2003 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

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]]

| team-width=100px | score-width=35px | RD1-seed3= | RD1-team3=Roscommon | RD1-score3=0–08 | RD1-seed4= | RD1-team4=Galway | RD1-score4=0–12 | RD1-seed7= | RD1-team7=London | RD1-score7=0–09 | RD1-seed8= | RD1-team8=Sligo | RD1-score8=3–11 | RD1-seed1= | RD1-team1=New York | RD1-score1=0–12 | RD1-seed2= | RD1-team2=Leitrim | RD1-score2=0–14 | RD2-seed1= | RD2-team1=Leitrim | RD2-score1=1–07 | RD2-seed2= | RD2-team2=Galway | RD2-score2=2–13 | RD2-seed4= | RD2-team4=Sligo | RD2-score4=0–11 | RD2-seed3= | RD2-team3=Mayo | RD2-score3=0–14 | RD3-seed1= | RD3-team1=Galway | RD3-score1=1–14 | RD3-seed2= | RD3-team2=Mayo | RD3-score2=0–13

Quarter-finals

(aet)

Semi-finals

Final

[[Munster Senior Football Championship]]

| team-width=100px | score-width=35px | RD1-seed1= | RD1-team1=Limerick | RD1-score1=0–16 | RD1-seed2= | RD1-team2=Cork | RD1-score2=0–06 | RD1-seed7= | RD1-team7=Waterford | RD1-score7=1–12 | RD1-seed8= | RD1-team8=Tipperary | RD1-score8=0–18 | RD2-seed1= | RD2-team1=Limerick | RD2-score1=2–14 | RD2-seed2= | RD2-team2=Clare | RD2-score2=0–12 | RD2-seed4= | RD2-team4=Tipperary | RD2-score4=1–10 | RD2-seed3= | RD2-team3=Kerry | RD2-score3=0–25 | RD3-seed1= | RD3-team1=Limerick | RD3-score1=0–09 | RD3-seed2= | RD3-team2=Kerry | RD3-score2=1–11

Quarter-finals

Semi-final

Final

[[Ulster Senior Football Championship]]

| team-width=100px | score-width=35px | RD1-seed09= | RD1-team09=Armagh | RD1-score09=0–09 | RD1-seed10= | RD1-team10=Monaghan | RD1-score10=0–13 | RD2-seed1= | RD2-team1=Cavan | RD2-score1=1–10 | RD2-seed2= | RD2-team2=Antrim | RD2-score2=2–09 | RD2-seed3= | RD2-team3=Derry | RD2-score3=1–05 | RD2-seed4= | RD2-team4=Tyrone | RD2-score4=0–17 | RD2-seed5= | RD2-team5=Monaghan | RD2-score5=0–13 | RD2-seed6= | RD2-team6=Down | RD2-score6=1–12 | RD2-seed8= | RD2-team8=Donegal | RD2-score8=0–06 | RD2-seed7= | RD2-team7=Fermanagh | RD2-score7=0–10 | RD3-seed1= | RD3-team1=Antrim | RD3-score1=1–09 | RD3-seed2= | RD3-team2=Tyrone | RD3-score2=1–17 | RD3-seed3= | RD3-team3=Down | RD3-score3=2–10 | RD3-seed4= | RD3-team4=Fermanagh | RD3-score4=0–11 | RD4-seed1= | RD4-team1=Tyrone | RD4-score1=0–23 | RD4-seed2= | RD4-team2=Down | RD4-score2=1–05

Preliminary round

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Finals

[[Leinster Senior Football Championship]]

| team-width=100px | score-width=35px | RD1-seed1= | RD1-team1=Louth | RD1-score1=4–12 | RD1-seed2= | RD1-team2=Wicklow | RD1-score2=2–07 | RD1-seed09= | RD1-team09=Carlow | RD1-score09=1–12 | RD1-seed10= | RD1-team10=Westmeath | RD1-score10=1–17 | RD1-seed5= | RD1-team5=Laois | RD1-score5=1–19 | RD1-seed6= | RD1-team6=Wexford | RD1-score6=0–09 | RD2-seed2= | RD2-team2=Dublin | RD2-score2=1–19 | RD2-seed1= | RD2-team1=Louth | RD2-score1=0–09 | RD2-seed3= | RD2-team3=Laois | RD2-score3=2–10 | RD2-seed4= | RD2-team4=Offaly | RD2-score4=0–13 | RD2-seed7= | RD2-team7=Longford | RD2-score7=2–06 | RD2-seed8= | RD2-team8=Kildare | RD2-score8=1–14 | RD2-seed5= | RD2-team5=Westmeath | RD2-score5=0–05 | RD2-seed6= | RD2-team6=Meath | RD2-score6=1–11 | RD3-seed1= | RD3-team1=Dublin | RD3-score1=0–14 | RD3-seed2= | RD3-team2=Laois | RD3-score2=0–16 | RD3-seed4= | RD3-team4=Kildare | RD3-score4=0–15 | RD3-seed3= | RD3-team3=Meath | RD3-score3=1–11 | RD4-seed1= | RD4-team1=Laois | RD4-score1=2–13 | RD4-seed2= | RD4-team2=Kildare | RD4-score2=1–13

First round

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

Qualifiers

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

(aet)

Round 4

(aet)

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. | team-width=100px | score-width= 35px | RD1-seed1= | RD1-seed2= | RD1-team1=Donegal | RD1-team2=Galway | RD1-score1=0–14 | RD1-score2=0–11 | RD1-seed3= | RD1-seed4= | RD1-team3=Armagh | RD1-team4=Laois | RD1-score3=0–15 | RD1-score4=0–13 | RD1-seed5= | RD1-seed6= | RD1-team5=Kerry | RD1-team6=Roscommon | RD1-score5=1–21 | RD1-score6=3–10 | RD1-seed7= | RD1-seed8= | RD1-team7=Tyrone | RD1-team8=Fermanagh | RD1-score7=1–21 | RD1-score8=0–05 | RD2-seed1= | RD2-seed2= | RD2-team1=Donegal | RD2-team2=Armagh | RD2-score1=1–09 | RD2-score2=2–10 | RD2-seed3= | RD2-seed4= | RD2-team3=Kerry | RD2-team4=Tyrone | RD2-score3=0–06 | RD2-score4=0–13 | RD3-seed1= | RD3-seed2= | RD3-team1=Armagh | RD3-team2=Tyrone | RD3-score1=0–09 | RD3-score2=0–12

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

Main article: 2003 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final

Championship statistics

Top scorers

;Overall

;Single game

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
• Dublin lost in the third round qualifiers; as of 2024 this is the only time since qualifiers were introduced in 2001 that Dublin did not reach the quarter-final stage or better.

References

References

1. Breheny, Martin. (23 September 2002). "Armagh's deliverance". Irish Independent.
2. Breheny, Martin. (28 September 2003). "Tyrone gain historic first All-Ireland title". Breaking News.