title: 1981 All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship
text: # 1981 All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship
  
  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
  
  ### Leinster Under-21 Football Championship
  
  | GK | 1 | Eugene McArdle (Dundalk Young Irelands) |
  | - | - | - |
  | RCB | 2 | Liam Reilly (Cooley Kickhams) |
  | FB | 3 | Declan Healy (Naomh Máirtín) |
  | LCB | 4 | Kevin Byrne (St Bride's) |
  | RHB | 5 | Fergal Judge (Newtown Blues) |
  | CHB | 6 | Tony McCarragher (Cooley Kickhams) |
  | LHB | 7 | Peter Fitzpatrick (Clan na Gael) |
  | MF | 8 | Pat McConnon (Dundalk Young Irelands) (c) |
  | MF | 9 | Dessie Callaghan (Newtown Blues) |
  | RHF | 10 | Noel Cluskey (Seán McDermott's) |
  | CHF | 11 | Paul McGee (Roche Emmets) |
  | LHF | 12 | Frank Brannigan (St Fechin's) |
  | RCF | 13 | Martin Carr (Newtown Blues) |
  | FF | 14 | Pat Smith (O'Raghallaighs) |
  | LCF | 15 | Jimmy Berrill (Naomh Máirtín) |
  | Substitutes: ||
  | | 16 | Noel Healy (Naomh Máirtín) for Smith |
  | | 17 | Enda Rafferty (Cooley Kickhams) for Brannigan |
  | GK | 1 | Hubert Smith (Longford Slashers) |
  | RCB | 2 | Jimmy Halpin (Longford Slashers) |
  | FB | 3 | Donal Mullooly (Rathcline) |
  | LCB | 4 | Declan Clabby (Forgney St Munis) |
  | RHB | 5 | Philip Smith (St Mary's) |
  | CHB | 6 | Michael Sexton (Longford Slashers) |
  | LHB | 7 | Dessie Barry (Longford Slashers) |
  | MF | 8 | Brendan Lennon (Killoe Young Emmets) |
  | MF | 9 | Pádraig Carberry (Cashel) |
  | RHF | 10 | David Breslin (Fr. Manning Gaels) |
  | CHF | 11 | Richie Culhane (Newtown Blues) |
  | LHF | 12 | John McCormack (Killoe Young Emmets) |
  | RCF | 13 | Richard Cheevers (Rathcline) |
  | FF | 14 | Frank O'Hara (Seán Connolly's) |
  | LCF | 15 | 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
  
  Galway v Louth
  
  27 September 1981 Semi-final Galway 3-08 - 1-06 Louth Croke Park, Dublin
  
  Cork v Monaghan
  
  27 September 1981 Semi-final Cork 2-12 - 1-10 Monaghan Croke Park, Dublin
  
  Finals
  
  Cork v Galway
  
  11 October 1981 Final Cork 0-14 - 2-08 Galway Cusack Park, Ennis
  
  Cork v Galway
  
  8 November 1981 Final replay Cork 2-09 - 1-06 Galway Cusack Park, Ennis
  
  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
  
  ↑ "Senior influence, history repeating and more All-Ireland U21 football final talking points". The 42. 29 April 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2017.↑ "Impressive Louth Take U-21 Title". The Argus. 24 July 1981.↑ "Pat and Louth ruled Leinster in '81". Hogan Stand. 30 November 2006.↑ "Youthful Down dethrone Armagh". Irish Times. 20 July 1981.
  
  vteAll-Ireland Under-21 and Under-20 Football ChampionshipAll-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship (1964–2017)Championships
  
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  All-Ireland Under-20 Football Championship (2018–present)Championships
  
  2018
  
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  Ulster Championship :
  
  