |
| 2 | Colin Ryan | Clare | 5-36 | 51 | 8 | 6.37 |
| 3 | Willie Hyland | Laois | 2-43 | 49 | 7 | 7.00 |
| 4 | Paudie Kehoe | Carlow | 6-26 | 44 | 7 | 6.28 |
| 5 | Brendan Murtagh | Westmeath | 1-36 | 39 | 7 | 5.57 |
| 6 | Neil McManus | Antrim | 6-19 | 37 | 6 | 6.16 |
| 7 | Rory Jacob | Wexford | 4-18 | 30 | 7 | 4.28 |
| 8 | Andrew Mitchell | Westmeath | 2-19 | 25 | 7 | 3.57 |
| 9 | Peter Atkinson | Wexford | 3-15 | 24 | 8 | 3.00 |
| 10 | Paul Shiels | Antrim | 0-23 | 23 | 5 | 4.60 |
;Top scorers in a single game
| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Opposition |
| 1 | Mark Flaherty | Clare | 2-10 | 16 | Down |
| 2 | Paudie Kehoe | Carlow | 2-07 | 13 | Down |
| 3 | Diarmuid Lyng | Wexford | 1-09 | 12 | Clare |
| 3 | Colin Ryan | Clare | 1-09 | 12 | Westmeath |
| 3 | Paul Braniff | Down | 1-09 | 12 | Kildare |
| 3 | Willie Hyland | Laois | 0-12 | 12 | Antrim |
| 7 | Andrew Mitchell | Westmeath | 2-05 | 11 | Clare |
| 7 | Paudie Kehoe | Carlow | 2-05 | 11 | Westmeath |
| 7 | Diarmuid Lyng | Wexford | 0-11 | 11 | Down |
| 10 | Peter Atkinson | Wexford | 2-04 | 10 | Antrim |
| 10 | Neil McManus | Antrim | 1-07 | 10 | Kildare |
Division 3A
and London entered Division 3A as the respective relegated and promoted teams from the 2010 season.On 10 April 2010, Kerry won the title following a 2–18 to 1–15 win over Derry in the final.
Mayo were relegated from Division 3A after losing all but one of their group stage matches.
London's Martin Finn was the Division 3A top scorer with 2-27.
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Notes |
| 1 | Kerry | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | Division 3A champions |
| 2 | Derry | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | Division 3A runners-up |
| 3 | Meath | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | - |
| 4 | London | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | - |
| 5 | Armagh | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | - |
| 6 | Mayo | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | Relegated to Division 3B |
Group stage
Knock-out stage
FinalScoring statistics
;Top scorers overall| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total |
| 1 | Martin Finn | London | 2-27 | 33 |
| 2 | Paddy Henry | Derry | 2-25 | 31 |
| 3 | Neil Hackett | Meath | 2-23 | 29 |
| 3 | Shane Brick | Kerry | 0-29 | 29 |
| 5 | Darragh O'Connell | Kerry | 2-19 | 25 |
| 6 | Paddy McCloskey | Derry | 5-04 | 19 |
| 6 | Mike Conway | Kerry | 2-13 | 19 |
| 8 | Brian Moran | Mayo | 0-18 | 18 |
| 9 | Peter Durnin | Meath | 2-11 | 17 |
| 9 | Kevin Hinphey | Derry | 2-11 | 17 |
;Top scorers in a single game
| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Opposition |
| 1 | Shane Brick | Kerry | 0-15 | 15 | Meath |
| 2 | Paddy McCloskey | Derry | 4-01 | 13 | London |
| 2 | Martin Finn | London | 1-10 | 13 | Mayo |
| 4 | Shane Brick | Kerry | 0-12 | 12 | Mayo |
| 4 | Darragh O'Connell | Kerry | 0-12 | 12 | Derry |
| 6 | Martin Finn | London | 0-10 | 10 | Kerry |
| 6 | Paddy Henry | Derry | 0-10 | 10 | London |
| 6 | Brian Moran | Mayo | 0-10 | 10 | Armagh |
| 9 | Darragh O'Connell | Kerry | 2-03 | 9 | Derry |
| 10 | Kevin Hinphey | Derry | 2-02 | 8 | Meath |
Division 3B
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Notes |
| 1 | Wicklow | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 12 | Division 3B champions |
| 2 | Louth | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | Division 3B runners-up |
| 3 | Roscommon | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | - |
| 4 | Fingal | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | - |
| 5 | Sligo | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | - |
| 6 | Donegal | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | - |
| 7 | Tyrone | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | Relegated to Division 4 |
- Louth were placed ahead of Roscommon as they won the head-to-head match between the teams
- Sligo were placed ahead of Donegal as they won the head-to-head match between the teams
Knock-out stage
Division 4
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Notes |
| 1 | Monaghan | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | Division 4 champions |
| 2 | Longford | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 8 | Division 4 runners-up |
| 3 | Fermanagh | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | - |
| 4 | Cavan | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | - |
| 5 | Leitrim | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | - |
| 6 | South Down | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | - |
- Fermanagh were placed ahead of Cavan as they won the head-to-head match between the teams
- Leitrim were placed ahead of South Down as they won the head-to-head match between the teams
Knock-out stage
Monaghan won promotion to Division 3B for 2011 while Longford remained in Division 4 for 2011