The 1981 All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship was the 18th staging of the All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1964.
Cork entered the championship as defending champions.
On 8 November 1981, Cork won the championship following a 2-9 to 1-6 defeat of Galway in a replay of the All-Ireland final. This was their fourth All-Ireland title overall and their second in successive seasons.
Results Connacht Under-21 Football Championship
Leinster Under-21 Football Championship
GK1 Eugene McArdle (Dundalk Young Irelands)RCB2 Liam Reilly (Cooley Kickhams)FB3 Declan Healy (Naomh Máirtín)LCB4 Kevin Byrne (St Bride's)RHB5 Fergal Judge (Newtown Blues)CHB6 Tony McCarragher (Cooley Kickhams)LHB7 Peter Fitzpatrick (Clan na Gael)MF8 Pat McConnon (Dundalk Young Irelands) (c)MF9 Dessie Callaghan (Newtown Blues)RHF10 Noel Cluskey (Seán McDermott's)CHF11 Paul McGee (Roche Emmets)LHF12 Frank Brannigan (St Fechin's)RCF13 Martin Carr (Newtown Blues)FF14 Pat Smith (O'Raghallaighs)LCF15 Jimmy Berrill (Naomh Máirtín)Substitutes: 16 Noel Healy (Naomh Máirtín) for Smith 17 Enda Rafferty (Cooley Kickhams) for Brannigan GK1 Hubert Smith (Longford Slashers)RCB2 Jimmy Halpin (Longford Slashers)FB3 Donal Mullooly (Rathcline)LCB4 Declan Clabby (Forgney St Munis)RHB5 Philip Smith (Granard St Mary's) CHB6 Michael Sexton (Longford Slashers)LHB7 Dessie Barry (Longford Slashers)MF8 Brendan Lennon (Killoe Young Emmets)MF9 Pádraig Carberry (Cashel)RHF10 David Breslin (Fr. Manning Gaels)CHF11 Richie Culhane (Newtown Blues, Louth)LHF12 John McCormack (Killoe Young Emmets)RCF13 Richard Cheevers (Rathcline)FF14 Frank O'Hara (Seán Connolly's)LCF15 Denis Maguire (Dromard)Substitutes: 16 John Keegan (St Patrick's) for Breslin 17 Michael Kenny (Abbeylara) for O'Hara
Munster Under-21 Football Championship
Ulster Under-21 Football Championship
All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship
Semi-finals
Finals
Statistics Miscellaneous Monaghan win the Ulster title for the first time in their history. The All-Ireland semi-finals see two first time championship pairings as Cork play Monaghan for the very first time and Louth play Galway for the very first and only time in the history of the championship.
References