The 2023 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) was the 137th edition of the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county Gaelic football tournament since its establishment in 1887. Thirty one of the thirty two Irish counties took part – Kilkenny did not compete, while London and New York completed the lineup.
The championship worked as a two-tier system for the second time, with the Tailteann Cup being the second tier competition for those that do not qualify for the Sam Maguire Cup competition.
The draws for the provincial championships took place on 15 October 2022. The final was played on 30 July 2023 at Croke Park in Dublin, between defending champion Kerry and Leinster champion Dublin. Dublin won a 31st title, with a 1–15 to 1–13 win against Kerry in that game.
Format
Provincial Championships Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster each organise a provincial championship. All provincial matches are knock-out.
Group stage format Sixteen teams progress to the All-Ireland Championship round-robin: The 4 provincial champions The 4 beaten provincial finalists The 2022 Tailteann Cup winners () The 7 next-ranked teams, based on final position in the 2023 National Football League Position is based on standing after promotion and relegation are applied and after finals are played; therefore, the top two teams in Division 2 outrank the bottom two teams in Division 1, and if the 2nd placed team in Division 2 wins the final, they are ranked above the 1st place finishers who lost the final. If Westmeath reach the Leinster final, then an 8th team will be chosen based on league position.
The other 17 county teams compete in the 2023 Tailteann Cup.
In the All-Ireland Championship round-robin, 16 teams are drawn into four groups of four teams. Each team plays the other teams in its group once, earning 2 points for a win and 1 for a draw. Each team plays one home, one away and one neutral fixture.
The top three in each group advance to the knockout stages; first-place teams to the All-Ireland quarter-finals, and second- and third-placed teams to the preliminary quarter-finals.
All-Ireland format The four second-placed teams play against the third-placed teams in the preliminary quarter-finals. The winners of the preliminary quarter-finals advance to play the group winners in the All-Ireland quarter-finals. Two semi-finals and a final follow. All matches are knock-out.
Teams by province The participating teams, listed by province, with numbers in parentheses indicating final positions in the 2023 National Football League before the championship were:
Britain (1)
London (32)
Connacht (5)
Galway (2) Leitrim (29) Mayo (1) Roscommon (3) Sligo (23)
Leinster (11)
Carlow (30) Dublin (7) Kildare (13) Laois (27) Longford (25) Louth (11) Meath (14) Offaly (21) Westmeath (20) Wexford (28) Wicklow (24)
Munster (6)
Clare (17) Cork (12) Kerry (5) (title-holders) Limerick (18) Tipperary (26) Waterford (31)
Ulster (9)
Antrim (22) Armagh (9) Cavan (15) Derry (8) Down (19) Donegal (10) Fermanagh (16) Monaghan (6) Tyrone (4)
Other (1)
New York (DNE)
Teams
Thirty three counties competed in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship: seven teams in the Connacht Senior Football Championship, eleven teams in the Leinster Senior Football Championship, six teams in the Munster Senior Football Championship and nine teams in the Ulster Senior Football Championship. CountyLast Provincial TitleLast Championship TitlePosition in 2022 ChampionshipCurrent Championship Antrim1951 —Round 1 (Tailteann Cup)Ulster Senior Football Championship Armagh20082002Quarter-finalsUlster Senior Football Championship Carlow1944 —Quarter-finals (Tailteann Cup)Leinster Senior Football Championship Cavan20201952Runners-up (Tailteann Cup)Ulster Senior Football Championship Clare1992 —Quarter-finalsMunster Senior Football Championship Cork20122010Quarter-finalsMunster Senior Football Championship Derry20221993Semi-finalsUlster Senior Football Championship Donegal20192012Qualifiers Round 2Ulster Senior Football Championship Down19941994Round 