The 1976 All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship was the 55th staging of the All-Ireland Junior Championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1912. Derry began the competition as defending champions, having defeated Louth in the 1975 final.[1] Louth defeated Mayo in the 1976 final to claim the county's first All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship title.
Connacht was the only province to stage a junior hurling championship in 1976, which was won by Leitrim.[2] This was a standalone competition which had no bearing on the All-Ireland series. Instead, the winners of the respective 'A' and 'B' sections of the 1976 National Hurling League Division 3 would go forward to contest the All-Ireland final.[3]
Louth secured a place in the final by beating Derry in the Division 3B play-off.[4] Mayo topped Division 3A to automatically qualify for the decider.[5]
Louth led by eleven points at half-time (4-06 to 1-04) and stretched their lead to fourteen early in the second period. Despite a Mayo resurgence, they held on to win by a five-point margin.[3]