2003 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
# 2003 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

The 2003 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was the 117th staging of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county Gaelic football tournament. The championship began on 4 May 2003 and ended on 28 September 2003.

Armagh entered the championship as the defending champions.

On 28 September 2003, Tyrone won the championship following a 0-12 to 0-9 defeat of Armagh in the All-Ireland final. This was their first All-Ireland title.

Tyrone's Peter Canavan was the championship's top scorer with 1-48. Armagh forward Steven McDonnell was the choice for the Vodafone Footballer of the Year award.

## Format

The provincial championships in Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connacht were run 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 (except New York) 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 eight winners from Round 2. Another open draw was made to determine the four pairings.
* Round 4 consisted of the four winners from Round 3 playing against the beaten Provincial finalists. A draw was made to determine the 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 were played on a Provincial rota basis, initially determined by the Central Council. If a Provincial Championship winning team was defeated in its Quarter-final, the team that defeated it took its place in the semi-final.

## Provincial championships

### Connacht Senior Football Championship

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| New York | New York | 0-12 | | | | | | |
| Leitrim | Leitrim | 0-14 | Leitrim | Leitrim | 1-07 | | | |
| Roscommon | Roscommon | 0-08 | Galway | Galway | 2-13 | | | |
| Galway | Galway | 0-12 | | | | Galway | Galway | 1-14 |
| | | | | | | Mayo | Mayo | 0-13 |
| | | | Mayo | Mayo | 0-14 | | | |
| London | London | 0-09 | Sligo | Sligo | 0-11 | | | |
| Sligo | Sligo | 3-11 | | | | | | |

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

### Munster Senior Football Championship

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Limerick | Limerick | 0-16 | | | | | | |
| Cork | Cork | 0-06 | Limerick | Limerick | 2-14 | | | |
| | | | Clare | Clare | 0-12 | | | |
| | | | | | | Limerick | Limerick | 0-09 |
| | | | | | | Kerry | Kerry | 1-11 |
| | | | Kerry | Kerry | 0-25 | | | |
| Waterford | Waterford | 1-12 | Tipperary | Tipperary | 1-10 | | | |
| Tipperary | Tipperary | 0-18 | | | | | | |

Quarter-finals

Semi-final

Final

### 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 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | | Cavan | Cavan | 1-10 | | | | | | |
| | | | Antrim | Antrim | 2-09 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Antrim | Antrim | 1-09 | | | |
| | | | | | | Tyrone | Tyrone | 1-17 | | | |
| | | | Derry | Derry | 1-05 | | | | | | |
| | | | Tyrone | Tyrone | 0-17 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Tyrone | Tyrone | 0-23 |
| Armagh | Armagh | 0-09 | | | | | | | Down | Down | 1-05 |
| Monaghan | Monaghan | 0-13 | Monaghan | Monaghan | 0-13 | | | | | | |
| | | | Down | Down | 1-12 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Down | Down | 2-10 | | | |
| | | | | | | Fermanagh | Fermanagh | 0-11 | | | |
| | | | Fermanagh | Fermanagh | 0-10 | | | | | | |
| | | | Donegal | Donegal | 0-06 | | | | | | |

Preliminary round

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Finals

### Leinster Senior Football Championship

| First round | First round | First round | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Louth | Louth | 4-12 | | | | | | | | | |
| Wicklow | Wicklow | 2-07 | Louth | Louth | 0-09 | | | | | | |
| | | | Dublin | Dublin | 1-19 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Dublin | Dublin | 0-14 | | | |
| Laois | Laois | 1-19 | | | | Laois | Laois | 0-16 | | | |
| Wexford | Wexford | 0-09 | Laois | Laois | 2-10 | | | | | | |
| | | | Offaly | Offaly | 0-13 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Laois | Laois | 2-13 |
| Carlow | Carlow | 1-12 | | | | | | | Kildare | Kildare | 1-13 |
| Westmeath | Westmeath | 1-17 | Westmeath | Westmeath | 0-05 | | | | | | |
| | | | Meath | Meath | 1-11 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Meath | Meath | 1-11 | | | |
| | | | | | | Kildare | Kildare | 0-15 | | | |
| | | | Longford | Longford | 2-06 | | | | | | |
| | | | Kildare | Kildare | 1-14 | | | | | | |

