2008 All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship

The 2008 All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship was the 45th staging of the All-Ireland Under-21 Championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1964. The championship ran from 28 May to 14 September 2008.

All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship 2008

Championship Details
Dates	28 May – 14 September 2008
Teams	16
All Ireland Champions
Winners	Kilkenny (11th win)
Captain	James Dowling
Manager	Michael Walsh
All Ireland Runners-up
Runners-up	Tipperary
Captain	Séamus Hennessy
Manager	Declan Carr
Provincial Champions
Munster	Tipperary
Leinster	Kilkenny
Ulster	Derry
Connacht	Not Played
Championship Statistics
Top Scorer	Richie Hogan (3-27)
← 2007 2009 →

Galway entered the championship as the defending champions, however, they were beaten by Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final.^[1][2]

The All-Ireland final was played on 14 September 2008 at Croke Park in Dublin between Kilkenny and Tipperary in what was their ninth meeting in the final overall and a first meeting in the final in two years.^[3] Kilkenny won the match by 2-13 to 0-15 to claim their 11th championship title overall and a first title in two years.^[4] This win completed a Grand Slam of hurling titles for Kilkenny in 2008.^[5][6]

Kilkenny's Richie Hogan was the championship's top scorer with 3-27.

Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship

Leinster quarter-finals

Laois v Dublin

28 May 2008 Quarter-final	Laois	1-12 - 0-18	Dublin	O'Moore Park
	Z Keenan 0-9, J Gaughan 1-0, D Dooley 0-1, W Hyland 0-1, D Peacock 0-1.		K O'Reilly 0-8, R O'Carroll 0-4, D O'Dwyer 0-2, J Boland 0-1, S Lambert 0-1, S Durkin 0-1, J Maher 0-1.	Referee: A Lagrue (Kildare)

Carlow v Offaly

28 May 2008 Quarter-final	Carlow	1-08 - 3-16	Offaly	Dr. Cullen Park
	E Minchin 1-0, C Clancy 0-3, P Walsh 0-2, J Doran 0-1, P Nolan 0-1, J Kinsella 0-1.		C Coughlan 2-8, D Currams 1-0, D Horan 0-2, J Gorman 0-2, E Kerrigan 0-2, D Molloy 0-2.	Referee: A Stapleton (Laois)

Leinster semi-finals

Offaly v Wexford

25 June 2008 Semi-final	Offaly	2-16 - 1-11	Wexford	St Brendan's Park
	C Coughlan (0-6), E Egan (0-4), F Kerrigan (1-0), D Currams (0-3), D Horan (0-2), D Molloy (0-1), J Bergin (0-1).		T Barron (1-4), PJ Nolan (0-2), K Burke (0-2), B O’Connor (0-1), G Wheelock (0-1), N Walsh (0-1).	Referee: D Connolly (Kilkenny)

Dublin v Kilkenny

26 June 2008 Semi-final	Dublin	1-11 - 1-20	Kilkenny	Parnell Park
	K O'Reilly 0-5, D O'Dwyer 1-0, Ross O'Carroll 0-2, P Ryan 0-2, S Durkin 0-2.		R Hogan 1-10, N Cleere 0-3, C Fennelly 0-3, P Hogan 0-1, N Walsh 0-1, J Mulhall 0-1, M Ruth 0-1.	Referee: J Owens (Wexford)

Leinster final

Offaly v Kilkenny

24 July 2008 Final	Offaly	2-09 - 2-21	Kilkenny	O'Connor Park
	J Bergin (2-1, 1-0 pen), C Coughlan (0-4, two frees), D Horan (0-2, two frees), D Molloy (0-1), D Morkan (0-1).	Report	TJ Reid (1-3), R Hogan (0-6, four frees), N Cleere (1-1), C Fennnelly (0-3), J Mulhall (0-2), P Hogan (0-2, one free), N Walsh (0-1), L Ryan (0-1), M Ruth (0-1), J Maher (0-1).	Referee: A Stapleton (Laois)

Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship

Munster quarter-final

Waterford v Limerick

5 June 2008 Quarter-final	Waterford	1-07 - 2-17	Limerick	Walsh Park
	J Phelan 1-2, J Gorman 0-1, J Dooley 0-1, C Burke 0-1, D Twomey 0-1, S Walsh 0-1.		E Ryan 0-9, R McCarthy 1-2, G Mulcahy 1-1, D Moloney 0-3, D Hanley 0-1, B O'Sullivan 0-1.	Referee: C McAllister (Cork)

Munster semi-finals

Tipperary v Limerick

17 July 2008 Semi-final	Tipperary	1-13 - 0-15	Limerick	Semple Stadium
	P Bourke 0-9, S Bourke 1-1, G Ryan 0-1, M O'Meara 0-1, S Hennessy 0-1.		E Ryan 0-3, G O'Mahoney 0-3, G Mulcahy 0-2, B O’Sullivan 0-2, P O'Brien 0-1, D Moloney 0-1, D Hanley 0-1, S Tobon 0-1, R McCarthy 0-1.	Referee: D Copps (Cork)

