2005 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
# 2005 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2005, known for sponsorship reasons as the 2005 Bank of Ireland All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was the premier Gaelic football competition in 2005. It consisted of 33 teams and began on Saturday 7 May 2005. Few surprises came during the championship with the dominance of the Ulster teams evident once again. Gaelic football's "Big Three" of this era - Armagh, Kerry, Tyrone - all progressed to the semi-finals.

The Championship concluded on Sunday 25 September 2005 when Tyrone defeated Kerry, who were playing in their second consecutive All-Ireland Final, by a scoreline of 1-16 to 2-10. Tyrone had to play ten games (including three replays) in order to win the Championship - more than any other team before or since.

## Format

Since the introduction of the so-called "back-door" system a few years ago, a number of changes have taken place in the championship format. In 2005 the following system was used.

The provincial championships in Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connacht ran as usual on a "knock-out" basis. These provincial games were then followed by the "Qualifier" system:

* Round 1 of the qualifiers included all the counties that did not qualify for the Provincial Semi-finals. An open draw was made to give eight pairings.
* Round 2 consisted of the eight defeated teams in the Provincial Semi-finals playing against the eight winners from Round 1. A draw was made to determine the eight pairings.
* Round 3 Consisted of the 8 winners from Round 2 playing each other in an open draw format.
* Round 4 consisted of each of the four teams defeated in the Provincial Finals shall playing against the four winners from Round 3. A draw was made to determine the four pairings.

The All-Ireland Quarter-finals: Each of the four Provincial Champions played one of the four winners from Round 4. The All-Ireland Semi-finals shall be on a Provincial rots basis, initially determined by the Central Council. If a Provincial Championship winning team is defeated in its Quarter-final, the team that defeats it shall take its place in the semi-final.

## Provincial championships

### Munster Senior Football Championship

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Clare | Clare | 2-14 | | | | | | |
| Waterford | Waterford | 2-10 | Clare | Clare | 0-06 | | | |
| | | | Cork | Cork | 0-18 | | | |
| | | | | | | Cork | Cork | 0-11 |
| | | | | | | Kerry | Kerry | 1-11 |
| | | | Limerick | Limerick | 0-10 | | | |
| Tipperary | Tipperary | 0-13 | Kerry | Kerry | 2-10 | | | |
| Kerry | Kerry | 2-22 | | | | | | |

### Leinster Senior Football Championship

| 1st round | 1st round | 1st round | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Offaly | Offaly | 1-15 | | | | | | | | | |
| Louth | Louth | 1-06 | Offaly | Offaly | 1-08 | | | | | | |
| | | | Laois | Laois | 1-10 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Laois | Laois | 0-21 | | | |
| Wicklow | Wicklow | 2-12 | | | | Kildare | Kildare | 0-09 | | | |
| Kildare | Kildare | 1-17 | Kildare | Kildare | 0-14 | | | | | | |
| | | | Westmeath | Westmeath | 0-11 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Laois | Laois | 0-13 |
| Dublin | Dublin | 2-23 | | | | | | | Dublin | Dublin | 0-14 |
| Longford | Longford | 0-10 | Dublin | Dublin | 1-12 | | | | | | |
| | | | Meath | Meath | 1-10 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Dublin | Dublin | 1-17 | | | |
| | | | | | | Wexford | Wexford | 2-10 | | | |
| | | | Wexford | Wexford | 3-12 | | | | | | |
| | | | Carlow | Carlow | 2-10 | | | | | | |

### Ulster Senior Football Championship

| Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | | Monaghan | Monaghan | 2-08 | | | | | | |
| | | | Derry | Derry | 1-17 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Derry | Derry | 0-10 | | | |
| | | | | | | Armagh | Armagh | 1-11 | | | |
| | | | Donegal | Donegal | 1-10 | | | | | | |
| Fermanagh | Fermanagh | 1-07 | Armagh | Armagh | 3-11 | | | | | | |
| Armagh | Armagh | 2-12 | | | | | | | Armagh | Armagh | 0-13 |
| | | | | | | | | | Tyrone | Tyrone | 0-11 |
| | | | Down | Down | 1-06 | | | | | | |
| | | | Tyrone | Tyrone | 1-13 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Tyrone | Tyrone | 3-19 | | | |
| | | | | | | Cavan | Cavan | 0-07 | | | |
| | | | Antrim | Antrim | 2-06 | | | | | | |
| | | | Cavan | Cavan | 1-15 | | | | | | |