First round

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

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 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Donegal | Donegal | 0-14 | | | | | | |
| Galway | Galway | 0-11 | | | | | | |
| Galway | Galway | 0-11 | Donegal | Donegal | 1-09 | | | |
| | | | Armagh | Armagh | 2-10 | | | |
| Armagh | Armagh | 0-15 | Armagh | Armagh | 2-10 | | | |
| Laois | Laois | 0-13 | | | | | | |
| Laois | Laois | 0-13 | | | | Armagh | Armagh | 0-09 |
| | | | | | | Tyrone | Tyrone | 0-12 |
| Kerry | Kerry | 1-21 | | | | | | | Tyrone | Tyrone | 0-12 |
| Roscommon | Roscommon | 3-10 | | | | | | |
| Roscommon | Roscommon | 3-10 | Kerry | Kerry | 0-06 | | | |
| | | | Tyrone | Tyrone | 0-13 | | | |
| Tyrone | Tyrone | 1-21 | Tyrone | Tyrone | 0-13 | | | |
| Fermanagh | Fermanagh | 0-05 | | | | | | |

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

## Championship statistics

### Top scorers

**Overall**

| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Matches | Average |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Peter Canavan | Tyrone | 1-48 | 51 | 8 | 6.37 |
| 2 | Frankie Dolan | Roscommon | 1-38 | 41 | 6 | 6.83 |
| 2 | Adrian Sweeney | Donegal | 0-41 | 41 | 8 | 5.12 |
| 4 | Steven McDonnell | Armagh | 5-25 | 40 | 8 | 5.00 |
| 4 | Declan Browne | Tipperary | 2-34 | 40 | 4 | 10.00 |
| 6 | Oisín McConville | Armagh | 2-33 | 39 | 8 | 4.87 |
| 7 | Muiris Gavin | Limerick | 0-27 | 27 | 4 | 6.75 |
| 8 | Brian McDonald | Laois | 2-19 | 25 | 6 | 4.16 |
| 8 | Paul Finlay | Monaghan | 0-25 | 25 | 4 | 6.25 |
| 8 | Colm Quinn | Offaly | 0-25 | 25 | 5 | 5.00 |

**Single game**

| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Opposition |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Steven McDonnell | Armagh | 3-4 | 13 | Limerick |
| 1 | Frankie Dolan | Roscommon | 0-13 | 13 | Kildare |
| 3 | Declan Browne | Tipperary | 1-9 | 12 | Carlow |
| 3 | Frankie Dolan | Roscommon | 0-12 | 12 | Kildare |
| 5 | Declan Browne | Tipperary | 0-11 | 11 | Waterford |
| 5 | Peter Canavan | Tyrone | 0-11 | 11 | Down |
| 7 | Dessie Dolan | Westmeath | 1-7 | 10 | Meath |
| 7 | Oisín McConville | Armagh | 1-7 | 10 | Waterford |
| 9 | Ciaran McManus | Offaly | 3-0 | 9 | London |
| 9 | Mark Stanfield | Louth | 2-3 | 9 | Wicklow |
| 9 | J. P. Rooney | Louth | 2-3 | 9 | Wicklow |
| 9 | Dara Ó Cinnéide | Kerry | 1-6 | 9 | Limerick |
| 9 | Paddy Bradley | Derry | 1-6 | 9 | Tyrone |
| 9 | Peter Canavan | Tyrone | 1-6 | 9 | Down |
| 9 | Muiris Gavin | Limerick | 0-9 | 9 | Cork |
| 9 | Kevin Madden | Antrim | 0-9 | 9 | Armagh |
| 9 | Declan Browne | Tipperary | 0-9 | 9 | Donegal |
| 9 | Muiris Gavin | Limerick | 0-9 | 9 | Armagh |

### Miscellaneous

* Limerick beat Cork for the first time since 1965.
* The first Munster championship meeting between Limerick and Clare since 1988.
* Laois won their first Leinster title in 57 years for the first time since 1981 neither Dublin or Meath reached the Leinster final.
* Tyrone won their first All Ireland title marketing a historic 6th breakthrough of Ulster counties hitting the "Roll of Honor" after Cavan 1933, 1935, 1947, 1948, 1952 , Down 1960, 1961, 1968, 1991, 1994 Donegal in 1992, Derry in 1993 & Armagh in 2002
* The old system would have seen a Galway vs Laois All Ireland semi-final.
