2008–09 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship

The 2008–09 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship was the 39th since the establishment of the competition by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1970–71. The first matches of the season were played on 12 October 2008 and the championship ended on 17 March 2009. Portumna went into the 2008 championship as defending champions, having won their second All-Ireland title the previous year.

All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship 2008–09

Championship Details
Dates	12 October 2008 – 17 March 2009
Teams	16
All Ireland Champions
Winners	Portumna (3rd win)
Captain	Ollie Canning
Manager	Johnny Keane
All Ireland Runners-up
Runners-up	De La Salle
Captain	John Mullane
Manager	Owen Dunphy
Provincial Champions
Munster	De La Salle
Leinster	Ballyhale Shamrocks
Ulster	Ruairí Óg, Cushendall
Connacht	Not Played
Championship Statistics
Matches Played	15
← 2007–08 2009–10 →

The championship culminated with the All-Ireland final, held at Croke Park, Dublin. The match was contested by Portumna and De La Salle. It was their first meeting in the final. Portumna won the game by 2–24 to 1–8. It was their second All-Ireland title in succession and an unprecedented third in four years.

Format

The 2008–09 club championship was played on a straight knock-out basis. Each of the sixteen participating counties enter their respective club champions. The format of the competition was as follows:

Sixteen county club champions participated in the 2008–09 championship. These counties were as follows:

• Leinster: Dublin, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford.
• Munster: Clare, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford.
• Connacht: Galway.
• Ulster: Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down.

Provincial Championships

The Leinster, Munster and Ulster championships were played as usual on a straight knock-out basis. The three respective champions from these provinces advanced directly to the All-Ireland semi-finals.

All-Ireland Series

Semi-finals: (2 matches) The Munster champions played the Ulster champions while the Leinster champions played the champions of Galway. The Galway club champions enter the competition at this stage due to the absence of a provincial club championship in Connacht.

Participating clubs

Team	Colours	County	Most recent success
			All-Ireland	Provincial	County
Adare		Limerick			2007
Ballyboden St. Enda's		Dublin			2007
Ballygalget		Down		2005	2005
Ballyhale Shamrocks		Kilkenny	2007	2007	2007
Birr		Offaly	2003	2007	2007
Clonlara		Clare			1919
De La Salle		Waterford
Keady Lámh Dhearg		Armagh			2007
Kevin Lynch's		Derry			2007
Portumna		Galway	2008	2007	2007
Ruairí Óg, Cushendall		Antrim		2006	2006
Raharney		Westmeath			2006
Rathdowney		Laois			2006
Sarsfield's		Cork			1957
St. Martin's		Wexford			1999
Toomevara		Tipperary		2006	2006

Fixtures

Ulster Senior Club Hurling Championship

2008-10-12
Semi-final

Ballygalget	4–13 – 0–12	Keady Lámh Dhearg
A Dynes (0–1), B Coulter (0–2), G Flynn (0–1), M Og Coulter (2–1), Steven Clarke (2–3, 0–1 free), Paddy Coulter (0–3), E Clarke (0–1, a '65'), J McGrattan (0–1, free).	(report)	F McMullan (0–1), G Enright (0–3, 0–1 free), P McCormack (0–2, 0–1 free), P Breen (0–6, 0–5 frees).

Casement Park, Belfast

Referee: J. Devlin (Tyrone)

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2008-10-12
Semi-final

Ruairí Óg, Cushendall	3–11 – 2–8	Kevin Lynch's
S Delargy (0–4), K McKeegan (0–1), D McNaughton (0–1), P McGill (1–2, 0–1 free), A Delargy (0–1); S McNaughton (2–2, 0–1 sideline cut).	(report)	P Sweeney (0–1), C Herron (1–0, pen), K Hinphey (0–1), F McGuigan (0–1), F Kelly (1–0), R O'Kane (0–3, all frees), G McGonigle (0–1, free)

Casement Park, Belfast

Referee: D. Magee (Down)

