The 1970 All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship was the seventh staging of the All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1964. The championship ran from 5 April to 4 October 1970.
Antrim entered the championship as defending champions, however, they were beaten by Derry in the Ulster quarter-final.
The All-Ireland final was played on 4 October 1970 at Croke Park in Dublin, between Cork and Fermanagh, in what was their first ever meeting in the final. Cork won the match by 2-11 to 0-09 to claim their first ever All-Ireland U21 title.
Roscommon's Mickey Freyne was the championship's top scorer with 1-17.
Connacht Under-21 Football Championship Connacht quarter-final
Connacht semi-finals
Connacht final
Leinster Under-21 Football Championship Leinster first round
Leinster quarter-finals
Leinster semi-finals
Leinster final
GK1 Paddy Bird (Naomh Mhuire)RCB2 Paddy Oliver (St Patrick's)FB3 Terry Lennon (St Bride's) (c)LCB4 Gerry Carroll (St Patrick's)RHB5 Davy Byrne (Newtown Blues)CHB6 Gerry Sheridan (Glyde Rangers)LHB7 Jack Curran (Dowdallshill)MF8 John Boylan (St Kevin's)MF9 Eugene Sheelan (St Patrick's)RHF10 Richie Barry (Dowdallshill)CHF11 Denis Lynch (Oliver Plunketts)LHF12 Terry Doherty (Dundalk Gaels)RCF13 Damien Reid (Mattock Rangers)FF14 Richie Brennan (Glyde Rangers)LCF15 Alo McGrath (Cooley Kickhams)Substitutes: 16 Larry Muckian (Clan na Gael) for Lynch 17 Pat Murphy (St Patrick's) for Doherty 18 Peter Lennon (St Bride's) for Muckian GK1 Gerry McGee (Tullamore)RCB2 Liam Pender (Edenderry)FB3 Jackie Egan (Doon)LCB4 Pádraig Horan (St Rynagh's)RHB5 Seán Lowry (Ferbane)CHB6 Christy Dunne (Edenderry)LHB7 Ollie Daly (Ballycumber)MF8 Kieran Claffey (Doon)MF9 Murt Connor (Éire Óg)RHF10 Daithí Murphy (Gracefield)CHF11 Paddy Fenning (Tullamore) (c)LHF12 Freddie Grehan (Edenderry)RCF13 Séamus Darby (Rhode)FF14 Kevin Malone (Rhode)LCF15 Steve Coughlan (Tullamore)Substitutes: 16 Liam Hanlon (Daingean) for Daly 17 Mick Currams (Na Piarsaigh) for Coughlan 18 Mick Slattery (Éire Óg) for Darby
Munster Under-21 Football Championship Munster quarter-finals
Munster semi-finals
Munster final
Ulster Under-21 Football Championship Ulster preliminary round
Ulster quarter-finals
Ulster semi-finals
Ulster final
All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship All-Ireland semi-finals
All-Ireland final
Statistics Top scorers
Rank Player County Tally Total Matches Average1Mickey FreyneRoscommon1-172036.662Eugene TreacyFermanagh2-121853.60Teddy O'BrienCork1-151844.504Gene CusackCavan2-111735.66Damien ReidLouth1-141744.256Freddie GrehanOffaly2-081434.66Éamonn McPartlandFermanagh1-111443.508Ned KirbyCork2-071343.25Des GriffithMayo2-071334.33Séamus DarbyOffaly1-101334.33
Miscellaneous
In the provincial championships there were a number of firsts as Fermanagh and Louth won the respective Ulster and Leinster titles for the first time in their history. The All-Ireland semi-final between Louth and Fermanagh remains their only championship meeting.
References