The master plan for intercounty hurling championship fixtures in 2008 with groupings and dates for the All-Ireland series have been released. Liam MacCarthy Cup Hurling Championship 2008 [2007 Liam McCarthy Champions - Kilkenny) Eligible Counties Ulster - Antrim Munster - Clare, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford Leinster - Dublin, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wexford Connacht - Galway Provincial Championships Provincial Championships shall be played in Leinster, Munster and Ulster. All Ireland Senior Hurling Qualifier 28.06.2008 (Sat) All Ireland Hurling Qualifier - Phase I Casement Park Antrim v Galway (draw for home or away venue made at CCCC 24-2007 /15.10.2007) Teams shall play off to determine pairings in Phase 2. Venue shall be on a Home or Away basis and a draw shall be made in the initial year (2008) to determine Home or Away venue with the first Team drawn in 2008 having Home venue (provided it meets the criteria set down by the National Safety and Infrastructure Committee) in that year and Home Venue shall alternate on an annual basis from 2008 onwards. Should Antrim or Galway be replaced by another Team as a result of Relegation, their replacement shall take their place in the Home/Away rota). 05.07.08 (Sat) All Ireland Hurling Qualifier - Phase II Winner Round 1 v Leinster Round 1 Loser (Galway/Antrim) Loser Round 1 v Munster Round 1 Loser (Galway/Antrim) Venues shall be on a Home or Away basis and determined by a draw i.e. first Team drawn has Home Venue provided it meets the criteria set down the by National Infrastructure and Safety Committee. 12.07.08 (Sat) All Ireland Hurling Qualifier - Phase III Semi-Final Loser Leinster v Semi-Final Loser Munster Semi-Final Loser Leinster v Semi-Final Loser Munster Munster Team shall play a Leinster Team and an Open Draw shall be made to determine the Pairings. Venues shall be on a Home or Away basis and determined by a further draw i.e. first Team drawn shall have Home Venue provided it meets the criteria set down by National Infrastructure and Safety Committee. 19.07.08 (Sat) All Ireland Hurling Qualifier - Phase IV Phase II Winner v Phase III Winner (Galway/Antrim/Rd 1 Loser L/ M) SF Loser L/M Phase II Winner v Phase III Winner (Galway/Antrim/Rd 1 Loser L/ M) SF Loser L/M A draw shall be made to determine pairings. The Draw shall be structured to avoid repeat pairings, where feasible. Venues to be determined by the Central Competitions Control Committee. 27.07.08 (Sun) All Ireland Hurling Quarter Finals Phase IV Winner v Leinster Final Loser Phase IV Winner v Munster Final Loser Pairings to be determined by a draw, the Draw shall be structured to avoid repeat pairings, where feasible. Venues to be determined by the Central Competitions Control Committee. 10.08.08 (Sun) All Ireland Hurling Semi-Final Leinster Champions v Munster Runner Up or Team who beats them. 17.08.09 (Sun) All Ireland Hurling Semi-Final Munster Champions v Leinster Runner Up or Team who beats them. 07.09.08 (Sun) [28.09.08 replay if necessary] All Ireland Final 19.07.08 (Sat) Relegation Play Off Round II Loser v Round II Loser Venue shall be on a Home or Away basis determined by a Draw and provided he venue meets the criteria set down by National Infrastructure and Safety Committee. 09-10.08.09 (Sat/Sun) Promotion/Relegation Play Off Relegation Play Off Loser v Christy Ring Winner This shall be a Home game for the Winners of the Christy Ring Cup, provided venue meets the criteria set down by National Infrastructure and Safety Committee. All Ireland Christy Ring Cup Hurling Championship 2008 [2007 Christy Ring Champions - Westmeath] Eligible Counties Connacht - Mayo, Roscommon Leinster - Meath, Carlow, Kildare, Wicklow, Westmeath Munster - Kerry Ulster - Down, Derry, Armagh UK - London, Warwickshire Draws and Dates Group 2A - (1) Westmeath, (2), Roscommon, (3) Wicklow Group 2B - (1) Carlow, (2) London, (3) Down Group 2C - (1) Meath, (2) Mayo, (3) Kerry Group 2D - (1) Kildare, (2) Derry, (3) Armagh Each Team within a Group play each other - drawn on a seeded basis as determined by CCCC. i.e. two games - one home and one away. The top two teams shall Qualify for the Quarter-Finals . In the event of equality of points scoring difference shall apply, in the event of a further equality highest score for and, if the teams are still equal, the result of the game involving the two Counties shall be used to determine finishing position. 