strength of Antrim and the relative strength of Down, and more recently Derry and Armagh, a system of seeding was used to prevent one-sided matches. The success of the format was indicated by two 'underdog' victories, for Monaghan over Donegal, and London over Armagh, and a number of close matches. However, Antrim retained the trophy beating Down in the final. Qualifiers {{3RoundBracket-Byes | seeds=no |RD1=Phase 2+3|RD2-score2=0-18|RD1-team7= Cork|RD1-score7=1-17|RD1-seed8=4L|RD1-team8= Dublin|RD1-score8=0-15|RD2-seed1=5M|RD2-team1= Waterford|RD2-score1=2-18|RD2-seed2=1C|RD2-team2= Offaly|RD2-seed3=3L|RD1-score6=0-09|RD2-team3= Galway|RD2-score3=2-15|RD2-seed4=3M|RD2-team4= Cork|RD2-score4=0-23|RD3-seed1=5M|RD3-team1= Waterford|RD3-score1=|RD3-seed2=3M|RD3-team2= Cork|RD1-seed7=3M|RD1-team6= Laois|RD2=Phase 4|RD1-seed2=1U|RD3=|group1=|group2=|group3=|seed-width=|team-width=|score-width=|RD1-seed1=5M|RD1-team1= Waterford|RD1-score1=6-18|RD1-team2= Antrim|RD1-seed6=5L|RD1-score2=0-15|RD1-seed3=4M|RD1-team3= Limerick|RD1-score3=0-18|RD1-seed4=3L|RD1-team4= Offaly|RD1-score4=3-19|RD1-seed5=1C|RD1-team5= Galway|RD1-score5=1-26|RD3-score2=}} Relegation play-offs All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Championship statistics Scoring Top scorer from play in the championship: John Mullane for Waterford 2-21 First goal of the championship: Brian Carroll for Offaly against Laois (Leinster quarter-final) Last goal of the championship: Eoin Kelly for Waterford against Kilkenny (All-Ireland final) First hat-trick of the championship: Joe Bergin for Offaly against Limerick (All-Ireland qualifier) Widest winning margin: 26 pointsWaterford 6-21 : 1-10 Antrim (All-Ireland qualifier) Most goals in a match: 7Antrim 1-10 : 6-21 Waterford (All-Ireland qualifier) Laois 4-18 : 3-11 Carlow (Relegation final) Most points in a match: 49Clare 2-26 :0-23 Waterford (Munster quarter-final) Most goals by one team in a match: 6Waterford 6-21 : 1-10 Antrim (All-Ireland qualifier) Galway 6-21 : 0-15 Antrim (All-Ireland qualifier) Most goals scored by a losing team: 3Wexford 3-15 : 2-19 Waterford (All-Ireland quarter-final) Carlow 3-11 : 4-18 Laois (Relegation final) Most points scored by a losing team: 23'Waterford 0-23 : 2-26 Clare (Munster quarter-final) Cards Most yellow cards: Waterford (16) Fewest yellow cards: Galway (1) Most red cards: Antrim, Clare, Cork, Laois and Wexford (1) Fewest red cards: Waterford, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Limerick, Dublin, Offaly and Galway (0) Overall Most goals scored - Waterford (12) Most points scored - Waterford (111) Most goals conceded - Antrim (12) Most points conceded - Waterford (122) Fewest goals scored - Antrim and Limerick (1) Fewest points scored - Carlow (11) Fewest goals conceded - Kilkenny (1) Fewest points conceded - Carlow and Westmeath (18) Miscellaneous Kilkenny win their 31st All-Ireland title to become outright leaders on the all-time roll of honour for the first time in their history. Top scorer from play John Mullane didn't win an all star. Waterford become the second top-scoring team in a hurling championship season to have a negative score difference (Westmeath 1961) Player facts DebutantesThe following players made their début in the 2008 championship:RetireesThe following players played their last game in the 2008