### Connacht Senior Football Championship

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Sligo | Sligo | 0-09 | | | | | | |
| Leitrim | Leitrim | 1-11 | Leitrim | Leitrim | 1-08 | | | |
| New York | New York | 0-06 | Galway | Galway | 1-11 | | | |
| Galway | Galway | 3-14 | | | | Galway | Galway | 0-10 |
| | | | | | | Mayo | Mayo | 0-08 |
| | | | Mayo | Mayo | 1-16 | | | |
| London | London | 1-08 | Roscommon | Roscommon | 0-11 | | | |
| Roscommon | Roscommon | 0-12 | | | | | | |

## All-Ireland qualifiers

The losers of the Preliminary round matches and quarter final matches of each provincial championship started the qualifier.

### Round 2

The winners of round 1 were joined by the semi-final losers of each provincial championship. The matches would be between a round 2 winner and a provincial championship semi final loser.

### Round 3

The winners of round 2 contest as the matches from here were lowered to four. Matches were open.

### Round 4

The winners of round 3 were joined by the losers of each provincial championship final. The matches would be between a round 3 winner and the loser of a provincial championship final.

## All-Ireland

The provincial champions and the winners of round 4 contested the quarter-finals. The quarter final matches would be between a provincial champion and a round 4 winner.

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Kerry | Kerry | 2-15 | | | | | | |
| Mayo | Mayo | 0-18 | | | | | | |
| Mayo | Mayo | 0-18 | Kerry | Kerry | 1-19 | | | |
| | | | Cork | Cork | 0-9 | | | |
| Cork | Cork | 2-14 | Cork | Cork | 0-9 | | | |
| Galway | Galway | 2-11 | | | | | | |
| Galway | Galway | 2-11 | | | | Tyrone | Tyrone | 1-16 |
| | | | | | | Kerry | Kerry | 2-10 |
| Armagh | Armagh | 2-17 | | | | | | | Kerry | Kerry | 2-10 |
| Laois | Laois | 1-11 | | | | | | |
| Laois | Laois | 1-11 | Armagh | Armagh | 1-12 | | | |
| | | | Tyrone | Tyrone | 1-13 | | | |
| Tyrone | Tyrone | 2-18 | Tyrone | Tyrone | 1-13 | | | |
| Dublin | Dublin | 1-14 | | | | | | |

## Championship statistics

### Miscellaneous

* For the first time since 1992 Kildare vs Westmeath in the Leinster championship.
* Dublin played Laois in the Leinster final for the first time 1985.
* In the old system there would have been Kerry vs Galway and Dublin vs Armagh All Ireland semi-finals.

### Top scorers

**Season**

| Player | County | Scores | Total |
| - | - | - | - |
| Stephen O'Neill | Tyrone | 5-49 | 64 |
| Paddy Bradley | Derry | 2-29 | 35 |
| Colm Cooper | Kerry | 4-22 | 34 |
| Steven McDonnell | Armagh | 4-21 | 33 |
| Tomás Quinn | Dublin | 1-29 | 32 |
| Ross Munnelly | Laois | 1-24 | 27 |
| Hugh McElroy | Monaghan | 3-17 | 26 |
| Owen Mulligan | Tyrone | 2-20 | 26 |

**Single game**

| Player | Tally | Opposition |
| - | - | - |
| Paddy Bradley (Derry) | 1-10 | Monaghan |
| Stephen O'Neill (Tyrone) | 2-06 | Monaghan |
| Hugh McElroy (Monaghan) | 1-09 | London |
| Niall Curran (Waterford) | 1-08 | Clare |
| Colm Cooper (Kerry) | 2-05 | Limerick |
