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
- Ulster: Antrim
Provincial Championships
The Leinster and Munster championships were played as usual. The Leinster and Munster champions advanced directly to the All-Ireland semi-finals.
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.
Read more about this topic: All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2008