2000: Matt Murphy (Galway)

This was fairly inexplicable. Having given Murphy a second chance, Galway summarily dismissed him again after two years despite the NHL title, a first championship victory in seven years, and the most vigorous challenge Kilkenny got all summer.

1997: Tom Ryan (Limerick)

This year's league's play-offs were run through the summer and, in October, Limerick beat Galway comfortably in the final. But the previous June the team had lost its Munster title when going down heavily to Tipperary. After a four-year term, featuring two narrow All-Ireland final defeats but marked by tension with the county board, Ryan's tenure was over.

1996: Matt Murphy (Galway)

First time around, Murphy's league victory was the county's first national title in seven years. After two years of losing narrowly to the eventual All-Ireland winners in the championship, he was replaced by Cyril Farrell.

1995: Ollie Walsh (Kilkenny)

After five good years, featuring two All-Irelands and this year's league, Walsh left in the aftermath of the heavy defeat by Offaly in the Leinster final.

1994: Babs Keating (Tipperary)

Eight years in charge came to an abrupt halt for Keating when, after looking very impressive defeating Galway in the League final only a fortnight previously, Tipperary crashed out of the championship to Clare having beaten them by 18 points in the previous year's Munster final.

1993: Michael O'Brien (Cork)

Going for a third Munster title in four years under O'Brien, Cork won an epic league title after two replays with Wexford but came unstuck in what was Clare's first significant triumph on the road to world domination.

1990: Diarmuid Healy (Kilkenny)

Healy was trying to reproduce his groundbreaking exploits in Offaly with his home county. Having defeated Wexford in the NHL final, Kilkenny went down to one of their most stunning defeats by a margin of 17 points - to Offaly. A row over the appointment of selectors led to his walking away after only a year.