1981 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
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. 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.
Munster Championship format change
The normal system of 2 Quarter-final's and 2 Semi-final's is back.Results
[Connacht Senior Football Championship]
Quarter-finalsSemi-finals
'''Final'''
[Leinster Senior Football Championship]
First roundQuarter-finals
Semi-finals
'''Final'''
[Munster Senior Football Championship]
Quarter-finalsSemi-finals
'''Final'''
[Ulster Senior Football Championship]
Preliminary roundQuarter-finals
Semi-finals
'''Final'''
[All-Ireland Senior Football Championship]
Semi-finals'''Final'''
Championship statistics
Top scorers
;Overall| 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 |
;Single game
| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Opposition |
| 1 | Tom Prendergast | Laois | 3–3 | 12 | Kildare |
| 1 | Eoin Liston | Kerry | 3–3 | 12 | Clare |
| 3 | Donal Donohoe | Cavan | 2–5 | 11 | Antrim |
| 3 | Gay McManus | Galway | 0–11 | 11 | Leitrim |
| 5 | Kevin Dawe | Louth | 2–4 | 10 | Laois |
| 5 | Eamonn McEneaney | Monaghan | 1–7 | 10 | Tyrone |
| 7 | Matt Connor | Offaly | 0–9 | 9 | Westmeath |
| 8 | Eamonn Whelan | Laois | 2–2 | 8 | Louth |
| 8 | Matt Connor | Offaly | 1–5 | 8 | Wexford |
| 8 | Mikey Sheehy | Kerry | 1–5 | 8 | Cork |
| 8 | Eddie Mahon | Wexford | 0–8 | 8 | Offaly |
| 8 | Anto McCaul | Dublin | 0–8 | 8 | Laois |
Miscellaneous
- London after six years in the Connacht championship play their games this year on home ground at Ruislip.
- Mayo won their first Connacht title since 1969.
- Kerry become the third team in the history of the championship to win four All-Ireland titles in-a-row. They equalled the record set by Wexford and Kerry. Lasted until Dublin winning six in a row.