1981 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
Championship details
Dates 24 May – 6 September 1981
Teams 13
All-Ireland champions
Winning team Offaly (1st win)All-Ireland Finalists
Provincial champions
Ulster Not Played
Connacht Not Played
Championship statistics
No. matches played 14
Goals total 67 (4.78 per game)
Points total 381 (27.21 per game)
Top Scorer Joe McKenna (7–12)Player of the Year Pat Delaney All-Star Team See here
← 1980 1982 →
The 1981 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 95th staging of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship , the Gaelic Athletic Association 's premier inter-county hurling tournament. The draw for the 1981 fixtures took place in September 1980. The championship began on 24 May 1981 and ended on 6 September 1981.
Galway were the defending champions but were defeated by Offaly in the final. Westmeath re-entered the Leinster Championship after a three-year absence.
On 6 September 1981, Offaly won the championship following a 2–12 to 0–15 defeat of Galway in the All-Ireland final. This was their first All-Ireland title ever.
Limerick's Joe McKenna was the championship's top scorer with 7–12. Offaly's Pat Delaney was the choice for Texaco Hurler of the Year .
Team changes To Championship Promoted from the All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship
From Championship Relegated to the All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship
Teams General information Thirteen counties will compete in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship : one team from the Connacht Senior Hurling Championship , six teams in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship , five teams in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship and one team from the All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship .
Provincial championships Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Quarter-finals
24 May 1981 Quarter-final Wexford 2–20 – 0–8 Dublin Wexford Park , Wexford T. Doran (1–5), M. Quigley (1–3), M. Casey (0–3), N. Buggy (0–3), M. Jacob (0–2), J. Murphy (0–2), G. O'Connor (0–2), J. Fleming (0–1). G. Hayes (0–6), L. Hennebery (0–1). Referee: J Rankins (Laois)
7 June 1981 Quarter-final Laois 1–16 – 1–10 Westmeath Croke Park , Dublin M. Brophy (0–9), P. Critchley (1–0), M. Cuddy (0–2), M. Walsh (0–2), M. Cuddy (0–2), P. J. Cuddy (0–1), B. Bohane (0–1), C. Jones (0–1). J. J. Lynch (1–3), J. Leonard (0–1), G. Jackson (0–1), P. Dalton (0–1), P. Curran (0–1), M. Cosgrave (0–1), D. Kilcoyne (0–1), M. Ryan (0–1). Attendance: 4,834 Referee: M Kelleher (Kildare)
Semi-finals
21 June 1981 Semi-final Offaly 3–20 – 6–10 Laois Croke Park , Dublin P. Horan (2–2), M. Corrigan (1–5), P. Carroll (0–5), L. Currams (0–2), P. Kirwan (0–2), J. Flaherty (0–1), B. Bermingham (0–1). B. Bohane (2–3), C. Jones (2–0), P. J. Cuddy (1–2), M. Cuddy (1–1), M. Walsh (0–3), M. Brophy (0–1). Attendance: 31,299 Referee: J Denton (Wexford)
21 June 1981 Semi-final Wexford 4–12 – 1–18 Kilkenny Croke Park , Dublin J. Fleming (0–5), T. Doran (1–1), S. Kinsella (1–1), G. O'Connor (1–1), M. Quigley (1–0), M. Casey (0–2), N. Buggy (0–1), P. Courtney (0–1). B. Fitzpatrick (0–8), C. Brennan (0–4), G. Fennelly (0–4), L. Fennelly (1–0), M. Ruth (0–1), C. Heffernan (0–1). Attendance: 31,299 Referee: N O'Donoghue (Dublin)
Final
12 July 1981 Final Offaly 3–12 – 2–13 Wexford Croke Park , Dublin P. Horan (2–3), J. Flaherty (1–2), P. Delaney (0–2), L. Currams (0–2), P. Kirwan (0–2), P. Carroll (0–1). S. Kinsella (1–2), G. O'Connor (0–5), C. Doran (1–0), N. Buggy (0–3), M. Jacob (0–2), J. Murphy (0–1). Attendance: 29,053 Referee: N O'Donoghue (Dublin)
Munster Senior Hurling Championship Quarter-final
