# 2008 Ulster Senior Football Championship

The 2008 Ulster Senior Football Championship was the 120th installment of the annual Ulster Senior Football Championship held under the auspices of the Ulster GAA. It was won by Armagh who defeated Fermanagh in the final after a replay. This was Armagh's sixth title since the turn of the century and their 14th overall. Fermanagh were appearing in their first final since 1982.
Steven McDonnell, 2003's Player of the Year, was the top scorer, hitting 1-17 in Armagh's run to victory in Ulster. Although defeated after a replay by Down in the first round of the Ulster Championship, Tyrone emerged as victors in the 2008 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, beating Kerry in the 2008 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final.

## Draw

With the usual nine teams contesting the Championship, Antrim and Cavan met in the preliminary round to reduce the field to eight. The draw, made in October 2007, also produced two big opening round clashes: Tyrone against Down and Donegal against Derry.

## Bracket

| Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| | | | Fermanagh | Fermanagh | 2–8 | | | | | | |
| | | | Monaghan | Monaghan | 0–10 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Fermanagh | Fermanagh | 1–11 | | | |
| | | | | | | Derry | Derry | 1–9 | | | |
| | | | Donegal | Donegal | 1–12 | | | | | | |
| | | | Derry | Derry | 1–14 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Fermanagh (R) | Fermanagh (R) | 1-11 0–8 |
| | | | | | | | | | Armagh (R) | Armagh (R) | 2-8 1–11 |
| | | | Tyrone | Tyrone | 0–21 | | | | | | |
| | | | Down | Down | 1–19 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Down | Down | 0–11 | | | |
| Antrim | Antrim | 1–14 | | | | Armagh | Armagh | 1–12 | | | |
| Cavan | Cavan | 1–19 | Cavan | Cavan | 0–13 | | | | | | |
| | | | Armagh | Armagh | 0–17 | | | | | | |

## Match details

| Game | Date | Venue | Team A | Score | Team B | Score |
| Ulster SFC Preliminary Round | May 18 | Casement Park, Belfast | Antrim CJ McGourty 1-4, P Cunningham 0-4 (0-3 frees), T McCann 0-3 (0-1 free, 0-1 '45'), K Niblock, M Magill 0-1 each | 1-14 (17) | Cavan S Johnston 0-8 (0-1 free), D McCabe 1-1 (0-1 free), M Reilly 0-3, R Flanagan, J O'Reilly 0-2, M Cahill, M McDonald 0-1 each | 1-19 (22) |
| Ulster SFC Quarter Final | May 25 | Brewster Park, Enniskillen | Fermanagh C McElroy 1-1, L McBarron 1-0, R Keenan 0-3 (0-3 frees), M McGrath, M Little, E Maguire, S McCabe (0-1 each) | 2-8 (14) | Monaghan P Finlay 0-3 (0-1 free), T Freeman 0-3 (0-2 frees), E Lennon, C McManus, V Corey, C Hanratty (0-1 each) G McQuaid SO | 0-10 (10) |
| Ulster SFC Quarter Final | June 1 | MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey | Donegal C McFadden 0-6 (0-3 frees), M Murphy 1-1 (1-00 pen), R Kavanagh 0-2, B Monaghan, K Cassidy, D Walsh 0-1 each | 1-12 (15) | Derry P Bradley 0-10 (0-7 frees), E Bradley 1-1, C Gilligan 0-2 (0-2 frees), E. Muldoon 0-1 | 1-14 (17) |
| Ulster SFC Quarter Final | June 8 | Healy Park, Omagh | Tyrone S Cavanagh, C McCullagh 1-2 each, B Dooher, M Penrose, C Cavanagh (0-1 free), K Hughes 0-1 each | 2-8 (14) | Down A Rodgers 1-1, B Coulter 1-0, L Doyle 0-2 (0-2 frees), D Gordon 0-2, R Sexton 0-1, P McCumiskey 0-1(0-1 free), P Murphy 0-1 each | 2-8 (14) |
| Ulster SFC Quarter Final Replay | June 14 | Pairc Esler, Newry | Down L Doyle 0-6 (6f), B Coulter 1-3, A Carr 0-4 (3f, 1 '45'), P Murphy, D Gordon, A Rodgers, D Hughes, J Clarke, K McKernan 0-1 each | 1-19 (22) AET | Tyrone T McGuigan 0-6 (0-4 frees), C Cavanagh 0-4 (0-4 frees), S Cavanagh, C McCullagh 0-4 (0-1 free) each, P Jordan, R Mellon, M Penrose 0-1 each | 0-21 (21) AET |
| Ulster SFC Quarter Final | June 15 | Breffni Park, Cavan | Armagh S McDonnell 0-6 (0-1 free, 0-1 '45'), S Kernan 0-3, A Kernan 0-2 (0-1 free), R Clarke 0-2, P McKeever, P McGrane, C Vernon, K Toner 0-1 each | 0-17 (17) | Cavan S Johnston 0-6 (0-3 frees), D McCabe 0-3 (0-2 frees), C Mackey 0-2, M Reilly, M McKeever 0-1 each | 0-13 (13) |
| Ulster SFC Semi Final | June 21 | Healy Park, Omagh | Fermanagh R Keenan 0-4 (0-3 frees), B Owens 1-0, E Maguire 0-2, D Kelly, T McElroy, M McGrath, M Little, L McBarron 0-1 each | 1-11 (14) | Derry E Bradley 1-1, P Bradley 0-3 (0-1 free), C Gilligan 0-2 (0-1 free, 0-1 '45'), R wilkinson 0-2, M McIver 0-1 | 1-9 (12) |
| Ulster SFC Semi Final | June 29 | St Tiernach's Park, Clones | Down A Carr 0-6 (0-6 frees), D Hughes, R Murtagh, D Gordon, J Colgan, P McComiskey 0-1 each | 0-11 (11) | Armagh S Kernan 1-2, R Clarke 0-3, S McDonnell 0-3, B Donaghy 0-1, P McKeever 0-1 (0-1 free), A O'Rourke 0-1, B Mallon 0-1 | 1-12 (15) |
| Ulster SFC Final | July 20 | St Tiernach's Park, Clones | Fermanagh E Maguire 1-0, M McGrath 0-2, C McElroy 0-2, M Little 0-2 (0-2 frees), S McDermott 0-1, T McElroy 0-1, M Murphy 0-1, R Keenan 0-1 (0-1 free), S Doherty 0-1 | 1-11 (14) | Armagh S McDonnell 0-6 (0-1 free), R Clarke 1-1, F Moriarty 1-0, K Toner 0-1 | 2-8 (14) |
| Ulster SFC Final Replay | July 27 | St Tiernach's Park, Clones | Fermanagh E Maguire, T Brewster (1f) 0-2 each, D Kelly, R Keenan, M Little (1f), S McCabe 0-1 each | 0-8 (8) | Armagh S McDonnell 1-2 (1f), A Kernan 0-4 (4f), R Clarke, T Kernan (1f) 0-2 each, B Mallon 0-1 | 1-11 (14) |

## Top scorers

* Steve McDonnell 1-17 (20)
* Seanie Johnston 0-14 (14)
* Paddy Bradley 0-13 (13)
* Ronan Clarke 1-9 (12)
* Aidan Carr 0-10 (10)
* Colm McCullagh 1-6 (9)
* Benny Coulter 2-3 (9)