1965 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

1965 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

Championship details
Dates	May 2 – September 26, 1965
Teams	31
All-Ireland Champions
Winning team	Galway (6th win)
Captain	Enda Colleran
Manager	John "Tull" Dunne. (St Grellan's, Ballinasloe)
All-Ireland Finalists
Losing team	Kerry
Captain	Jer D. O'Connor
Manager	Jim Brosnan
Provincial Champions
Munster	Kerry
Leinster	Dublin
Ulster	Down
Connacht	Galway
Championship statistics
No. matches played	30
Player of the Year	Martin L. Newell (Galway)
← 1964 1966 →

The 1965 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was the 79th staging of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county Gaelic football tournament. The championship began on 2 May 1965 and ended on 26 September 1965.

Limerick rejoin the Munster football championship for the first time since 1952.

The decider was a repeat of the 1964 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, between Galway and Kerry. There was no change in the outcome as Galway defeated Kerry again by 0–12 to 0–09. It was Galway’s second title in succession, on their way to "Three In A Row". ^[1]

Provincial Championships format changes

Connacht Championship format change

The Connacht championship, instead of the normal system, has two quarter-finals and one semi-final instead of the usual one quarter-final and two semi-finals for just one year. All-Ireland champions Galway received a bye to the Connacht final meaning that Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo and Leitrim would be in separate quarter-finals. The winners of the two games would play in a lone semi-final while the semi-final winner would play Galway.

The only year in between (1933–1940) & 2020 that it happened.

Leinster Championship format change

The Leinster championship dropped the second round after one year in 1965. The preliminary round winners went on to the quarter-finals.

Results

Connacht Senior Football Championship

Quarter-finals

Mayo v Roscommon

6 June 1965Quarter-final	Mayo	2–15 – 1–6	Roscommon	St. Coman's Park, Roscommon
	D Doris (0–2), J Farragher (1–0), M Connaughton (0–1); J Langan (0–4), M Ruane (0–4), P Sheridan (0–2), J Corcoran (0–1).

Sligo v Leitrim

27 June 1965Quarter-final

Sligo

4–12 – 0–6

Leitrim

Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, Carrick-on-Shannon

Semi-final

Sligo v Mayo

4 July 1965Semi-final	Sligo	2–11 – 2–8	Mayo	Fr. O'Hara Park, Charlestown
			D Doris (0–1), J Mannion, M Connaughton (0–2); J Langan (1–3), M Ruane (0–1), P Kilbane (1–0), J Corcoran (0–1).

Final

Galway v Sligo

1 August 1965Final	Galway	1–12 – 2–6	Sligo	Tuam Stadium, Tuam
	C Dunne 0–5, C Tyrrell 1–1, M McDonagh 0–3, S Cleary 0–1, P Donnellan 0–1, J Donnellan 0–1.		D McHugh 1–1, M Durcan 1–1, M Kearns 0–3, B Shannon 0–1.	Attendance: 30,000

Leinster Senior Football Championship

Preliminary round

Kildare v Wicklow

2 May 1965Preliminary round	Kildare	3–14 – 1–4	Wicklow	Dr. Cullen Park, Carlow
	P.Dunny, J.McKenna 1–3, N.Madigan 1–2, J.Donoghue 0–2, M.Coughlan, J.Loughlin, P.Mangan, B.Judge 0–1.

Offaly v Longford

2 May 1965Preliminary round	Offaly	0–5 – 1–5	Longford	Cusack Park, Mullingar
				Referee: P Hughes (Louth)

Westmeath v Louth

9 May 1965Preliminary round

Westmeath

2–11 – 0–9

Louth

Páirc Tailteann, Navan

Quarter-finals

Kildare v Carlow

23 May 1965Quarter-final	Kildare	4–10 – 2–9	Carlow	Dr. Cullen Park, Carlow
	P.Dunny 1–3, N.Madigan, J.Loughlin 1–2, S.Donoghue 0–2, J.McKenna 0–1

Dublin v Wexford

30 May 1965Quarter-final	Dublin	2–11 – 1–7	Wexford	Dr. Cullen Park, Carlow
	J Keaveney 1–3, M Whelan 0–4, T Donnelly 1–0, B McDonald 0–2 (0-1f), G Davey and D Mulligan 0–1 each		W Foley 0–4 (0-3f), S Sheridan 0–2, P Wilson 0–1

Longford v Laois

6 June 1965Quarter-final

Longford

1–9 – 0–8

Laois

Cusack Park, Mullingar

Meath v Westmeath

13 June 1965Quarter-final

Meath

1–12 – 1–9

Westmeath

Croke Park, Dublin

Semi-finals

Dublin v Kildare

20 June 1965Semi-final	Dublin	1–11 – 0–5	Kildare	O'Connor Park, Tullamore
	J Timmons 0–7 (0-1f), Donal Mulligan 1–0, C Leaney 0–2, N Fox and B McDonald 0–1 each		J McKenna, P Dunny, B Judge, N Madigan, K Kelly (0-1f) 0–1 each	Attendance: 18,004

Longford v Meath

4 July 1965Semi-final

Longford

2–8 – 1–7

Meath

Croke Park, Dublin

Final

Dublin v Longford

25 July 1965Final	Dublin	3–6 – 0–9	Longford	Croke Park, Dublin
	Jimmy Keaveney 1–1, Des Foley and Brian McDonald 1–0 each John Timmons (0-1f) and Gerry Davey 0–1 each		Sean Murray 0-4f, Jimmy Hannify 0–2, Jackie Devine, Mick Hopkins, Sean Donnelly 0–1 each	Attendance: 30,120 Referee: Paddy Hughes (Louth)