24 May 1981 Quarter-final Clare 3–14 – 2–14 Waterford Semple Stadium , Thurles D. Coote (1–3), L. Quinlan (1–3), N. Ryan (1–0), J. Callinan (0–3), C. Honan (0–2), G. McInerney (0–1), S. Heaslip (0–1), A. Nugent (0–1). J. Greene (1–1), S. Breen (1–0), M. Walsh (0–3), P. Curran (0–2), T. Casey (0–2), J. Hennebry (0–1), P. Daly (0–1), T. Maher (0–1), N. Connors (0–1), L. O'Brien (0–1), P. McGrath (0–1). Attendance: 8,000 Referee: G Ryan (Tipperary)
Semi-finals
7 June 1981 Semi-final Tipperary 3–13 – 4–10 Limerick Semple Stadium , Thurles J. Grogan (2–6), P. Queally (1–1), E. O'Shea (0–3), P. Fox (0–1), M. Carroll (0–1), K. Fox (0–1). J. McKenna (3–1), E. Cregan (0–4), B. Carroll (1–0), J. Flanagan (0–3), P. Kelly (0–1), G. McMahon (0–1). Attendance: 16,500 Referee: N Dalton (Waterford)
14 June 1981 Semi-final Clare 2–15 – 2–13 Cork Semple Stadium , Thurles E. O'Connor (1–2), L. Quinlan (1–0), D. Coote (0–3), N. Ryan (0–2), M. Meehan (0–2), J. Callinan (0–3), A. Nugent (0–2), G. McInerney (0–1). J. Barry-Murphy (1–1), T. Crowley (1–1), E. O'Donoghue (0–3), P. Horgan (0–3), J. Fenton (0–2), S. O'Leary (0–1), P. Moylan (0–1), J. Horgan (0–1). Referee: G Ryan (Tipperary)
21 June 1981 Semi-final replay Limerick 3–17 – 2–12 Tipperary Gaelic Grounds , Limerick J. McKenna (1–2), M. Grimes (0–4), P. Kelly (0–4), E. Cregan (1–0), J. Flanagan (1–0), W. Fitzmaurice (0–2), S. Foley (0–1). S. Burke (2–3), E. O'Shea (0–2), J. Grogan (0–2), J. O'Dwyer (0–1), P. Fox (0–1), P. Queally (0–1), G. O'Brien (0–1), D. Cahill (0–1). Attendance: 29,299 Referee: JJ Landers (Waterford)
Final
5 July 1981 Final Limerick 3–12 – 2–9 Clare Semple Stadium , Thurles J. McKenna (3–3), E. Cregan (0–4), J. Flanagan (0–2), J. Carroll (0–1), L. O'Donoghue (0–1). G. McInerney (1–0), N. Ryan (1–0), D. Coote (0–2), J. Callinan (0–2), C. Honan (0–1), E. O'Connor (0–1), L. Quinlan (0–1). Attendance: 40,205 Referee: G Ryan (Tipperary)
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final Galway 6–23 Antrim 3–11 Limerick 0–11, 2–17 Galway 1–08, 4–16 Galway 0–15 Offaly 2–12
All-Ireland quarter-finals 19 July 1981 Quarter-final Galway 6–23 – 3–11 Antrim Croke Park , Dublin B. Forde (2–5), N. Lane (1–6), F. Gantley (2–0), Joe Connolly (1–3), P. J. Molloy (0–4), S. Mahon (0–2), B. Lynskey (0–1), S. Silke (0–1), I. Clarke (0–1). D. Donnelly (1–4), M. O'Connell (1–3), B. Laverty (1–0), S. Donnelly (0–3), P. McFaul (0–1). Attendance: 4,615 Referee: M Kelliher (Kildare)
All-Ireland semi-finals 2 August 1981 Semi-final Galway 1–8 – 0–11 Limerick Croke Park , Dublin B. Lynskey (1–0), Joe Connolly (0–3), F. Gantley (0–2), S. Linnane (0–1), I. Clarke (0–1), S. Mahon (0–1). E. Cregan (0–5), J. McKenna (0–2), F. Nolan (0–1), L. O'Donoghue (0–1), O. O'Connor (0–1), J. Flanagan (0–1). Attendance: 34,783 Referee: N O'Donoghue (Dublin)
16 August 1981 Semi-final replay Galway 4–16 – 2–17 Limerick Croke Park , Dublin Joe Connolly (2–7), John Connolly (1–2), P. J. Molloy (1–0), N. Lane (0–3), I. Clarke (0–2), B. Forde (0–1), S. Mahon (0–1). E. Cregan (1–5), J. McKenna (0–4), B. Carroll (1–0), W. Fitzmaurice (0–2), F. Nolan (0–1), L. Enright (0–1), J. Carroll (0–1), P. Foley (0–1), M. Grimes (0–1), O. O'Connor (0–1). Attendance: 42,666 Referee: N O'Donoghue (Dublin)
All-Ireland Final 6 September 1981 Final Offaly 2–12 – 0–15 Galway Croke Park , Dublin P. Delaney (0–5), P. Carroll (1–1), J. Flaherty (1–1), L. Currams (0–2), P. Horan (0–2), D. Owens (0–1). J. Connolly (0–8), N. Lane (0–3), S. Mahon (0–2), P. J. Molloy (0–1), M. Connolly (0–1). Attendance: 71,348 Referee: F Murphy (Cork)
Scoring statistics Top scorers overall
Top scorers in a single game
Broadcasting The following matches were broadcast live on television in Ireland on RTÉ .
Round RTÉ All-Ireland semi-final Limerick vs Galway All-Ireland final Offaly vs Galway
Sources Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists (Hodder Headline Ireland, 2005). Donegan, Des, The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games (DBA Publications Limited, 2005).