2008 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final

Pre-match

Kerry and Tyrone defined the decade. Since 2000, they had hoovered up titles in 2000, 2004, 2006, 2007 (Kerry) and 2003, 2005 (Tyrone). This led to Martin Breheny calling the 2008 final the "most decade-defining clash since Dublin v Kerry in the late 1970s".

2008 was the first final between two teams who had been beaten in their Provincial Championship. Kerry were reigning champions and were gunning for three-in-a-row. Tyrone had looked dead and buried after being knocked out of their Ulster SFC quarter-final by Down after extra-time in a replay, but had bounced back through the back door.

Tyrone had beaten Wexford in their semi-final, while Kerry had beaten Cork after a replay in their semi-final.

Match

Summary

Tyrone beat Kerry by four points to claim their third All-Ireland SFC title.

Details

Tyrone =

• 16 P. McConnell
• 2 R. McMenamin
• 3 Justin McMahon
• 12 Joe McMahon
• 5 D. Harte
• 6 C. Gormley
• 7 P. Jordan
• 8 C. Holmes
• 9 E. McGinley
• 10 B. Dooher (c)
• 29 M. Penrose
• 25 R. Mellon
• 13 T. McGuigan
• 14 S. Cavanagh
• 15 C. McCullagh

;Substitutes used : Stephen O'Neill* for McCullagh (25') : K. Hughes for Holmes (half-time) : B. McGuigan for Penrose (51') : O. Mulligan for Mellon (57') : C. Cavanagh for T. McGuigan (68')

;Substitutes not used : J. Curran : D. Carlin : P. Donnelly : N. Gormley : C. McCarron : D. McCaul : M. McGee : C. Gourley : R. Mulgrew : O. Mulligan : Shaun O'Neill : P. J. Quinn : P. Quinn*

;Manager : M. Harte

Notes: J Devine was on the starting lineup but had to withdraw from the squad due to a family bereavement. Stephen O'Neill's name was not in the match program due to there only being space for thirty names. He played, and came on as a substitute with the number 31 on his back.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/7628281.stm Paul Quinn's name was not in the match program due to there only being space for thirty names.

Kerry =

• 1 D. Murphy
• 2 M. Ó Sé
• 3 T. O'Sullivan
• 4 P. Reidy
• 5 T. Ó Sé (c)
• 6 A. O'Mahony
• 7 K. Young
• 8 D. Ó Sé
• 9 S. Scanlon
• 10 B. Sheehan
• 11 Declan O'Sullivan
• 12 E. Brosnan
• 13 C. Cooper
• 14 K. Donaghy
• 15 T. Walsh

;Subs used : 28 P. Galvin for T. Walsh : 19 Darran O'Sullivan for E. Brosnan : 17 T. Griffin for S. Scanlon : 23 M. F. Russell for B. Sheehan : 27 D. Moran for B. Sheehan

;Subs not used : 16 K. Cremin : 18 S. O'Sullivan : 20 M. Quirke : 21 D. Walsh : 22 D. Bohane : 24 R. Ó Flatharta : 25 P. O'Connor : 26 K. O'Leary : 29 A. Maher : 30 P. Corridan : 31 M. Moloney : 32 K. Quirke : 33 A.O'Shea

;Manager : P. O'Shea

References

References

1. Breheny, Martin. (3 September 2008). "The snarl-off for Sam: Two big dogs of the decade - Kerry and Tyrone - are primed for Croker day of reckoning". Independent News & Media.
2. Murray, Shane. (21 September 2008). "Kerry 0-14 Tyrone 1-15 matchtracker". RTÉ.
3. (2 September 2008). "Way cleared for intriguing football final". Hogan Stand.
4. (31 August 2008). "Tyrone 0-23 Wexford 1-14". RTÉ.
5. (25 August 2008). "Cork 3-07 Kerry 1-13". RTÉ.
6. (31 August 2008). "Kerry 3-14 Cork 2-13". RTÉ.