2008 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Explained

Dates:11 May – 21 September 2008
Teams:33
Year:2008
Leinster:Dublin
Munster:Cork
Ulster:Armagh
Connacht:Galway
Matches:55
Team:Tyrone
Titles:3rd
Team2:Kerry
Totalgoals:110 (2.00 per game)
Totalpoints:1348 (24.51 per game)
Topscorer: Johnny Doyle (2-26)
Next:2009

The 2008 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was that year's Gaelic football championship, having thrown-in on 11 May 2008 and concluded with the All-Ireland final at Croke Park on 21 September 2008. Tyrone beat Kerry in the decider.

The draw for the provincial championships took place on 14 October 2007.

Results

Munster Senior Football Championship

------------------------

Top Scorer: D Goulding (Cork); 1-08

Leinster Senior Football Championship

--------------------------------------------Top Scorer: A Brogan (Dublin); 2-12

Connacht Senior Football Championship

------------------------Top Scorer: E Mulligan (Leitrim); 0-20

Ulster Senior Football Championship

----------------------------------------Top Scorer: S McDonnell; 1-17

All-Ireland qualifiers

Round 1

The first round of the All-Ireland Qualifier Series included all the counties that did not qualify for their respective provincial final with the exceptions of Antrim, Carlow, Clare, Kilkenny, Leitrim, London, Sligo, Waterford and Wicklow. (These nine teams played in the Tommy Murphy Cup as a result of their participation in Division 4 of the 2009 National Football League.)

The sixteen teams competing in the first round were Cavan, Derry, Donegal, Down, Kildare, Laois, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Tipperary, Tyrone and Westmeath. Unlike previous years, teams that played each other in their provincial championships were permitted to meet again in the qualifiers. The first round draw took place on 29 June 2008. The first team drawn had home venue provided their ground meets the minimum safety requirements. The first round of games took place on 19 July 2008.

Round 2

The second round featured the eight winning teams from the first round in an open draw. The second round draw took place on 20 July 2008. As in the first round, the first drawn team had home advantage. These games were played on 26 July 2008.

Round 3

In the third round, the four winning teams from the second round were drawn against the four losing provincial finalists. The third round draw took place on 27 July 2008. Venues were decided by the Central Competitions Control Committee. These games were played on 2 and 3 August 2008. The winners of these games went on to play the four provincial champions in the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

All-Ireland series

This stage of the competition is a pure knockout, with teams competing facing off in a single match. The draw for the quarter-finals took place on August 3, and it involved the four winning teams from round 3 of the qualifier series being drawn against the four provincial winners; Galway, Cork, Dublin and Armagh.

Quarter-finals

------------

Semi-finals

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Final

See main article: article and 2008 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final.

Championship statistics

Miscellaneous

Top scorers

Season
PlayerCountyTallyTotalMatchesAverage
John DoyleKildare2-263256.4
Colm CooperKerry2-253174.43
Seán CavanaghTyrone2-243083.75
Ian RyanLimerick3-202947.25
Mattie FordeWexford1-242764.5
Ciarán LyngWexford2-212764.5
Single game
PlayerCountyTallyOpposition
Ian RyanLimerick3-07Meath
Mark BrehonySligo1-11London
Colm CooperKerry1-08Cork
Michael MeehanGalway0-10Kerry
Emlyn MulliganLeitrim0-10Galway
Paddy BradleyDerry0-10Donegal

Discipline

TeamRed CardsPlayers
Kerry4Paul Galvin, Marc Ó Sé (later rescinded), Darragh Ó Sé (twice)
Cork2N Murphy, D O'Connor (later rescinded)
Westmeath2D Healy, D Harte
Roscommon1G Cox
Tipperary1A Foley
Waterford1J Walsh
Meath1M Ward
Offaly1S Sullivan
Monaghan1G McQuaid
Down1Dan Gordon (later rescinded)

Roll of Honour

See also

External links