Kerry were the reigning champions, having completed the second senior four-in-a-row in 1932, following the Wexford team of 1915–1918. However, Kerry did not qualify for the 1933 decider, as they were knocked out of the competition at the semi-final stage.[1]
Cavan became the first Ulster county to win an All-Ireland, with first-half goals by Louis Blessing and "Son" Magee. A record crowd attended the game, with about 5,000 more locked out.[2]
Galway may have lost but they were regarded as a force for the future; this proved true as the following year they won their second All-Ireland football title and took the Sam Maguire Cup back to the west for the first time.[3]
^Kenny, Tom (14 April 2011). "The men who first brought Sam to Galway". Galway Advertiser. Retrieved 14 April 2011. In 1933 Cavan beat Galway in the final by 2 – 5 to 1 – 4, but in defeat the Galway team were hailed as a major force for the future, a prediction that turned out to be accurate as they beat Dublin the following year by 3 – 5 to 1 – 9, the first Galway team to wear the maroon and white colours and the first Galway team to bring the Sam Maguire west. The crowd at the game numbered 36,143.
