| League: | National Hurling League 2012 |
| Dates: | 25 February – 6 May 2012 |
| Teams: | 34 |
| Team1: | Kilkenny |
| Captain1: | Eoin Larkin |
| Manager1: | Brian Cody |
| Titles: | 15th |
| Team2: | Cork |
| Captain2: | Patrick Horgan |
| Manager2: | Jimmy Barry-Murphy |
| Oneb: | Clare |
| Twoa: | Carlow |
| Twob: | Kildare |
| Threea: | Fingal |
| Threeb: | Fermanagh |
| Previous: | 2011 |
| Next: | 2013 |
The 2012 National Hurling League commenced in February 2012. 34 GAA county hurling teams: 32 from Ireland (including Fingal but not Cavan), London and Warwickshire, contested it.
On 6 May Kilkenny defeated Cork in the final to win their 15th NHL title, moving them to second place in the all-time roll of honour, behind Tipperary who have won 19 Leagues.[1] [2] [3]
The 2012 format was originally to consist of five divisions: Divisions 1 and 2 having eight teams in each, Division 3A six, Division 3B seven, and six teams in Division 4.
However, this was controversially altered to a system of six divisions, with six teams in divisions 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B and 3A, and four in division 3B.[4] This meant that many counties were effectively relegated to a lower division.[5] [6] It was agreed in October 2011 that there would no longer be an eight-team Division 1, with the top division hurling counties giving their approval to the new system.[7] The league settings are as follows:
| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Matches | Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richie Power | Kilkenny | 3-49 | 58 | 5 | 11.60 | |
| 2 | Niall Burke | Galway | 1-47 | 50 | 7 | 7.14 | |
| 3 | Pa Bourke | Tipperary | 2-38 | 44 | 6 | 7.33 | |
| 4 | Patrick Horgan | Cork | 0-43 | 43 | 6 | 7.16 |
| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Opposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richie Power | Kilkenny | 1-11 | 14 | Cork |
| Richie Power | Kilkenny | 1-11 | 14 | Tipperary | |
| 3 | Joe Canning | Galway | 2-7 | 13 | Dubln |
| Niall Burke | Galway | 1-10 | 13 | Cork | |
| 5 | Joe Canning | Galway | 0-12 | 12 | Dublin |
| 6 | Paul Ryan | Dublin | 0-11 | 11 | Galway |
| Richie Power | Kilkenny | 1-8 | 11 | Dublin | |
| 8 | Eoin Larkin | Kilkenny | 1-7 | 10 | Galway |
| Niall Burke | Galway | 0-10 | 10 | Dublin | |
| Richie Power | Kilkenny | 0-10 | 10 | Waterford | |
| 11 | Danny Sutcliffe | Dublin | 2-3 | 9 | Kilkenny |
| T. J. Reid | Kilkenny | 1-6 | 9 | Galway | |
| Pa Bourke | Tipperary | 1-6 | 9 | Galway | |
| Pa Bourke | Tipperary | 1-6 | 9 | Cork | |
| Paul Ryan | Dublin | 0-9 | 9 | Galway | |
| Patrick Horgan | Cork | 0-9 | 9 | Tipperary | |
| Patrick Horgan | Cork | 0-9 | 9 | Tipperary | |
| Richie Power | Kilkenny | 0-9 | 9 | Clare | |
| 19 | Paul Ryan | Dublin | 0-8 | 8 | Cork |
| Patrick Horgan | Cork | 0-8 | 8 | Kilkenny |
| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Matches | Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Willie Hyland | Laois | 1-61 | 64 | 6 | 10.66 | |
| 2 | Shane Dooley | Offaly | 3-43 | 52 | 5 | 10.40 | |
| 3 | Shane McNaughton | Antrim | 2-39 | 45 | 5 | 9.00 | |
| 4 | Conor McGrath | Clare | 2-35 | 41 | 4 | 10.25 |
| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Opposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack Guiney | Wexford | 3-5 | 14 | Laois |
| 2 | Conor McGrath | Clare | 1-10 | 13 | Limerick |
| Shane Dooley | Offaly | 1-10 | 13 | Antrim | |
| 4 | Jack Guiney | Wexford | 0-12 | 12 | Clare |
| Conor McGrath | Clare | 0-12 | 12 | Limerick | |
| Shane Dooley | Offaly | 0-12 | 12 | Clare | |
| 7 | Shane Dooley | Offaly | 2-5 | 11 | Limerick |
| Jack Guiney | Wexford | 1-8 | 11 | Laois | |
| Shane McNaughton | Antrim | 1-8 | 11 | Laois | |
| Willie Hyland | Laois | 0-11 | 11 | Wexford | |
| 11 | Shane Dowling | Limerick | 2-4 | 10 | Antrim |
| Shane Dowling | Limerick | 1-7 | 10 | Clare | |
| Shane McNaughton | Antrim | 1-7 | 10 | Wexford | |
| Conor McGrath | Clare | 1-7 | 10 | Wexford | |
| Shane McNaughton | Antrim | 0-10 | 10 | Offaly | |
| 16 | Willie Hyland | Laois | 1-6 | 9 | Clare |
| Shane Dooley | Offaly | 0-9 | 9 | Wexford | |
| Willie Hyland | Laois | 0-9 | 9 | Antrim | |
| Willie Hyland | Laois | 0-9 | 9 | Wexford | |
| Shane McNaughton | Antrim | 0-9 | 9 | Limerick |
| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Matches | Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brendan Murtagh | Westmeath | 3-51 | 60 | 6 | 10.00 | |
| 2 | Paul Braniff | Down | 3-37 | 46 | 5 | 9.20 | |
| 3 | Paddy Henry | Derry | 1-31 | 34 | 4 | 8.50 |
| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Opposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brendan Murtagh | Westmeath | 2-9 | 15 | Wicklow |
| 2 | Brendan Murtagh | Westmeath | 1-10 | 13 | Carlow |
| Paddy Henry | Derry | 1-10 | 13 | Down | |
| Paul Braniff | Down | 0-13 | 13 | Westmeath | |
| Brendan Murtagh | Westmeath | 0-13 | 13 | Kerry | |
| 6 | Paul Braniff | Down | 1-8 | 11 | Derry |
| Paudie Kehoe | Carlow | 0-11 | 11 | Kerry | |
| Jonathan O'Neill | Wicklow | 0-11 | 11 | Derry | |
| 9 | Paddy Henry | Derry | 0-10 | 10 | Westmeath |
| Andy O'Brien | Wicklow | 0-10 | 10 | Carlow | |
| Shane Brick | Kerry | 0-10 | 10 | Wicklow | |
| 12 | Pádraig Boyle | Kerry | 3-0 | 9 | Westmeath |
| Shane Nolan | Kerry | 1-6 | 9 | Down | |
| Paul Braniff | Down | 1-6 | 9 | Kerry | |
| Paul Braniff | Down | 1-6 | 9 | Wicklow | |
| Brendan Murtagh | Westmeath | 0-9 | 9 | Derry | |
| Jonathan O'Neill | Wicklow | 0-9 | 9 | Down | |
| Paddy Henry | Derry | 0-9 | 9 | Carlow |
The Monaghan team gave a walkover after a dispute with the county board, who had refused to reschedule Gaelic football club games to allow their players to rest for the final.[8]
Setanta Sports and TG4 provided live coverage of matches in Ireland with RTÉ providing highlights on Sunday nights. The finals were all shown live on TG4.Setanta Sports broadcast live matches in Australia. Setanta Sports also provided coverage of matches from the National Hurling League to viewers in Asia.