Mayo were hoping to bridge a gap that stretched back to their All-Ireland football title winning team of 1951.

Mayo lost their fourth final in a row; in the end Kerry only won by eight points.

Dara Ó Cinnéide was the winning captain, while manager Jack O'Connor won the title in his first season in charge.

Largely regarded as one of the most disappointing All-Ireland football finals for many years, Mayo's capitulation drove spectators from the stadium in their thousands, with Kerry leading by 1–12 to 1–4 at half-time.

[2] Kerry racked up a total of 1–20, the highest team score in an All-Ireland SFC final since the time of 'Bomber' Liston and the 5–11 that decimated Dublin in 1978.