1 (Tailteann Cup)Ulster Senior Football Championship Dublin20222020Semi-finalsLeinster Senior Football Championship Fermanagh — —Quarter-finals (Tailteann Cup)Ulster Senior Football Championship Galway20222001Runners-upConnacht Senior Football Championship Kerry20222022ChampionsMunster Senior Football Championship Kildare20001928Qualifiers Round 2Leinster Senior Football Championship Laois2003 —Round 1 (Tailteann Cup)Leinster Senior Football Championship Leitrim1994 —Quarter-finals (Tailteann Cup)Connacht Senior Football Championship Limerick18961896Qualifiers Round 2Munster Senior Football Championship London — —Round 1 (Tailteann Cup)Connacht Senior Football Championship Longford1968 —Round 1 (Tailteann Cup)Leinster Senior Football Championship Louth19571957Qualifiers Round 1Leinster Senior Football Championship Mayo20211951Quarter-finalsConnacht Senior Football Championship Meath20101999Qualifiers Round 1Leinster Senior Football Championship Monaghan2015 —Qualifiers Round 1Ulster Senior Football Championship New York — —Quarter-finals (Tailteann Cup)Connacht Senior Football Championship Offaly19971982Semi-finals (Tailteann Cup)Leinster Senior Football Championship Roscommon20191944Qualifiers Round 2Connacht Senior Football Championship Sligo2007 —Semi-finals (Tailteann Cup)Connacht Senior Football Championship Tipperary20201920Round 1 (Tailteann Cup)Munster Senior Football Championship Tyrone20212021Qualifiers Round 1Ulster Senior Football Championship Waterford1898 —Preliminary round (Tailteann Cup)Munster Senior Football Championship Westmeath2004 —Champions (Tailteann Cup)Leinster Senior Football Championship Wexford19451918Preliminary round (Tailteann Cup)Leinster Senior Football Championship Wicklow — —Round 1 (Tailteann Cup)Leinster Senior Football Championship
Provincial championships Connacht Senior Football Championship
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Leinster Senior Football Championship
Preliminary 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
Team allocation and draw
Team allocation All-Ireland Senior Football ChampionshipGroup Stage Kerry (1st) Dublin (1st) Galway (1st) Derry (1st) Clare (2nd) Louth (2nd) Sligo (2nd) Armagh (2nd) Mayo (NFL) Roscommon (NFL) Tyrone (NFL) Monaghan (NFL) Cork (NFL) Kildare (NFL) Donegal (NFL) Westmeath (TC)Tailteann CupPreliminary quarter-finals New YorkGroup Stage Meath Cavan Fermanagh Limerick Down Offaly Antrim Wicklow Longford Tipperary Laois Wexford Leitrim Carlow Waterford London
Format 16 teams were divided into 4 groups of 4 teams and played a round robin to qualify for the knockout stages of the All-Ireland. Group games took place between 20 May and 18 June 2023.
+ Key to colours Qualified for round-robin phaseby reaching provincial final by winning 2022 Tailteann Cup based on NFL position Compete in 2023 Tailteann Cup Ranking Team 1 NFL champions 2 NFL finalists 3 Div 1 – 3rd 4 Div 1 – 4th 5 Div 1 – 5th 6 Div 1 – 6th 7 Div 2 champions 8 Div 2 finalists 9 Div 1 – 7th 10 Div 1 – 8th 11 Div 2 – 3rd 12 Div 2 – 4th 13 Div 2 – 5th 14 Div 2 – 6th 15 Div 3 champions 16 Div 3 finalists 17 Div 2 – 7th 18 Div 2 – 8th 19 Div 3 – 3rd 20 Div 3 – 4th 21 Div 3 – 5th 22 Div 3 – 6th 23 Div 4 champions 24 Div 4 finalists 25 Div 3 – 7th 26 Div 3 – 8th 27 Div 4 – 3rd 28 Div 4 – 4th 29 Div 4 – 5th 30 Div 4 – 6th 31 Div 4 – 7th 32 Div 4 – 8th33 Did not enter
Qualified teams Teams qualified to the All-Ireland group stage. TeamQualified asQualified onPrevious appearances in group stage ArmaghUlster runners-up1 (2022) ClareMunster runners-up1 (2022) CorkLeague position1 (2022) DerryUlster champions1 (2022) DonegalLeague position1 (2022) DublinLeinster champions1 (2022) GalwayConnacht champions1 (2022) KerryMunster champions1 (2022) KildareLeague position1 (2022) LouthLeinster runners-up1 (2022) MayoLeague position1 (2022) MonaghanLeague position1 (2022) RoscommonLeague position1 (2022) SligoConnacht runners-up0 (debut) TyroneLeague position1 (2022) WestmeathTailteann Cup winners0 (debut)
Group Stage seeding Numbers in brackets indicate ranking in the 2023 NFL.
