The 2021–22 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship was the 51st staging of the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county club football tournament. It was the first club championship to be held for two years as the 2020–21 edition was cancelled due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gaelic games. The competition began on 21 November 2021 and ended on 12 February 2022.
The defending champion was Corofin. However, the club lost the Galway SFC final; therefore it could not defend the title.
Kilcoo defeated Kilmacud Croked by 2–8 to 0–13 after extra time in the final at Croke Park on 12 February 2022 to win the competition.
Format
County Championships
All thirty-two counties in Ireland and London play their county senior championships between their top gaelic football clubs. Each county decides the format for their county championship. The format can be straight knockout, double-elimination, a league, groups, etc. or a combination.
Only single club teams are allowed to enter the All-Ireland Club championship. If a team that is an amalgamation of two or more clubs, a divisional team or a university team wins a county's championship, a single club team will represent that county in the provincial championship as determined by that county's championship rules. Normally it is the club team that exited the championship at the highest stage.
Provincial championships
Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster each organise a provincial championship for their participating county champions. The Kilkenny senior champions play in the Leinster Intermediate Club Football Championship. London continue to compete in the Connacht championship – in previous years they played one of the provincial champions in a single match in December referred to as a quarter-final.
All matches are knock-out. Two ten minute periods of extra time are played each way if it's a draw at the end of normal time in all matches including the final. If the score is still level after extra time the match is replayed.
All-Ireland
In a bid to shorten the break between the provincial finals and the All-Ireland semi-finals, the two semi-finals between the four provincial champions were played in late January – previously they were held in mid-February. Traditionally, the All-Ireland Club SFC final was played in Croke Park on 17 March (St Patrick's Day), but it was also moved to mid-February in 2022.
County Finals Connacht Galway SFC
Leitrim SFC
London SFC
Mayo SFC
Roscommon SFC
Sligo SFC
Leinster Carlow SFC
Dublin SFC
Kildare SFC
Kilkenny SFC
The Kilkenny SFC champions take part in the Leinster Club Intermediate Football Championship.
Laois SFC
Longford SFC
Louth SFC
Meath SFC
Offaly SFC
Westmeath SFC
Wexford SFC
Wicklow SFC
Munster Clare SFC
Cork SFC
Kerry SFC
Limerick SFC
Tipperary SFC
Waterford SFC
Ulster Antrim SFC
Armagh SFC
Cavan SFC
Donegal SFC
Derry SFC
Down SFC
Fermanagh SFC
Monaghan SFC
Tyrone SFC
Provincial championships Connacht
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Leinster
Preliminary round
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Munster
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Ulster
Preliminary round
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Semi-finals
Final
Statistics
Top scorers
Overall Top Scorers Rank Player Club Tally Total1Eamonn CallaghanNaas0-21 (0-15f)212 Darragh KirwanNaas4-06183 Danny TallonWatty Graham's GAC Glen1-12 (0-09f)154Conall JonesDerrygonnelly1-11 (0-09f)14 Barry McHughMountbellew–Moylough1-11 (0-9f)14Sam MulroyNaomh Máirtín0-14 (0-11f)147Paul CareyPadraig Pearses1-09 (0-3f)128Jerome JohnstonKilcoo3-0211Luke GriffinNaas2-051110Conor TurbittClann Éireann0-10 (0-7f)10
In a single game
Rank Player Club Tally Total Opposition1Darragh KirwanNaas2-0410Tullamore2Luke GriffinNaas2-039BlessingtonSteven SherlockSt Finbarr's0-09 (0-06f, 0-01m)9Éire Óg, EnnisBarry McHughMountbellew–Moylough0-09 (0-08f)9Ballinamore5Jerome JohnstonKilcoo2-028Ramor UnitedConall JonesDerrygonnelly1-05 (0-04f)8Clann Éireann Paul CareyPadraig Pearses0-08 (0-3f)8Knockmore Darragh O'BrienAustin Stacks0-08 (0-05f)8Newcastle WestSam MulroyNaomh Máirtín0-08 (0-05f)8Rathvilly10Conor McCrickardSt Finbarr's2-017Éire Óg, EnnisSean McEvoyRamor United1-04 (0-01f)7Kilcoo
Broadcasting rights TG4 continued to broadcast live and deferred club championship games. RTÉ also broadcast games from the AIB Club Championships on Saturdays.
Awards
Team of the Year Niall Kane Sam Ryan Ryan McEvoy Dan O'Brien Miceal Rooney Rory O'Carroll Darryl Branagan Craig Dias Niall Daly Ceilum Dohert Jerome Johnston Eugene Branagan Dara Mullin Steven Sherlock Paul Carey
Footballer of the Year Eugene Branagan (Club) Also nominated: PLAYER NAME (Club) & PLAYER NAME (Club)
References