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2008-10-19
Final

Ruairí Óg, Cushendall	1–14 – 1–13	Ballygalget
S Delargy (0–1), P McGill (0–6, 0–4 frees, 0–1 pen), A Delargy (0–1); S McNaughton (0–3), N McManus (0–1), C McCambridge (1–1), B McNaughton (0–1).	(report)	P Monan (0–1, sideline cut), S Clarke (0–2); M Og Coulter (0–10, 0–8 frees), P Coulter (1–0)

Casement Park, Belfast

Referee: M Mulholland (Derry)

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Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship

2008-11-02
Quarter-final

Ballyhale Shamrocks	1–18 – 1–11	Rathdowney
J “Cha” Fitzpatrick (0–2, one free), M Fennelly (0–1); H Shefflin (0–8, five frees), TJ Reid (0–5); P Reid (0–1), E Reid (1–0), D Hoyne (0–1).	(report)	B Campion (0–5, four frees, one 65), S Dollard (0–1), E Meagher (0–1, a free), E Holohan (0–1), J Phelan (1–3).

Nowlan Park, Kilkenny

Referee: B Kelly (Westmeath)

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2008-11-08
Quarter-final

Birr	1–17 – 0–8	Ballyboden St. Enda's
S Whelahan (0–6, 0–4 frees), S Brown (1–1, 0–1 free), G Hanniffy (0–3), D Hayden (0–2), B Whelahan (0–2), S Ryan (0–2), B Lonergan (0–1).	(report)	David Curtin (0–3, 0–2 65's & 0–1 free), Paul Ryan (0–2, 0–1 free), Conal Keaney (0–1), Mick Griffin (0–1), Dave O'Connor (0–1).

Parnell Park, Dublin

Referee: D Murphy (Wexford)

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2008-11-16
Semi-final

Birr	2–19 – 2–15 AET	St. Martin's
S Whelahan 0–9f, D Molloy, S Ryan 1–0 each, G Hanniffy, P Cleary (0–1f, 0–2 '65s) 0–3 each, R Hanniffy 0–2, B Lonergan, P O'Meara 0–1 each.	(report)	D Lyng 0–6 (0–4f), B Lambert 0–4, P Kelly 1–0, R Quigley 1–0, E Quigley, T Waters 0–2 each, C Lyng 0–1.

O'Connor Park, Tullamore

Referee: D Connolly (Kilkenny)

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2008-11-16
Semi-final

Ballyhale Shamrocks	0–26 – 0–9	Raharney
B Aylward (0–1); J 'Cha' Fitzpatrick (0–2), M Fennelly (0–3), H Shefflin (0–10, seven frees), TJ Reid (0–2); E Reid (0–6), D Hoyne (0–1), T Coogan (0–1).	(report)	B Connaughton (0–2 frees); F Boyle (0–1), J Shaw (0–4, 0–3 frees), B Keogh (0–2).

Cusack Park, Mullingar

Referee: E Morris (Dublin)

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2008-11-30
Final

Ballyhale Shamrocks	2–13 – 0–11	Birr
H. Shefflin 0–7 (0–5 frees); TJ Reid and E. Reid 1–1 each; M. Aylward 0–2; C. Fennelly and M. Fennelly 0–1 each.	(report)	S. Whelahan 0–7 (frees); Brian Whelahan 1–1; P. O’Meara 0–2; D. Hayden 0–1.

Nowlan Park, Kilkenny

Referee: F Smith (Meath)

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Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship

2008-11-02
Quarter-final

Sarsfield's	0–26 – 0–10	Clonlara
P Ryan 0–14 (0–11 frees); C McCarthy 0–5 (0–1 pen); E O’Driscoll 0–3; T Óg Murphy, M Cussen 0–2 each.	(report)	D Madden 0–6 (0–5 frees); C O’Donovan, T O’Donovan, J Conlon, T Lynch 0–1 each.

Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork

Referee: J Ryan (Tipperary)

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2008-11-16
Semi-final

De La Salle	0–18 – 0–16	Sarsfield's
J. Mullane 0–5; B. Phelan 0–5 (0–2 frees, 0–1 ‘65); J. Quirke 0–4 frees; C. Watt 0–2; D. Twomey and P. Nevin 0–1 each.	(report)	P. Ryan 0–6 frees; M. Cussen 0–4; K. Murphy 0–3; R. Murphy, D. Kearney and D. Roche 0–1 each.

Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork

Referee: D. O’Driscoll (Limerick)

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2008-11-16
Semi-final

Adare	1–11 – 0–10	Toomevara
C. Fitzgerald 0–6 (0–4 frees, 0–1 65); L. Costello 1–0; D. Sheehan 0–2; D. Sexton 0–2; M. Foley 0–1.	(report)	K. Dunne 0–3 (all frees); W. Ryan 0–2; F. Devanney 0–2; J. McLoughney 0–2 (0–1 free, 0–1 65); J. O’Brien 0–1.

Gaelic Grounds, Limerick

Referee: D. Kirwan (Cork)

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2008-11-30
Final

De La Salle	1–9 – 0–10	Adare
J. Mullane 1–2; B. Phelan 0–3 (0–2 frees); J. Quirke 0–3 (all frees); S. Prendergast 0–1.	(report)	L. Costello 0–3; C. Fitzgerald 0–3 (all frees); A. O’Connell 0–2; D. Sexton, D. Sheehan, 0–1 each.

Semple Stadium, Thurles

Referee: J. Ryan (Boherlahan-Dualla)

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All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship

2009-02-22
Semi-final

14:30 BST

De La Salle	1–21 – 1–19 AET	Ruairí Óg, Cushendall
B Phelan 0–6 (4f, 2 sideline); J Mullane 0–5; D Twomey 1–0; L Hayes 0–3; P Nevin 0–2; J Quirke, D McGrath, S Daniels D Greene & B Farrell 0–1 each.	(report)	K McKeegan 0–5 (5f); C McCambridge (1f) and N McManus, 0–4 each; S McNaughton 1–1; A Delargy 0–3; A Graffin & S Delargy 0–1 each.

Parnell Park, Dublin

Referee: E Morris (Dublin)

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2009-02-22
Semi-final

14:30 BST

Ballyhale Shamrocks	1–16 – 5–11	Portumna
H. Shefflin 0–10 (0–7 frees, 0–2 65’s); E. Reid 1–0; M. Aylward 0–2; C. Fennelly 0–2; TJ Reid (s/L), D. Hoyne, 0–1 each.	(report)	J. Canning 2–5 (1–0 pen., 0–2 65’s, 0–1 free, 0–1 sideline); D. Hayes 2–1; C. Ryan 1–0; K. Hayes 0–2; A. Smith, N. Hayes, L. Smith, 0–1 each.

Semple Stadium, Thurles

Attendance: 10,726

Referee: J. Ryan (Tipperary)

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2009-03-17
Final
14:30 BST

Portumna	2–24 – 1–8	De La Salle
D Hayes 2–2; J Canning 0–9 (0–7 frees, 0–1 sideline); N Hayes 0–5; K Hayes 0–2; A Smith 0–2; D Canning, M Ryan, E Lynch, L Smith, 0–1 each	(report)	P Nevin 1–0; B Phelan 0–2 (frees); T Kearney 0–2; S Brenner (pen), J Mullane, D Russell, J Quirke (free), 0–1 each

Croke Park, Dublin

Attendance: 32,000

Referee: J. McGrath (Westmeath)

Portumna

De La Salle

PORTUMNA: GK 1 Ivan Canning RCB 2 Martin Dolphin FB 3 Eugene McEntee  60' LCB 4 Ollie Canning (c) RWB 5 Gareth Heagney  59' CB 6 Míchéal Ryan LWB 7 Aidan Donnelly  60' M 8 Eoin Lynch M 9 Leo Smith  59' RWF 10 Niall Hayes CF 11 Kevin Hayes LWF 12 Andrew Smith RCF 13 Damien Hayes FF 14 Joe Canning LCF 15 Ciarán Ryan  56' Substitutes: LCF Davy Canning  56' RWB Michael Gill  59' MD Peter Smith  59' LCB John O'Flaherty  60' LWB Pierce Treacy  60'

