Dublin entered the championship as defending champions, however, they were beaten by Louth in the Leinster quarter-final.
On 20 September 1931, Kerry won the championship following a 3–04 to 0–04 defeat of Louth in the All-Ireland final. This was their first All-Ireland title.[1]
The final had been arranged for 6 September but Kerry failed to fulfil the fixture. The match was subsequently rescheduled to be played a fortnight later, with Louth awarded home advantage.[2]