| Year: | 1981 |
| Dates: | 10 May – 20 September 1981 |
| Teams: | 33 |
| Connacht: | Mayo |
| Munster: | Kerry |
| Leinster: | Offaly |
| Ulster: | Down |
| Matches: | 34 |
| Poty: | Jack O'Shea |
| Team: | Kerry |
| Titles: | 27th |
| Captain: | Jimmy Deenihan |
| Manager: | Mick O'Dwyer |
| Team2: | Offaly |
| Captain2: | Richie Connor |
| Manager2: | Eugene McGee |
| Topscorer: | Matt Connor (1-31) |
| Previous: | 1980 |
| Next: | 1982 |
The 1981 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was the 95th staging of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county Gaelic football tournament. The championship began on 10 May 1981 and ended on 20 September 1981.
Kerry entered the championship as the defending champions and were hoping to win a record-equalling fourth successive championship title.
On 20 September 1981, Kerry won the championship following a 1-12 to 0-8 defeat of Offaly in the All-Ireland final.[1] This was their 27th All-Ireland title and their fourth championship in succession.
Offaly's Matt Connor was the championship's top scorer with 1-31. Kerry's Jack O'Shea was the choice for Texaco Footballer of the Year.
The normal system of 2 Quarter-final's and 2 Semi-final's is back.
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
First round
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Preliminary round
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Semi-finals
Final
See main article: 1981 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final.
| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Matches | Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Connor | Offaly | 1-31 | 34 | 5 | 6.80 | |
| 2 | Mikey Sheehy | Kerry | 1-22 | 25 | 4 | 6.25 | |
| 3 | Tom Prendergast | Laois | 6-5 | 23 | 4 | 5.75 | |
| 4 | Eamonn McEneaney | Monaghan | 1-17 | 20 | 3 | 6.66 | |
| 5 | Eoin Liston | Kerry | 4-6 | 18 | 4 | 4.50 |
| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Opposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Prendergast | Laois | 3-3 | 12 | Kildare |
| Eoin Liston | Kerry | 3-3 | 12 | Clare | |
| 3 | Donal Donohoe | Cavan | 2-5 | 11 | Antrim |
| Gay McManus | Galway | 0-11 | 11 | Leitrim | |
| 5 | Kevin Dawe | Louth | 2-4 | 10 | Laois |
| Eamonn McEneaney | Monaghan | 1-7 | 10 | Tyrone | |
| 7 | Matt Connor | Offaly | 0-9 | 9 | Westmeath |
| 8 | Eamonn Whelan | Laois | 2-2 | 8 | Louth |
| Matt Connor | Offaly | 1-5 | 8 | Wexford | |
| Mikey Sheehy | Kerry | 1-5 | 8 | Cork | |
| Eddie Mahon | Wexford | 0-8 | 8 | Offaly | |
| Anto McCaul | Dublin | 0-8 | 8 | Laois |