Munster Senior Football Championship

Quarter-finals

Tipperary v Clare

2 May 1965Quarter-final	Tipperary	0–4 – 2–7	Clare	Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
	M Keating 0–2, B Keating 0–2.		M Begley 1–1, T Mangain 1–0, P O'Mahony 0–3, T Murphy 0–2, G Cleary 0–1.	Referee: S. Garvey (Kerry)

Limerick v Waterford

16 May 1965Quarter-final	Limerick	4–10 – 0–6	Waterford	Seán Treacy Park, Tipperary
	P Murphy 2–1, P Reidy 1–3, E Cregan 1–1, D Quirke 0–2, J Ahern 0–1, M Tynan 0–1, T Carrig 0–1.		T Kirwan 0–3, J Martin 0–3.

Semi-finals

Kerry v Clare

13 June 1965Semi-final	Kerry	2–10 – 1–6	Clare	Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
	B O'Callaghan 1–3, M O'Dwyer 0–4, V Lucey 1–0, M Fleming 0–1, M O'Connell 0–1, D Geaney 0–1.		J Cleary 1–0, P McMahon 0–3, T Mangain 0–1, T Mee 0–1, P Tubridy 0–1.

Limerick v Cork

20 June 1965Semi-final	Limerick	2–5 – 0–6	Cork	Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney
	E Cregan 1–2, M Tynan 1–0, T Meaney 0–1, P Reidy 0–1, J Mullane 0–1.		D Harnedy 0–4, P O'Sullivan 0–1, J Carroll 0–1.

Final

Kerry v Limerick

18 July 1965Final	Kerry	2–16 – 2–7	Limerick	Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
	V Lucey 0–6, JJ Barrett 1–2, M O'Connell 0–5, B O'Callaghan 1–1, M Fleming 0–1, M O'Dwyer 0–1.		P Murphy 1–2, E Cregan 0–5, M Tynan 1–0.

Ulster Senior Football Championship

Preliminary round

Antrim v Derry

30 May 1965Preliminary round

Antrim

2–9 – 2–6

Derry

Dean McGlinchey Park, Ballinascreen

Quarter-finals

Monaghan v Fermanagh

6 June 1965Quarter-final

Monaghan

2–12 – 1–5

Fermanagh

St. Molise Park, Irvinestown

Down v Tyrone

13 June 1965Quarter-final

Down

3–13 – 1–6

Tyrone

Pairc Esler, Newry

Armagh v Monaghan

20 June 1965Quarter-final

Armagh

3–7 – 1–9

Monaghan

The Playing Fields, Lurgan

Cavan v Donegal

20 June 1965Quarter-final

Cavan

1–8 – 1–8

Donegal

MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey

Cavan v Donegal

4 July 1965Quarter-final, first replay

Cavan

0–14 – 2–8 (aet)

Donegal

Breffni Park, Cavan

Cavan v Donegal

11 July 1965Quarter-final, second replay

Cavan

0–9 – 0–8

Donegal

Breffni Park, Cavan

Semi-finals

Down v Antrim

7 July 1965Semi-final

Down

0–10 – 1–4

Antrim

Pairc Esler, Newry

Cavan v Armagh

14 July 1965Semi-final

Cavan

1–10 – 0–4

Armagh

St. Tiernach's Park, Clones

Final

Down v Cavan

1 August 1965Final

Down

1–10 – 1–8

Cavan

St. Tiernach's Park, Clones

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

Semi-finals

Kerry v Dublin

8 August 1965Semi-final	Kerry	4–8 – 2–6	Dublin	Croke Park, Dublin
	D. O'Sullivan 0–1, M. O'Connell 0–1, Denis O'Sullivan 0–1, D. O'Shea 1–1, J.J. Barrett 0–1, B. O'Callaghan 1–3, M. O'Dwyer 2–0.

Galway v Down

22 August 1965Semi-final	Galway	0–10 – 0–7	Down	Croke Park, Dublin
	C Dunne 0–6, S Keenan 0–2, M McDonagh 0–1, S Cleary 0–1.		S O'Neill 0–3, B Johnston 0–2, P Doherty 0–1, G Glynn 0–1.

Final

Galway v Kerry

26 September 1965Final	Galway	0–12 – 0–9	Kerry	Croke Park, Dublin
	C Dunne 0–4, S Leydon 0–3, J Keenan 0–2, J Donnellan 0–2, M Garrett 0–1.		B O'Callaghan 0–6, M O'Connell 0–2, M O'Dwyer 0–1.	Attendance: 77,735 Referee: M Loftus (Mayo)

Main article: 1965 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final

Championship statistics

Miscellaneous

• On 16 May 1965, Seán Treacy Park, Tipperary hosted its first match for 23 years the Munster quarter-final meeting between Limerick and Waterford, their first meeting in 31 years as Limerick returned to the Munster football championship for the first time since 1952 after recording wins over Waterford and Cork but lost the Munster final to Kerry who made an historic 8th Munster title in a row.
• Longford reach their first Leinster final but are beaten by Dublin.
• Galway win the All Ireland title twice in a row and another three Connacht titles in a row.

Top scorers

Overall

Rank	Player	County	Tally	Total	Matches	Average
1	Martin L. Newell	Galway	?	?	3	?

Single game

Rank	Player	County	Tally	Total	Opposition
1

References

1. "Galway GAA: The Three-In-A-Row • Galway City Museum". Galway City Museum. Retrieved 1 June 2025.