Cork entered the championship as the defending champions, however, they were beaten by Clare in the Munster semi-final.
On 12 September 1999, Galway won the championship following a 0-13 to 0-10 defeat of Tipperary in the All-Ireland final. This was their fourth All-Ireland title overall and their first title in 1994.
Tipperary's Eoin Kelly was the championship's top scorer with 1-21.