The 1968 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was the 82nd staging of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county Gaelic football tournament. The championship began on 21 April 1968 and ended on 22 September 1968.
Meath entered the championship as the defending champions, however, they were defeated by Longford in the Leinster semi-final.
On 22 September 1968, Down won the championship following a 2–12 to 1–13 defeat of Kerry in the All-Ireland final. This was their third All-Ireland title and their first in seven championship seasons.
Down's Paddy Doherty was the championship's top scorer with 1–25. His teammate Seán O'Neill was the choice for Texaco Footballer of the Year.
Results
Connacht Senior Football Championship
Quarter-final
Semi-finals
Final
Leinster Senior Football Championship
First round
Second round
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Munster Senior Football Championship
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Ulster Senior Football Championship
Preliminary round
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
Semi-finals
Final
Championship statistics
Top scorers
Overall Rank Player County Tally Total Matches Average1Paddy DohertyDown1–252855.602John LalorLaois1–222555.003Seán O'NeillDown3–132254.404Charlie GallagherCavan2–131936.335Pat GriffinKerry1–151844.50Mick O'DwyerKerry0–181844.507John KeenanGalway1–141735.66Mickey KearnsSligo0–171728.509Jackie DevineLongford2–101644.0010Brendan LynchKerry1–121543.75
Single game
Rank Player County Tally Total Opposition1Mickey KearnsSligo0–1212Leitrim2John KeenanGalway1–710Mayo3Paddy DohertyDown1–69DonegalPaddy DohertyDown0–99Cavan5Dick StrangTipperary2–28KerryJim KaneRoscommon2–28GalwayBrendan DoyleCarlow2–28WicklowJohn LalorLaois1–58Kildare9Seán DonnellyLongford2–17LaoisFergus McAuleyCavan2–17AntrimÉamon TaveyMonaghan2–17FermanaghCharlie GallagherCavan1–47AntrimPat GriffinKerry1–47LongfordJackie DevineLongford1–47KerryCharlie GallagherCavan1–47DownMick O'DwyerKerry0–77CorkJohn LalorLaois0–77Wexford
Miscellaneous Longford win their first ever Leinster football title. The All-Ireland semi-final between Kerry and Longford is the first ever championship meeting between the two teams.
Roll of Honour Kerry – 20 (1962) Dublin – 17 (1963) Galway – 7 (1966) Wexford – 5 (1918) Cavan – 5 (1952) Kildare – 4 (1928) Tipperary – 4 (1920) Down – 3 (1968) Meath – 3 (1967) Louth – 3 (1957) Mayo – 3 (1951) Cork – 3 (1945) Roscommon – 2 (1944) Limerick – 2 (1896)
References