# 1981 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

The 1981 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 95th staging of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county hurling tournament. The draw for the 1981 fixtures took place in September 1980. The championship began on 24 May 1981 and ended on 6 September 1981.
Galway were the defending champions but were defeated by Offaly in the final. Westmeath re-entered the Leinster Championship after a three-year absence.
On 6 September 1981, Offaly won the championship following a 2–12 to 0–15 defeat of Galway in the All-Ireland final. This was their first All-Ireland title ever.
Limerick's Joe McKenna was the championship's top scorer with 7–12. Offaly's Pat Delaney was the choice for Texaco Hurler of the Year.

## Team changes
### To Championship

Promoted from the All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship
* Antrim
* Westmeath

### From Championship

Relegated to the All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship
* Kildare

## Teams
### General information

Thirteen counties will compete in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: one team from the Connacht Senior Hurling Championship, six teams in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, five teams in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship and one team from the All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship.
| County | Last provincial title | Last championship title | Current championship |
| Antrim | 1946 | — | All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship |
| Clare | 1932 | 1914 | Munster Senior Hurling Championship |
| Cork | 1979 | 1978 | Munster Senior Hurling Championship |
| Dublin | 1961 | 1938 | Leinster Senior Hurling Championship |
| Galway | 1922 | 1980 | Leinster Senior Hurling Championship |
| Kilkenny | 1979 | 1979 | Leinster Senior Hurling Championship |
| Laois | 1949 | 1915 | Leinster Senior Hurling Championship |
| Limerick | 1980 | 1973 | Munster Senior Hurling Championship |
| Offaly | 1980 | — | Leinster Senior Hurling Championship |
| Tipperary | 1971 | 1971 | Munster Senior Hurling Championship |
| Waterford | 1963 | 1959 | Munster Senior Hurling Championship |
| Westmeath | — | — | Leinster Senior Hurling Championship |
| Wexford | 1977 | 1968 | Leinster Senior Hurling Championship |

## Provincial championships
### Leinster Senior Hurling Championship

Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final

### Munster Senior Hurling Championship

Quarter-final
Semi-finals
Final

## All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| Galway | Galway | 6-23 | | | | | | |
| Antrim | Antrim | 3-11 | Limerick | Limerick | 0-11, 2-17 | | | |
| | | | Galway | Galway | 1-08, 4-16 | | | |
| | | | | | | Galway | Galway | 0-15 |
| | | | | | | Offaly | Offaly | 2-12 |

### All-Ireland Final
## Scoring statistics
### Top scorers overall

| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Matches | Average |
| 1 | Joe McKenna | Limerick | 7–12 | 33 | 5 | 6.60 |
| 2 | Joe Connolly | Galway | 3–21 | 30 | 4 | 7.50 |
| 3 | Éamonn Cregan | Limerick | 2–18 | 24 | 5 | 4.80 |
| 4 | Pádraig Horan | Offaly | 4-07 | 19 | 3 | 6.33 |
| 5 | Noel Lane | Galway | 1-12 | 15 | 4 | 3.75 |
| 6 | John Grogan | Tipperary | 2–08 | 14 | 2 | 7.00 |
| 7 | Bernie Forde | Galway | 2–06 | 12 | 4 | 3.00 |
| 7 | Tony Doran | Wexford | 2–06 | 12 | 3 | 4.00 |
| 9 | George O'Connor | Wexford | 1-08 | 11 | 3 | 3.66 |
| 9 | Declan Coote | Clare | 1-08 | 11 | 3 | 3.66 |

### Top scorers in a single game

| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Opposition |
| 1 | Joe Connolly | Galway | 2–07 | 13 | Limerick |
| 2 | Joe McKenna | Limerick | 3–03 | 12 | Clare |
| 2 | John Grogan | Tipperary | 2–06 | 12 | Limerick |
| 4 | Bernie Forde | Galway | 2–05 | 11 | Antrim |
| 5 | Joe McKenna | Limerick | 3–01 | 10 | Tipperary |
| 6 | Billy Bohane | Laois | 2–03 | 9 | Offaly |
| 6 | Pádraig Horan | Offaly | 2–03 | 9 | Wexford |
| 6 | Séamus Bourke | Tipperary | 2–03 | 9 | Limerick |
| 6 | Noel Lane | Galway | 1–06 | 9 | Antrim |
| 6 | Martin Brophy | Laois | 0–09 | 9 | Westmeath |

## Broadcasting

The following matches were broadcast live on television in Ireland on RTÉ.
| Round | RTÉ |
| All-Ireland semi-final | Limerick vs Galway |
| All-Ireland final | Offaly vs Galway |

## Sources

* Corry, Eoghan, The GAA Book of Lists (Hodder Headline Ireland, 2005).
* Donegan, Des, The Complete Handbook of Gaelic Games (DBA Publications Limited, 2005).