2008 Croke Cup
{{short description|Irish hurling competition}}
{{Infobox hurling championship
|name=2008 Croke Cup
|image=
|imagesize=
|caption=
|dates= 23 March – 19 April 2008
|teams=5
|sponsor=
|champions= File:Maroon Gold GAA Flag.png DLS College Waterford
|count= 2
|champions captain= Noel Connors (captain)
Philip Mahony
|champions manager=
|runners-up= File:Colours of Tipperary.svg Thurles CBS
|runners-up captain= Kevin O'Gorman
|runners-up manager=
|promoted=
|relegated=
|matches= 5
|goals= 12
|points= 117
|top scorer= File:Maroon Gold GAA Flag.png Stephen Power (2-22)
|previous year=2007
|previous tournament=2007 Croke Cup
|next year=2009
|next tournament= 2009 Croke Cup
}}
The 2008 Croke Cup was the 57th staging of the Croke Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1944. The competition ran from 23 March to 19 April 2008.
De La Salle College Waterford were the defending champions.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/power-base-sees-de-la-salle-land-first-title/26266955.html|title=Power base sees De La Salle land first title|publisher=Irish Independent|date=23 April 2007|access-date=26 June 2023|first=|last=}}{{cite web|url=https://www.hoganstand.com/article/index/76120|title=Power the De La Salle hero|publisher=Hogan Stand|date=23 April 2007|access-date=26 June 2023|first=|last=}}
The final, a replay, was played on 19 April 2008 at Nowlan Park in Kilkenny, between De La Salle College Waterford and Thurles CBS, in what was their first ever meeting in the final but their third meeting that season.{{cite web|url=https://galwaybayfm.ie/sports/pres-athenry-defeats-kilkenny-cbs-croke-cup-hurling-semi-final/|title=Pres Athenry Defeats Kilkenny CBS In Croke Cup Hurling Semi-Final|publisher=Galway Bay FM|date=19 March 2018|access-date=26 June 2023|first=|last=}} De La Salle College Waterford won the match by 2–09 to 2–08 to claim their second Croke Cup title overall and their second title in succession.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/greene-point-earns-replay-for-thurles/26437424.html|title=Greene point earns replay for Thurles|publisher=Irish Independent|date=14 April 2008|access-date=26 June 2023|first=|last=}}{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/supersub-purcell-fires-winner-in-de-la-salle-triumph/26440247.html|title=Supersub Purcell fires winner in De La Salle triumph|publisher=Irish Independent|date=21 April 2008|access-date=26 June 2023|first=|last=}}{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-20060765.html|title=De La Salle hold their nerve|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=21 April 2008|access-date=26 June 2023|first=|last=}}
Stephen Power was the top scorer with 2-22.
Results
=Quarter-final=
{{footballbox collapsible
| date = 23 March 2008
| round = Quarter-final
| team1 = Thurles CBS
| score = 0-22 - 0-10
| team2 = Kilkenny CBS
| report =
| goals1 = D Butler 0-9, K Morris 0-4, J O'Neill 0-2, P O'Brien 0-2, D Maher 0-1, C Shelly 0-1, M Russell 0-1, C Ryan 0-1, T Comerford 0-1.
| goals2 = P Guinan 0-5, M Gaffney 0-3, M Bambrick 0-1, R Doyle 0-1.
| stadium = Tom Ryall Park
| referee = J O'Mahony (Limerick)
}}
=Semi-finals=
{{footballbox collapsible
| date = 29 March 2008
| round = Semi-final
| team1 = Thurles CBS
| score = 0-12 - 0-10
| team2 = Dublin Colleges
| report =
| goals1 = D Butler 0-5, R Ryan 0-2, C Shelly 0-2, J O'Neill 0-1, C Ryan 0-1, M Russell 0-1.
| goals2 = N McMorrow 0-5, K O'Loughlin 0-2, C Clinton 0-2, L Rushe 0-1.
| stadium = Nowlan Park
| referee = J Owens (Wexford)
}}
{{footballbox collapsible
| date = 29 March 2008
| round = Semi-final
| team1 = DLS College Waterford
| score = 4-14 - 1-05
| team2 = Gort Community School
| report =
| goals1 = S Power 1-11, B O'Sullivan 1-0, P McCarthy 1-0, D Smith 1-0, E Barrett 0-1, Paudie Mahony 0-1, I Power 0-1.
| goals2 = P O'Connor 1-0, G Hennelly 0-2, R Cummins 0-2, S Lambert 0-1.
| stadium = Páirc Shíleáin
| referee = B Kelly (Westmeath)
}}
=Final=
{{footballbox collapsible
| date = 12 April 2008
| round = Final
| team1 = DLS College Waterford
| score = 2-12 - 1-15
| team2 = Thurles CBS
| report = [https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/power-base-sees-de-la-salle-land-first-title/26266955.html Report]
| goals1 = S Power 0-8 (8f); P Mahony 1-3; P McCarthy 1-0; K Fitzgerald 0-1.
| goals2 = K Morris 0-5 (4f); J O'Neill 1-2; P O'Brien 0-3; D Butler, M Russell, M Greene, A McCormack, C Shelley 0-1 each.
| stadium = Nowlan Park
| referee = J McGrath (Armagh)
}}
{{footballbox collapsible
| date = 19 April 2008
| round = Final replay
| team1 = DLS College Waterford
| score = 2-09 - 2-08
| team2 = Thurles CBS
| report = [https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/supersub-purcell-fires-winner-in-de-la-salle-triumph/26440247.html Report]
| goals1 = S Power 1-3 (1-0 pen, 0-1f, 0-1 65), P Mahony 1-3, D Purcell 0-2, P McCarthy 0-1.
| goals2 = K Morris 2-5, (0-3f), R Ryan, C Shelley and A. McCormack 0-1 each.
| stadium = Nowlan Park
| referee = J Owens (Wexford)
}}
Statistics
=Top scorers=
;Overall
| class="wikitable" |
| Rank
! Player ! County ! Tally ! Total ! Matches ! Average |
|---|
| rowspan=1 align=center|1
|Stephen Power |align=center|2-22 |align=center|28 |align=center|3 |align=center|9.33 |
| rowspan=1 align=center|2
|align=center|2-14 |align=center|20 |align=center|4 |align=center|5.00 |
| rowspan=1 align=center|3
|David Butler |align=center|0-15 |align=center|15 |align=center|4 |align=center|3.75 |
| rowspan=1 align=center|4
|align=center|2-07 |align=center|13 |align=center|3 |align=center|4.33 |
| rowspan=1 align=center|5
|John O'Neill |align=center|1-05 |align=center|8 |align=center|4 |align=center|2.00 |