Cork v Clare

20 July 2008 Semi-final	Cork	1-11 - 1-20	Clare	Páirc Uí Chaoimh
	P Horgan 1-5, P O'Sullivan 0-3, P Cronin 0-1, S Moylan 0-1, C Naughton 0-1.		C Morey 1-8, G Arthur 0-4, J Conlon 0-2, D Browne 0-2, S Collins 0-2, C Ryan 0-1, C Tierney 0-1.	Referee: N Cosgrave (Tipperary)

Munster final

Clare v Tipperary

30 July 2008 Final	Clare	2-12 - 1-16	Tipperary	Cusack Park
	C Morey (1-4, 0-4 fs), C Ryan (1-0), D Browne (0-3fs, J Conlon (0-2), D Honan, N O'Connell, G Arthur (0-1) each.	Report Full Match	S Callinan (1-5), P Bourke (0-6, 2 65s ,1f), K Lanigan, T Stapleton, S Hennessy, T McGrath, S Bourke (0-1) each.	Attendance: 11,287 Referee: J O'Mahony (Limerick)

Ulster Under-21 Hurling Championship

Ulster group stage table

	Team	Pld	W	D	L	SF	SA	SD	Pts
1	Derry	3	3	0	0	5-49	2-30	28	6
2	Antrim	3	2	0	1				4
3	Down	3	1	0	2	1-34	5-42	-20	2
4	Armagh	3	0	0	3				0

Ulster group stage results

Armagh v Derry

16 July 2008	Armagh	0-11 - 3-15	Derry	P. J. O'Neill Park
	C Carville (0-4), J Corvan (0-2), C McAlinden (0-1), A Curry (0-1), M Mone (0-1), T Turley (0-1), M McDermott (0-1), S McArdle (0-1).		SL McGoldrick (2-3), P McCloskey (1-4), C McKenna (0-4), M Craig (0-1), M Kirpatrick (0-1), N Holley (0-1), G Kelly (0-1).	Referee: J O'Rourke (Monaghan)

Antrim v Down

16 July 2008	Antrim	2-18 - 0-08	Down	Casement Park
	P Doherty (1-2), E McCloskey (0-5), S McNaughton (1-1), R McDonnell (0-3), C Duffin (0-3), P McGill (0-2), PJ O’Connell (0-1), S Dowds (0-1).		J Coyle (0-3), M O’Prey (0-1), R Magee (0-1), C McCarthy (0-1), P Keith (0-1), C Woods (0-1), C O’Prey (0-1).	Referee: É Hassan (Derry)

Derry v Antrim

23 July 2008	Derry	0-16 - 1-11	Antrim	Celtic Park
	M Kirpatrick (0-8), R O’Kane (0-2), B Dodds (0-2), P McCloskey (0-2), SL McGoldrick (0-1), C McKenna (0-1).	Report	P Shiels (0-4), C Duffin (1-0), PJ O’Connell (0-2), P McGill (0-2), R McDonnell (0-1), E McCloskey (0-1), P Doherty (0-1).

Down v Derry

30 July 2008	Down	1-08 - 2-18	Derry	McKenna Park
		Report

Armagh v Antrim

30 July 2008

Armagh

v

Antrim

Garard McGleenan Park

Down v Armagh

6 August 2008	Down	0-18 - 1-06	Armagh	McKenna Park
		Report

All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship

All-Ireland semi-finals

Tipperary v Derry

24 August 2008 Semi-final	Tipperary	1-20 - 0-10	Derry	Cusack Park
	P Burke (1-5, two frees, one 65), S Hennessy (0-4, two frees), S Bourke (0-3), J Ryan (0-2), T McGrath (0-2), S Callinan (0-1), M Cahill (0-1), G Ryan (0-1), B Maher (0-1).	Report	M Kirkpatrick (0-3, two frees), B Dodds (0-3), SL McGoldrick (0-2, one free), P Henry (0-1), G Kelly (0-1).	Referee: J McGrath (Westmeath)

Kilkenny v Galway

24 August 2008 Semi-final	Kilkenny	2-14 - 1-13	Galway	Semple Stadium
	R Hogan (2-5, one free), C Fennelly (0-4), TJ Reid (0-3), P Hogan (0-1, free), J Mulhall (0-1).	Report	J Canning (0-8, four frees, 3 sideline), C Kavanagh (1-1), E Forde (0-2), S Glynn (0-1), J Greene (0-1).	Referee: M Wadding (Waterford)

All-Ireland final

Kilkenny v Tipperary

14 September 2008 Final	Kilkenny	2-13 - 0-15	Tipperary	Croke Park
	M Ruth (2-2), R Hogan (0-6, five frees), J Mulhall (0-2), TJ Reid (0-2), N Walsh (0-1).	Report	P Bourke (0-8, seven frees, one sl), G Ryan (0-3), B Maher (0-1), S Callinan (0-1), K Lanigan (0-1), S Bourke (0-1).	Referee: J Owens (Wexford)

Championship statistics

Top scorers

Rank	Player	County	Tally	Total	Matches	Average
1	Richie Hogan	Kilkenny	3-27	36	4	9.00
2	Pa Bourke	Tipperary	1-28	31	4	7.75
3	Colm Coughlan	Offaly	2-18	24	3	8.00