# 1997 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

The 1997 Bank of Ireland All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was the 111th staging of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county Gaelic football tournament. The championship began on 11 May 1997 and ended on 28 September 1997.
Meath entered the championship as the defending champions; however, they were defeated by Offaly in the Leinster final.
On 28 September 1997 Kerry, the most successful county in Gaelic football history, claimed their 31st All-Ireland title - and their first since 1986 - with a 0–13 to 1–7 victory over Mayo.
This year also saw Ulster's most successful county, Cavan, win their first provincial title since 1969.

## Munster Championship format change

A new 2 year system was introduced in Munster meaning that Kerry, Cork & Clare would have straight access to the Munster semi-finals for Limerick, Tipperary & Waterford would play in a Preliminary Round and the bye team in a lone Quarter final involved.

## Fixtures and results
### Munster Senior Football Championship

Preliminary round
Quarter-final
Semi-finals
Final
| Preliminary Round | Preliminary Round | Preliminary Round | Quarter-final | Quarter-final | Quarter-final | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| Limerick | Limerick | 1-13 2-08 | | | | | | | | | |
| Tipperary | Tipperary | 0-16 1-17 | Tipperary | Tipperary | 2-7 | | | | | | |
| | | | Waterford | Waterford | 1-5 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Kerry | Kerry | 2-12 | | | |
| | | | | | | Tipperary | Tipperary | 1-10 | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Kerry | Kerry | 1-13 |
| | | | | | | | | | Clare | Clare | 0-11 |
| | | | | | | Clare | Clare | 2-13 | | | |
| | | | | | | Cork | Cork | 1-14 | | | |

### Leinster Senior Football Championship

First round
Second round
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
| 2nd Round | 2nd Round | 2nd Round | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| Offaly | Offaly | 0-08 1-14 | | | | | | | | | |
| Westmeath | Westmeath | 0-08 0-07 | Offaly | Offaly | 1-17 | | | | | | |
| | | | Wicklow | Wicklow | 1-08 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Offaly | Offaly | 1-10 | | | |
| | | | | | | Louth | Louth | 0-11 | | | |
| | | | Louth | Louth | 1-13 | | | | | | |
| | | | Carlow | Carlow | 1-10 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Offaly | Offaly | 3-17 |
| | | | | | | | | | Meath | Meath | 1-15 |
| | | | Laois | Laois | 1-07 | | | | | | |
| | | | Kildare | Kildare | 1-11 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Meath | Meath | 0-12 2-20 1-12 | | | |
| | | | | | | Kildare | Kildare | 1-09 3-17 1-10 | | | |
| | | | Meath | Meath | 1-13 | | | | | | |
| | | | Dublin | Dublin | 1-10 | | | | | | |

### Connacht Senior Football Championship

Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| Mayo | Mayo | 1-16 | | | | | | |
| Galway | Galway | 0-15 | Mayo | Mayo | 0-18 | | | |
| Leitrim | Leitrim | 2-18 | Leitrim | Leitrim | 0-11 | | | |
| London | London | 1-13 | | | | Mayo | Mayo | 0-11 |
| | | | | | | Sligo | Sligo | 1-07 |
| | | | Roscommon | Roscommon | 1-11 | | | |
| | | | Sligo | Sligo | 1-14 | | | |

### Ulster Senior Football Championship

Preliminary round
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
| Preliminary Round | Preliminary Round | Preliminary Round | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| | | | Cavan | Cavan | 1-12 0-14 | | | | | | |
| | | | Fermanagh | Fermanagh | 1-12 0-11 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Cavan | Cavan | 2-16 | | | |
| | | | | | | Donegal | Donegal | 2-10 | | | |
| | | | Donegal | Donegal | 2-12 | | | | | | |
| | | | Antrim | Antrim | 1-13 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Cavan | Cavan | 1-14 |
| | | | | | | | | | Derry | Derry | 0-16 |
| | | | Monaghan | Monaghan | 2-08 0-10 | | | | | | |
| | | | Derry | Derry | 1-11 2-15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Tyrone | Tyrone | 2-03 | | | |
| | | | | | | Derry | Derry | 2-15 | | | |
| | | | Tyrone | Tyrone | 1-12 | | | | | | |
| Down | Down | 2-09 0-11 | Armagh | Armagh | 0-12 | | | | | | |
| Tyrone | Tyrone | 0-15 3-08 | | | | | | | | | |

### All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

Semi-finals
Final

## Championship statistics
### Top scorers
#### Overall

| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Matches | Average |
| 1 | Maurice Fitzgerald | Kerry | 0-28 | 28 | 4 | 7.00 |
| 2 | Maurice Sheridan | Mayo | 0-27 | 27 | 5 | 5.20 |
| 2 | David Reynolds | Offaly | 0-27 | 27 | 5 | 5.20 |
| 4 | Declan Darcy | Leitrim | 2-19 | 25 | 2 | 12.50 |
| 5 | Trevor Giles | Meath | 2-18 | 24 | 5 | 4.80 |
| 6 | Joe Brolly | Derry | 3-14 | 23 | 4 | 5.75 |
| 7 | Vinny Claffey | Offaly | 2-15 | 21 | 7 | 3.00 |
| 7 | Ronan Carolan | Cavan | 1-18 | 21 | 5 | 4.25 |
| 9 | Peter Brady | Offaly | 2-14 | 20 | 7 | 2.83 |
| 9 | Pádraig Graven | Kildare | 0-20 | 20 | 4 | 5.00 |

#### Single game

| Rank | Player | County | Tally | Total | Opposition |
| 1 | Declan Darcy | Leitrim | 2-11 | 17 | London |
| 2 | Trevor Giles | Meath | 2-8 | 14 | Kildare |
| 3 | Raymond Gallagher | Fermanagh | 1-7 | 10 | Cavan |
| 3 | Ronan Carolan | Cavan | 1-7 | 10 | Fermanagh |
| 5 | Niall Finnegan | Galway | 0-9 | 9 | Mayo |
| 5 | Maurice Fitzgerald | Kerry | 0-9 | 9 | Mayo |
| 7 | Vinny Claffey | Offaly | 1-5 | 8 | Meath |
| 7 | Brendan Cummins | Tipperary | 0-8 | 8 | Limerick |
| 7 | Ger Keane | Clare | 0-8 | 8 | Cork |
| 7 | Jim Byrne | Wexford | 0-8 | 8 | Westmeath |
| 7 | Pádraig Graven | Kildare | 0-8 | 8 | Laois |
| 7 | Maurice Sheridan | Mayo | 0-8 | 8 | Galway |
| 7 | Paul Taylor | Sligo | 0-8 | 8 | Roscommon |
| 7 | Declan Darcy | Leitrim | 0-8 | 8 | Mayo |
| 7 | Oisín McConville | Armagh | 0-8 | 8 | Tyrone |

### Miscellaneous

* On 11 May 1997, O'Kennedy Park, New Ross hosted its 1st game for 53 years it was the drawn game between Wexford vs Westmeath.
* Clare record their first win over Cork since 1941.
* Cavan win their first Ulster title since 1969 and last until 2020.
* Offaly won their first Leinster title since 1982.
* All Ireland semi-final Mayo vs Offaly was the first championship meeting between them.
* Kerry end their longest drought as All Ireland Champions of 11 years.