2008 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

Format

The format of the 2008 championship was slightly different from previous formats:

12 counties participated in Tier 1 of the 2008 Championship. These teams were as follows:

• Leinster: Dublin, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wexford
• Munster: Clare, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford
• Connacht: Galway (Connacht representative)
• Ulster: Antrim (Ulster champions)

Provincial Championships

The Leinster and Munster championships were played as usual. The Leinster and Munster champions advanced directly to the All-Ireland semi-finals. The Ulster champions advanced to the qualifiers. The Connacht championship was not played. Galway entered the qualifiers as Connacht representatives.

All-Ireland Qualifiers

Phase 1: (1 match) This was a single match between Antrim and Galway.

Phase 2: (2 matches) The winner of the phase 1 game played the team eliminated in the first round of the Leinster Championship. The loser of the phase 1 game played the team eliminated in the first round of the Munster Championship.

Phase 3: (2 matches) This phase consisted of two knock-out games between the beaten provincial semi-finalists in Leinster and Munster. Teams from the same province could not meet in these games.

Phase 4: (2 matches) The winners from phase 2 played the winners from phase 3 in a knock-out format.

All-Ireland Series

Quarter-finals: (2 matches) The defeated Munster and Leinster finalists played the winners of the qualifier phase 4 games.

Semi-finals: (2 matches) The Munster and Leinster champions played the winners of the quarter-finals.

Promotion/relegation

The losing teams from the qualifier phase 2 games played off. The loser of this game played a promotion/relegation play-off against the winners of the Christy Ring Cup.

Teams

General information

Thirteen counties will compete in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: one team in the Connacht Senior Hurling Championship, six teams in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, five teams in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship and one team in the Ulster Senior Hurling Championship.

Personal and kits

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship

Main article: Leinster Senior Hurling Championship

1st Round http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2008/0525/laois_offaly.html?gaa }}

1st Round http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2008/0525/dublin_westmeath.html?gaa }}

Semi-final http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2008/0614/wexford_dublin.html?gaa }}

Semi-final http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2008/0615/kilkenny_offaly.html?gaa }}

Semi-final Replay http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2008/0622/wexford_dublin.html?gaa }}

Final

Munster Senior Hurling Championship

Main article: 2008 Munster Senior Hurling Championship }}{{8TeamBracket-Compact-NoSeeds-Byes, border, [20px]] [Clare GAA, [Clare]]](clare), border, [20px]] [Tipperary GAA, [Tipperary]]'''](tipperary), border, [20px]] [Clare GAA, [Clare]]'''](clare), border, [20px]] [Limerick GAA, [Limerick]]](limerick), border, [20px]] [Tipperary GAA, [Tipperary]]'''](tipperary), border, [20px]] [Cork GAA, [Cork]]](cork), border, [20px]] [Waterford GAA, [Waterford]]](waterford), border, [20px]] [Clare GAA, [Clare]]'''](clare)

1st Round http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2008/0601/clare_waterford.html?gaa }}

Semi-final

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2008/0608/cork_tipperary.html?gaa }}

Semi-final http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2008/0622/clare_limerick.html?gaa }}

Final http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2008/0713/tipperary_clare.html?gaa Main article: 2008 Munster Senior Hurling Championship Final

Ulster Senior Hurling Championship

Main article: 2008 Ulster Senior Hurling Championship

Antrim|RD3-score3=2–17|RD3-team4=[[File:Colours of Derry.svg|20px|border]] Derry|RD3-score4=1–12|RD4-team1=[[File:Colours of Down.svg|20px|border]] Down|RD4-score1=2–16|RD4-team2=[[File:Colours of Antrim.svg|20px|border]] Antrim|RD4-score2=3–18}}2008 marked the first time in decades that all nine Ulster counties (plus London) competed in the Ulster championship.

Due to the historical strength of Antrim and the relative strength of Down, and more recently Derry and Armagh, a system of seeding was used to prevent one-sided matches. The success of the format was indicated by two 'underdog' victories, for Monaghan over Donegal, and London over Armagh, and a number of close matches. However, Antrim retained the trophy beating Down in the final.

1st Round https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/7395053.stm}}

1st Round https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/7395052.stm}}

2nd Round https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/7406601.stm}}

2nd Round https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/7407255.stm}}

Quarter-final https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/7418778.stm}}

Quarter-final https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/7419661.stm}}

Semi-final https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/7430025.stm}}

Semi-final

https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/7430453.stm}}

Final

https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/7455747.stm}}

Cup competitions

Christy Ring Cup (Tier 2)

Main article: 2008 Christy Ring Cup

Nicky Rackard Cup (Tier 3)

Main article: 2008 Nicky Rackard Cup

All-Ireland qualifiers

Main article: All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship qualifiers

{{footballbox Phase 1 http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2008/0628/galway_antrim.html?gaa}}

Phase 2 http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2008/0705/waterford_antrim.html?gaa}}

Phase 2 http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2008/0705/galway_laois.html?gaa}}

Phase 3 http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2008/0712/cork_dublin.html?gaa}}

Phase 3 http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2008/0712/limerick_offaly.html?gaa}}

