1972 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
# 1972 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

The 1972 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was the 86th staging of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county Gaelic football tournament. The championship began on 7 May 1972 and ended on 15 October 1972.

Offaly entered the championship as the defending champions.

On 15 October 1972, Offaly won the championship following a 1-19 to 0-13 defeat of Kerry in the All-Ireland final replay. This was their second All-Ireland title.

Offaly's Tony McTague was the championship's top scorer with 0-36. Offaly's Willie Bryan 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

Finals

## Championship statistics

### Miscellaneous

* Omagh's pitch is named as Healy Park after Michael Healy.
* On 14 May 1972, FitzGerald Park, Killmallock hosted its first game for 20 years the Munster Quarter-Final meeting of Limerick vs Waterford.
* Tyrone qualify for the Ulster final for the first time since 1957.
* Donegal become the 8th team to win the Ulster title when they claim their first provincial championship with a 2-13 to 1-11 defeat of Tyrone.
* The All-Ireland semi-final meeting between Donegal and Offaly is the very first championship clash between the two teams. It is also Donegal's first championship match to be played at Croke Park, Dublin.
* The All-Ireland final ends in a draw and goes to a replay for the first time since 1952.
* Offaly win back-to-back All-Ireland titles for the first and only time in their history. Their 1-19 to 0-13 All-Ireland final replay victory remains Kerry's biggest ever defeat in a championship decider.

### Scoring

**Overall**

| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Matches | Average |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Tony McTague | Offaly | 0-36 | 36 | 5 | 7.20 |
| 2 | Joe Winston | Donegal | 0-29 | 29 | 5 | 5.80 |
| 3 | Mick O'Dwyer | Kerry | 0-28 | 28 | 5 | 6.60 |
| 4 | Mickey Freyne | Roscommon | 2-17 | 23 | 5 | 4.60 |
| 5 | Brendan Lynch | Kerry | 1-16 | 19 | 5 | 3.80 |
| 6 | Dermot Earley | Roscommon | 2-12 | 18 | 5 | 3.60 |
| 7 | Mick O'Connell | Kerry | 0-17 | 17 | 5 | 3.40 |
| 8 | Seán Cooney | Offaly | 2-9 | 15 | 5 | 3.00 |
| 9 | John Tobin | Galway | 1-11 | 14 | 2 | 7.00 |
| 9 | Liam Higgins | Kerry | 1-11 | 14 | 5 | 2.80 |

**Single game**

| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Opposition |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | John Tobin | Galway | 1-9 | 12 | Roscommon |
| 2 | Mickey Whelan | Dublin | 2-4 | 10 | Westmeath |
| 2 | Brendan Lynch | Kerry | 1-7 | 10 | Offaly |
| 2 | Tony McTague | Offaly | 0-10 | 10 | Kerry |
| 2 | Mick O'Dwyer | Kerry | 0-10 | 10 | Cork |
| 2 | Joe Winston | Donegal | 0-10 | 10 | Cavan |
| 7 | Johnny Byrne | Louth | 3-0 | 9 | Longford |
| 7 | Ray Cummins | Cork | 0-9 | 9 | Kerry |
| 7 | Joe Winston | Donegal | 0-9 | 9 | Cavan |
| 10 | Johnny Kelly | Roscommon | 2-2 | 8 | Mayo |
| 10 | Tom King | Carlow | 0-8 | 8 | Wexford |
| 10 | Mick Fay | Meath | 0-8 | 8 | Longford |
| 10 | Tony McTague | Offaly | 0-8 | 8 | Meath |
| 10 | Mick O'Dwyer | Kerry | 0-8 | 8 | Roscommon |
