1971 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

Template:Template other The 1971 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was the 85th staging of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county Gaelic football tournament. The championship began on 25 April 1971 and ended on 26 September 1971.

Kerry entered the championship as the defending champions, however, they were defeated by Cork in the Munster final.

On 26 September 1971, Offaly won the championship following a 1-14 to 2-8 defeat of Galway in the All-Ireland final. This was their first All-Ireland title.

Offaly's Tony McTague was the championship's top scorer with 1-35. Offaly's Eugene Mulligan was the choice for Texaco Footballer of the Year.

Leinster Championship format change

The Second Round returns to Leinster football championship this year.

Results

Connacht Senior Football Championship

Quarter-final

Semi-finals

Finals

Leinster Senior Football Championship

First round

Second round

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

Munster Senior Football Championship

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

Ulster Senior Football Championship

Preliminary round

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

Semi-finals

Final

Championship statistics

Miscellaneous

• On 13 June 1971, the Ulster quarter final meeting of Cavan and Monaghan was the first game to be played at Pearse Park, Ballybay in 45 years.
• Belfast hosted the Ulster final last time until 2004 not played at Clones.
• There were a number of first-time championship meetings;
• The All Ireland semi-final between Offaly and Cork was the first ever championship meeting between the two teams.
• The All-Ireland final between Offaly and Galway was the first to be broadcast in colour by Telefís Éireann. It was also the first ever championship meeting between the two teams.
• By claiming their first championship, Offaly become the 15th team to win the All-Ireland title who the last before Donegal in 1992 to do so.

Top scorers

Overall

Rank	Player	County	Tally	Total	Matches	Average
1	Tony McTague	Offaly	1-35	38	5	7.60
2	Seamus Leydon	Galway	4-19	31	5	6.20
3	Mickey Kearns	Sligo	0-27	27	3	9.00
4	Denis Coughlan	Cork	1-20	23	3	7.66
5	Mickey Niblock	Derry	4-8	20	4	5.00
6	Enda Condron	Laois	1-16	19	4	4.75
7	Mick O'Dwyer	Kerry	1-13	16	2	8.00
	James Morgan	Down	0-16	16	4	4.00
9	Murt Connor	Offaly	3-6	15	5	3.00
10	Tony Brennan	Meath	2-8	14	2	7.00

Single game

Rank	Player	County	Tally	Total	Opposition
1	Mickey Kearns	Sligo	0-13	13	Galway
2	Tony Brennan	Meath	2-6	12	Kildare
3	Mickey Niblock	Derry	2-4	10	Down
	Patsy Barrett	Tyrone	1-7	10	Armagh
	Enda Condron	Laois	1-7	10	Carlow
	Seamus Leydon	Galway	1-7	10	Sligo
	Denis Coughlan	Cork	0-10	10	Kerry
8	Seamus Leydon	Galway	2-3	9	Offaly
	Denis Coughlan	Cork	1-6	9	Clare
	Mick O'Dwyer	Kerry	1-6	9	Tipperary
	Tony McTague	Offaly	0-9	9	Kildare
	Paudie Blythe	Tipperary	0-9	9	Waterford
	Declan McCabe	Monaghan	0-9	9	Cavan
	Tony McTague	Offaly	0-9	9	Cork