Phase 4

Phase 4

Relegation play-offs

Semi-final

Final

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

Main article: All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

Bracket

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The provincial champions are marked by an asterisk.{{3RoundBracket-Byes July 27 | RD2=Semi-Finals August 10 / August 17 | RD3=Final September 7 || RD1-seed1=| RD1-seed2=| RD1-seed3=| RD1-seed4=| RD1-seed5=| RD1-seed6=| RD1-seed7=| RD1-seed8=| | RD1-team1= | RD1-team2= | RD1-score1= | RD1-score2= | RD1-team3= [[File:Colours of Clare.svg|border|20px]] Clare | RD1-team4= [[File:Colours of Cork.svg|border|20px]] Cork | RD1-score3=2–17 | RD1-score4=2–19 | RD1-team5= | RD1-team6= | RD1-score5= | RD1-score6= | RD1-team7=[[File:Colours of Wexford.svg|border|20px]] Wexford | RD1-team8= [[File:Colours of Waterford.svg|border|20px]] Waterford | RD1-score7=3–15 | RD1-score8=2–19 | RD2-team1= [[File:Colours of Kilkenny.svg|border|20px]] Kilkenny* | RD2-team2= [[File:Colours of Cork.svg|border|20px]] Cork | RD2-score1=1–23 | RD2-score2=0–17 | RD2-team3= [[File:Colours of Tipperary.svg|border|20px]] Tipperary* | RD2-team4= [[File:Colours of Waterford.svg|border|20px]] Waterford | RD2-score3=1–18 | RD2-score4=1–20 | RD3-team1= [[File:Colours of Kilkenny.svg|border|20px]] Kilkenny* | RD3-team2= [[File:Colours of Waterford.svg|border|20px]] Waterford | RD3-score1=3–30 | RD3-score2=1–13

All-Ireland quarter-finals

Quarter-final

Quarter-final

All-Ireland semi-finals

Semi-final

Semi-final

All-Ireland final

Main article: 2008 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final

Final

Championship statistics

Scoring

• Top scorer from play in the championship: John Mullane for Waterford 2–21
• First goal of the championship: Brian Carroll for Offaly against Laois (Leinster quarter-final)
• Last goal of the championship: Eoin Kelly for Waterford against Kilkenny (All-Ireland final)
• First hat-trick of the championship: Joe Bergin for Offaly against Limerick (All-Ireland qualifier)
• Widest winning margin: 26 points
  • Waterford 6–21 : 1–10 Antrim (All-Ireland qualifier)
• Most goals in a match: 7
  • Antrim 1–10 : 6–21 Waterford (All-Ireland qualifier)
  • Laois 4–18 : 3–11 Carlow (Relegation final)
• Most points in a match: 49
  • Clare 2–26 :0–23 Waterford (Munster quarter-final)
• Most goals by one team in a match: 6
  • Waterford 6–21 : 1–10 Antrim (All-Ireland qualifier)
  • Galway 6–21 : 0–15 Antrim (All-Ireland qualifier)
• Most goals scored by a losing team: 3
  • Wexford 3–15 : 2–19 Waterford (All-Ireland quarter-final)
  • Carlow 3–11 : 4–18 Laois (Relegation final)
• Most points scored by a losing team: 23
  • Waterford 0–23 : 2–26 Clare (Munster quarter-final)

Cards

• Most yellow cards: Waterford (16)
• Fewest yellow cards: Galway (1)
• Most red cards: Antrim, Clare, Cork, Laois and Wexford (1)
• Fewest red cards: Waterford, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Limerick, Dublin, Offaly and Galway (0)

Overall

• Most goals scored – Waterford (12)
• Most points scored – Waterford (111)
• Most goals conceded – Antrim (12)
• Most points conceded – Waterford (122)
• Fewest goals scored – Antrim and Limerick (1)
• Fewest points scored – Carlow (11)
• Fewest goals conceded – Kilkenny (1)
• Fewest points conceded – Carlow and Westmeath (18)

Miscellaneous

• Kilkenny win their 31st All-Ireland title to become outright leaders on the all-time roll of honour for the first time in their history.
• Top scorer from play John Mullane didn't win an all star.
• Waterford become the second top-scoring team in a hurling championship season to have a negative score difference (Westmeath 1961)

Roll of Honour

• Kilkenny – 31 (2008)
• Cork – 30 (2005)
• Tipperary – 25 (2001)
• Limerick – 7 (1973)
• Dublin – 6 (1938)
• Wexford – 6 (1996)
• Offaly – 4 (1998)
• Galway – 4 (1988)
• Clare – 3 (1997)
• Waterford – 2 (1959)
• Laois – 1 (1915)
• London – 1 (1901)
• Kerry – 1 (1891)

Player facts

Debutantes

The following players made their début in the 2008 championship:

Retirees

The following players played their last game in the 2008 championship:

Top scorers

Season

Single game

Clean sheets

Monthly awards

Annual awards

Vodafone Hurler of the Year

The Vodafone Hurler of the Year award for 2008 was won by Eoin Larkin of Kilkenny.

The shortlist for the Vodafone Hurler of the Year award, in alphabetical order, was as follows:

• Eddie Brennan (Kilkenny)
• Eoin Kelly (Waterford)
• Eoin Larkin (Kilkenny)

Vodafone Young Hurler of the Year

The Vodafone Young Hurler of the Year award for 2008 was won by Joe Canning of Galway.

The shortlist for the Vodafone Young Hurler of the Year award, in alphabetical order, was as follows:

• Séamus Callinan (Tipperary)
• Joe Canning (Galway)
• Cathal Naughton (Cork)

Opel GPA Hurler of the Year

The Opel GPA Hurler of the Year award for 2008 was won by Eoin Larkin of Kilkenny.

The shortlist for the Opel GPA Hurler of the Year award, in alphabetical order, was as follows:

• Eddie Brennan (Kilkenny)
• Eoin Larkin (Kilkenny)
• Shane McGrath (Tipperary)

Managerial changes

The following managerial changes took place during and immediately after the championship.

Stadia

The following stadia were used during the championship:

References

References

1. This figure does not include Ulster championship matches as these have no effect on the All-Ireland series
2. "Hurling Top Scorers 2008". www.hoganstand.com.