Pot 1 Galway Kerry Dublin Derry
Pot 2 Armagh Louth Clare Sligo
Pot 3 Mayo Roscommon Tyrone Monaghan
Pot 4 Donegal Cork Kildare Westmeath
Group stage
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Knockout stage Bracket
Preliminary quarter-finals
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
Incidents
Armagh v Monaghan quarter-final During the All-Ireland quarter-final clash between Armagh and Monaghan, Gardaí arrested seven people and 15 fans were ejected from Croke Park after a fight broke out on Hill 16 before the penalty shoot-out. Video footage later emerged on social media showing blows being exchanged between Armagh and Monaghan fans and some of those involved being knocked to the ground. The footage was condemned by the GAA, saying it represented "unacceptable behaviour from a small number of supporters", warning fans that Hill 16 could be converted to seats if fighting in the terraced stand continued.
Earlier in the match, the Hawk-Eye score detection system malfunctioned again after it returned a 'data unavailable' message. The GAA requested an explanation from Hawk-Eye who concluded that the message was a result of operator error. The next day the GAA took the decision to stand down Hawk-Eye once again.
Stadia and locations CountyLocationProvinceStadiumCapacity AntrimBelfastUlsterCorrigan Park3,700 ArmaghArmaghUlsterAthletic Grounds18,500 CarlowCarlowLeinsterDr Cullen Park21,000 CavanCavanUlsterBreffni Park25,030 ClareEnnisMunsterCusack Park19,000 CorkCorkMunsterPáirc Uí Chaoimh45,000 DerryDerryUlsterCeltic Park18,500 DonegalBallybofeyUlsterMacCumhaill Park18,000 DownNewryUlsterPáirc Esler20,000 DublinDublinLeinsterCroke Park82,300 FermanaghEnniskillenUlsterBrewster Park20,000 GalwayGalwayConnachtPearse Stadium26,197 KerryKillarneyMunsterFitzgerald Stadium38,000 Kildare KilkennyLeinster Nowlan Park27,000 TullamoreO'Connor Park18,000 LaoisPortlaoiseLeinsterO'Moore Park22,000 LeitrimCarrick-on-ShannonConnachtPáirc Seán Mac Diarmada9,331 LimerickLimerickMunsterGaelic Grounds44,023 LondonSouth RuislipBritainMcGovern Park3,000 LongfordLongfordLeinsterPearse Park10,000 LouthDroghedaLeinsterDrogheda Park3,500 MayoCastlebarConnachtMacHale Park25,369 MeathNavanLeinsterPáirc Tailteann11,000 MonaghanClonesUlsterSt Tiernach's Park29,000 New YorkBronxNorth AmericaGaelic Park2,000 OffalyTullamoreLeinsterO'Connor Park18,000 RoscommonRoscommonConnachtDr Hyde Park18,890 SligoSligoConnachtMarkievicz Park18,558 TipperaryThurlesMunsterSemple Stadium45,690 TyroneOmaghUlsterHealy Park17,636 WaterfordWaterfordMunsterFraher Field15,000 WestmeathMullingarLeinsterCusack Park11,000 WexfordWexfordLeinsterChadwicks Wexford Park18,000 WicklowAughrimLeinsterAughrim County Ground7,000
Statistics
Top scorers
Top scorer overall
RankPlayerCountyTallyTotalMatchesAverage 1 Shane McGuigan Derry 2–52 58 7 7.42 2 David Clifford Kerry 5–39 54 8 6.75
Scoring events Does not include extra time. Widest winning margin: 28 points Kerry 5–24 – 0–11 Louth (All Ireland SFC group stage) Most goals in a match: 6 Dublin 4–30 – 2-09 Laois (Leinster SFC) Most points in a match: 41 Monaghan 1–23 — 1–18 Clare (All Ireland SFC group stage) Most goals by one team in a match: 5 Kerry 5–14 – 0–15 Clare (Munster SFC) Dublin 5–21 – 0–15 Louth (Leinster SFC) Kerry 5–24 – 0–11 Louth (All Ireland SFC group stage) Most points by one team in a match: 30 Dublin 4–30 – 2-09 Laois (Leinster SFC) Highest aggregate score: 57 points Dublin 4–30 – 2-09 Laois (Leinster SFC) Lowest aggregate score: 23 points