DE LA SALLE: GK 1 Stephen Brenner RCB 2 Alan Kelly FB 3 Ian Flynn LCB 4 Michael Doherty RWB 5 Darren Russell CB 6 Kevin Moran LWB 7 Stephen Daniels M 8 Bryan Phelan M 9 Conor Watt  57' RWF 10 Paudie Nevin CF 11 Derek McGrath  18' LWF 12 Lee Hayes  11' RCF 13 Dean Twomey  57' FF 14 John Mullane (c) LCF 15 David Greene Substitutes: RCF Brian Farrell  11'  30' CF Thomas Kearney  18' RCF James Quirke  30' MD Alan O'Neill  57' RCF Dermot Dooley  57'

Match Rules

• 60 minutes
• Replay if scores level
• Maximum of 5 substitutions

Championship statistics

Scoring

• Widest winning margin: 26 points
  • Portumna 2–24 : 1–8 De La Salle (All-Ireland final)
• Most goals in a match: 6
  • Portumna 5–11 : 1–16 Ballyhale Shamrocks (All-Ireland semi-final)
• Most points in a match: 40
  • De La Salle 1–21 : 1–19 Ruairí Óg, Cushendall (All-Ireland semi-final)
• Most goals by one team in a match: 5
  • Portumna 5–11 : 1–16 Ballyhale Shamrocks (All-Ireland semi-final)
• Most points by one team in a match: 26
  • Ballyhale Shamrocks 0–26 : 0–9 Raharney (Leinster semi-final)
  • Sarsfield's 0–26 : 0–10 Clonlara (Munster quarter-final)

Top scorers

Season

Rank	Player	Club	Tally	Total	Matches	Average
1	Henry Shefflin	Ballyhale Shamrocks	0–35	35	4	8.75
2	Simon Whelahan	Birr	0–22	22	3	7.33
3	Pat Ryan	Sarsfield's	0–20	20	2	10.00
	Joe Canning	Portumna	2–14	20	2	10.00
4	Martin Óg Coulter	Ballygalget	2–11	17	2	8.50
5	John Mullane	De La Salle	1–13	16	4	4.00
	Brian Phelan	De La Salle	0–16	16	4	4.00
6	Damien Hayes	Portumna	4-03	15	2	7.50
	Shane McNaughton	Ruairí Óg	3-06	15	3	5.00
7	Steven Clarke	Ballygalget	2-05	11	2	5.50

Single game

Rank	Player	Club	Tally	Total	Opposition
1	Pat Ryan	Sarsfield's	0–14	14	Clonlara
2	Joe Canning	Portumna	2–05	11	Ballyhale Shamrocks
3	Henry Shefflin	Ballyhale Shamrocks	0–10	10	Portumna
	Henry Shefflin	Ballyhale Shamrocks	0–10	10	Raharney
	Martin Óg Coulter	Ballygalget	0–10	10	Ruairí Óg, Cushendall
4	Steven Clarke	Ballygalget	2–03	9	Keady Lámh Dhearg
	Joe Canning	Portumna	0–09	9	De La Salle
	Simon Whelahan	Birr	0–09	9	St. Martin's
5	Damien Hayes	Portumna	2–02	8	De La Salle
	Shane McNaughton	Ruairí Óg, Cushendall	2–02	8	Kevin Lynch's
	Henry Shefflin	Ballyhale Shamrocks	0–08	8	Rathdowney

Referees

The following referees were used during the championship:

Name	County	Games
James McGrath	Westmeath	1
Diarmuid Kirwan	Cork	1
Declan O'Driscoll	Limerick	1
Johnny Ryan	Tipperary	3
F. Smith	Meath	1
Éamonn Moris	Dublin	2
Dommo Connolly	Kilkenny	1
Dickie Murphy	Wexford	1
Barry Kelly	Westmeath	1
Martin Mulholland	Derry	1
Declan Magee	Down	1
John Devlin	Tyrone	1

Stadia

The following stadia were used during the championship:

County	Stadium	Capacity
Dublin	Croke Park	82,300
Tipperary	Semple Stadium	55,000
Limerick	Gaelic Grounds	50,000
Cork	Páirc Uí Chaoimh	43,500
Antrim	Casement Park	32,600
Kilkenny	Nowlan Park	30,000
Offaly	O'Connor Park	20,000
Westmeath	Cusack Park	15,000
Dublin	Parnell Park	13,500