| Year: | 1948 |
| Munster: | Waterford |
| Leinster: | Dublin |
| Ulster: | Antrim |
| Team: | Waterford |
| Titles: | 1st |
| Captain: | Jim Ware |
| Team2: | Dublin |
| Captain2: | Frank Cummins |
| Topscorer: | John Keane (4-8) Jimmy Kennedy (4-8) |
| Previous: | 1947 |
| Next: | 1949 |
The 1948 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 62nd staging of the All-Ireland hurling championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1887. The championship began on 16 May 1948 and ended on 5 September 1948.
Kilkenny were the defending champions, however, they were defeated in the provincial championship. Waterford won the All-Ireland crown for the first time in their history, following a 6-7 to 4-2 defeat of Dublin in the final.
The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was run on a provincial basis as usual. All games were played on a knockout basis whereby once a team lost they were eliminated from the championship. The format for the All-Ireland series of games ran as follows:
First round
Semi-finals
Final
First round
Semi-finals
Final
| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Matches | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Keane | Waterford | 4-08 | 20 | 4 | 5.00 |
| Jimmy Kennedy | Tipperary | 4-08 | 20 | 4 | 5.00 | |
| 2 | Mickey Williams | Dublin | 6-01 | 19 | 4 | 4.75 |
| 3 | Jim Prior | Dublin | 5-02 | 17 | 4 | 4.25 |
| 4 | Seán Óg Ó Ceallacháin | Dublin | 3-07 | 16 | 4 | 4.00 |
| 5 | Nicky Rackard | Wexford | 4-03 | 15 | 2 | 7.50 |
| 6 | Fint Moloney | Laois | 4-01 | 13 | 3 | 4.66 |
| Harry Gray | Laois | 2-07 | 13 | 3 | 4.66 | |
| 7 | Jackie Power | Limerick | 4-00 | 12 | 2 | 6.00 |
| Paddy Lalor | Laois | 4-00 | 12 | 3 | 4.00 |
| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Opposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nicky Rackard | Wexford | 4-00 | 12 | Offaly |
| 2 | Jim Prior | Dublin | 3-02 | 11 | Antrim |
| 3 | Liam White | Laois | 2-04 | 10 | Westmeath |
| 4 | Paddy Lalor | Laois | 3-00 | 9 | Kilkenny |
| Jackie Power | Limerick | 3-00 | 9 | Tipperary | |
| Willie McAllister | Clare | 3-00 | 9 | Waterford | |
| Mickey Williams | Dublin | 3-00 | 9 | Antrim | |
| 5 | John Keane | Waterford | 2-02 | 8 | Dublin |
| Jimmy Kennedy | Dublin | 2-02 | 8 | Waterford | |
| 6 | Paddy Kehoe | Wexford | 2-01 | 7 | Offaly |
| Mickey Williams | Dublin | 2-01 | 7 | Laois | |
| Jim Devitt | Tipperary | 2-01 | 7 | Limerick | |
| Jack Lynch | Cork | 2-01 | 7 | Limerick | |
| Christy Ring | Cork | 1-04 | 7 | Waterford | |
| Seán Óg Ó Ceallacháin | Dublin | 1-04 | 7 | Antrim | |
| Josie Gallagher | Galway | 1-04 | 7 | Waterford |