1978 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

Template:Template other The 1978 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was the 92nd staging of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county Gaelic football tournament. The championship began on 7 May 1978 and ended on 24 September 1978.

Dublin entered the championship as the defending champions.

On 24 September 1978, Kerry won the championship following a 5-11 to 0-9 defeat of Dublin in the All-Ireland final. This was their 24th All-Ireland title and their first in three championship seasons.

Kerry's Pat Spillane was the choice for Texaco Footballer of the Year. Dublin's Jimmy Keaveney was the championship's top scorer with 2-31.

Leinster Championship format change

In 1978 Round 2 returns to the Leinster football championship.

Results

Connacht Senior Football Championship

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

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

Top scorers

Overall

Rank	Player	County	Tally	Total	Matches	Average
1	Jimmy Keaveney	Dublin	2-31	37	5	7.40
2	Mikey Sheehy	Kerry	5-21	36	4	9.00

Miscellaneous

• Kevin Moran, who had signed for Manchester United F.C. in February 1978, was given permission from the club to line out for Dublin in their Leinster semi-final defeat of Offaly. He remained on the panel for all of Dublin's subsequent games.
• On 28 May 1978, James Stephens Park, Ballina hosted its first championship game for 28 years it was the Connacht Quarter-final between Mayo and Leitrim.
• At the Ulster final between Down and Cavan, an official attendance of 27,600 is given, however, it is estimated that between 6,000 and 8,000 extra spectators were at the game.
• In the All-Ireland semi-final between Down and Dublin, the Down players wore black armbands as a mark of respect to the late Michael Cunningham. He was the father of the team's centre-forward Mickey Cunningham and died in the week leading up to the match.
• Kerry won their first title in a year ending with 8. They became the first county in either code to win at least one All Ireland in years ending with all ten digits.

Roll of Honour

• Kerry - 24 (1978)
• Dublin - 20 (1977)
• Galway - 7 (1966)
• Wexford - 5 (1918)
• Cavan - 5 (1952)
• Cork - 4 (1973)
• Kildare - 4 (1928)
• Tipperary - 4 (1920)
• Down - 3 (1968)
• Meath - 3 (1967)
• Louth - 3 (1957)
• Mayo - 3 (1951)
• Offaly - 2 (1972)
• Roscommon - 2 (1944)
• Limerick - 2 (1896)