Delegates at the GAA Special Congress have narrowly approved a radical overhaul of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.
The Special Congress met in Croke Park this afternoon.
The Central Council motion, which sees the Munster and Leinster Hurling Championships played in a five-team round robin format, was approved with 62 per cent in favour. This was 2% more than was required to pass the measure.
Each team will now play two home and two away games, with the top two reaching the provincial final.
The winners move on to the All-Ireland semi-finals, with the losers playing a quarter-final.
A new Tier 2 Championship featuring the next best six teams will also be played in a round robin format.
An amendment which was also approved means the top 2 in that group will get an opportunity to compete for the Liam McCarthy Cup in the same year.
