The win gave them their fourth All-Ireland title over all and put them joint sixth on the all-time roll of honour along with Kildare and Tipperary.

The game, which remains the highest scoring All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final in history, also marked the emergence of a nineteen-year-old Jimmy Barry-Murphy onto the national stage.

At the other end of the field, Cork's John Coleman curbed the threat of Galway captain and centre-forward Liam Sammon.

Cork were slow to find the target after the interval; however, once Dinny Long scored a difficult free from under the Hogan Stand and Ray Cummins followed suit from the other side they appeared to be coasting to victory.

A Galway revival saw them cut the margin to just three points when Tom Naughton scored a goal, but Cork's response was controlled and efficient.

Ray Cummins steadied Cork with three points in quick succession before setting up Jimmy Barry-Murphy for the clinching goal.