28.06.2008 (Sat) Round 1- 1 v 2, 3 bye 05.07.2008 (Sat) Round 2 2 v 3, 1 bye 12.07.2008 (Sat) Round 3 - 3 v 1, 2 bye 19.07.08 (Sat) All Ireland Quarter Finals Top Two Teams in each Group - drawn on seeded basis to avoid repeat pairings from group stage - Group Winners have home game provided venue meets the criteria set down by the National Safety and Infrastructure Committee. 26.07.08 (Sat) All Ireland Semi-Finals Draw to avoid repeat pairings where feasible - First team drawn out have Home venue provided venue meets the criteria set down by the National Safety and Infrastructure Committee. 2/3/4.08.08 (Sat, Sun or Mon) Final 26.07.2008 Promotion and Relegation Four teams who do not qualify for Quarter-Finals play off - knockout format - with the two losing teams contesting a Preliminary Relegation Play Off. 02.08.2008 Preliminary Relegation Play Off Promotion & Relegation Losers play off and losing team context Relegation play off with Nicky Rackard Winners. 09-10.08.2008 (Sat/Sun) Promotion Relegation Play Off Preliminary Relegation Play Off losers contest a Promotion/Relegation game with the winners of the Nicky Rackard Cup. All Ireland Nicky Rackard Cup Hurling Championship 2008 [2007 - Nicky Rackard Champions - Roscommon] (Eligible Counties) Connacht - Sligo, Leitrim Leinster - Longford, Louth, Fingal Ulster - Fermanagh, Monaghan, Cavan, Tyrone, Donegal, Non Ards UK - Warwickshire Draws and Dates Group 3A - (1) Louth, (2) Fingal, Longford Group 3B - (1) Non Ards, (2) Leitrim, (3) Fermanagh Group 3C - (1) Donegal, (2) Tyrone, (3) Monaghan Group 3D - (1) Sligo, (2) Cavan, (3) Warwickshire Draws for groups and pairings made at CCCC24-2007 on 15.10.2007 Each Team within a Group play each other - drawn on a seeded basis as determined by CCCC i.e. two games - one home and one away. The top two teams shall Qualify for the Quarter-Finals. In the event of equality of points scoring difference shall apply, in the event of a further equality highest score for and, if the teams are still equal, the result of the game involving the two Counties shall be used to determine finishing position. 28.06.2008 (Sat) Round 1- 1 v 2, 3 bye 05.07.2008 (Sat) Round 2 2 v 3, 1 bye 12.07.2008 (Sat) Round 3 - 3 v 1, 2 bye All Ireland Quarter-Finals 19.07.08 (Sat) Top Two Teams in each Group - drawn on seeded basis to avoid repeat pairings from group stage - Group Winners have home game provided venue meets the criteria set down by the National Safety and Infrastructure Committee. All Ireland Semi-Finals 26.07.08 (Sun) Quarter Final Winners compete - knockout format - based on a draw. The Draw shall be structured to avoid repeats of the Group pairings, if needs be and the first team draw out in each Semi-Final shall have home venue. Final - 02/03/04.08.08 (Sat, Sun, Mon) All-Ireland IHC 2008 (ALL IRELAND SERIES) [2007 - Intermediate Champions - Wexford] Semi-Final - 09.08.08 (Sat) (a) Galway v Leinster Final - 30.08.08 (Sat) (a) v Munster All-Ireland U21Hc 2008 (ALL IRELAND SERIES) [2007 - All Ireland Under 21 Champions - Galway] Semi-Finals - 23.08.08 (Sat) Connacht v Leinster Munster v Ulster Final - 13/14.09.08 (Sun) All-Ireland MHC 2008 (ALL IRELAND SERIES) [2007 - All Ireland Minor Champions - Tipperary] Quarter-Finals 26.07.2007 (Sat) [Open Draw] Semi-Finals 10.08.08 (Sun) Leinster v Quarter Final Winner 17.08.08 (Sun) Munster v Quarter-Final Winner Final 07.09.08 (Sun) INTERPROVINCIAL HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP 2008 [2007 - Interprovincial Champions - Munster] Semi-Finals (TBC) Connacht v Leinster Ulster v Munster Final (TBC) All-Ireland MHC 'B' 2008 [2007 Minor 'B' Champions - Meath] Connacht - Roscommon, Mayo Leinster - Meath, Kildare, Wicklow, Westmeath Ulster - Armagh [QUARTER-FINAL VENUES ON A HOME AND AWAY BASIS ON A TWO YEAR CYCLE] Quarter-Finals - 09.08.2008 (Sat) (a) Mayo v Kildare (b) Wicklow v Roscommon (c) Meath v Kerry (d) Armagh v Westmeath Semi-Finals - 16.08.2008 (Sat) Neutral Venue (x) (a) v (b) (y) (c) v (d) Final - 30.08.2008 (Sun) (x) v (y) [Final to be played as curtain raiser to major Hurling match where possible] All-Ireland U21HC 'B' 2008 [2007 U21 'B' Champions - Roscommon] Semi-Finals - 23.08.08 (Sat) Leinster v Ulster Munster v Connacht Final - 13/14.09.08 (Sat) All-Ireland club SHC 2008/2009 Semi-Finals 22.02.2009 (Sun) Connacht v Leinster Munster v Ulster Final 17.03.09 All-Ireland club IHC 2008/2009 Quarter-Finals 18.01.2009 (Sun) (a) UK v Ulster Semi-Finals 25.01.2009 (Sun) Connacht v Leinster Munster v (a) Final 14.02.2009 (Sat) All-Ireland club JHC 2008/2009 Quarter-Final 18.01.2009 (Sun) (a) Connacht v UK Semi-Finals 25.01.2009 (Sun) (a) v Leinster Munster v Ulster Final 14.02.2009 (Sat) Tweet

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