The Carlow Intermediate Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the JJ Kavanagh Intermediate Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Carlow IHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Carlow County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association from 1984 for the second tier hurling teams in the county of Carlow in Ireland.
| Carlow Intermediate Hurling Championship | |
|---|---|
| Irish | Craobh Idirmheánach Iomáint Cheatharlach |
| Code | Hurling |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Region |  Carlow (GAA) |
| Trophy | Pat Foley Cup |
| No. of teams | 5 |
| Title holders |  St Mullin's (6th title) |
| Most titles |  Naomh Eoin (9 titles) |
| Sponsors | JJ Kavanagh and Sons |
| Official website | Carlow GAA |
In its current format, the Carlow Intermediate Championship begins with a group stage in mid-summer. The five participating club teams play each other in a round-robin system. The four top-ranking teams proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the final match at Netwatch Cullen Park. The winner of the Carlow Intermediate Championship qualifies for the subsequent Leinster Club Championship.
The title has been won by 14 different clubs, nine of which have won the title more than once.[1] Naomh Eoin is the most successful team in the tournament's history, having won it nine times. St Mullin's are the title holders after defeating Mount Leinster Rangers by 0-15 to 1-10 in the 2023 final.[2]
Format
editOverview
editGroup stage: Over the course of the group stage, each of the five teams plays once against the others in the group, resulting in each team being guaranteed at least four games. Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The teams are ranked in the group stage table by points gained, then scoring difference and then their head-to-head record. The four top-ranking teams in the group qualify for the knockout stage.
Semi-finals: The four qualifying teams from the group stage contest this round. The two winners from these two games advance to the final.
Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions and, if they are not an existing senior team's second side, gain automatic promotion to the following year's Carlow Senior Hurling Championship.
Teams
edit2023 Teams
edit| Team | Locations | Colours | Championship titles | Last championship title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bagenalstown Gaels | Bagenalstown | Green and black | 1 | 2019 |
 Carlow Town | Carlow | White and blue | 2 | 2013 |
 Mount Leinster Rangers | Borris | Black and red | 7 | 2016 |
| Naomh Eoin | Myshall | Black and yellow | 9 | 2022 |
| St Mullin's | St Mullin's | Green and white | 6 | 2023 |
Roll of honour
edit| # | Club | Wins | Years won |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naomh Eoin | 9 | 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2018, 2020, 2022 |
| 2 | Mount Leinster Rangers | 7 | 1988, 1996, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016 |
| 3 | St Mullin's | 6 | 1998, 1999, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2023 |
| 4 | Kildavin | 3 | 1989, 1991, 2003 (with Clonegal) |
| 5 | Parnells | 2 | 1984, 1987 |
| Ballinkillen | 2 | 1990, 1994 | |
| Erin's Own | 2 | 1993, 2005 | |
| Carlow Town | 2 | 2011, 2013 | |
| Naomh Bríd | 2 | 2017, 2021 | |
| 10 | Palatine | 1 | 1985 |
| Ballymurphy | 1 | 1986 | |
| St Fintan's | 1 | 1992 | |
| St Vincent's | 1 | 1997 | |
| Bagenalstown Gaels | 1 | 2019 |
List of finals
edit| Year | Winners | Runners-up | Venue | # | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Score | Club | Score | |||
| 2023 | St Mullin's | 0-15 | Mount Leinster Rangers | 1-10 | Netwatch Cullen Park | |
| 2022 | Naomh Eoin | 0-12 | Mount Leinster Rangers | 0-06 | Netwatch Cullen Park | |
| 2021 | Naomh Bríd | 0-17 | Naomh Eoin | 1-12 | Netwatch Cullen Park | |
| 2020 | Naomh Eoin | 3-17 | Mount Leinster Rangers | 1-19 | Netwatch Cullen Park | [3] |
| 2019 | Bagenalstown Gaels | 0-12 | Mount Leinster Rangers | 0-06 | Netwatch Cullen Park | [4] |
| 2018 | Naomh Eoin | 1-11 | Mount Leinster Rangers | 1-08 | Netwatch Cullen Park | [5] |
| 2017 | Naomh Bríd | 3-07 | Mount Leinster Rangers | 0-15 | Netwatch Cullen Park | [6] |
| 2016 | Mount Leinster Rangers | 3-19 | Carlow Town | 0-18 | Netwatch Cullen Park | |
Notes:
- 2018- The first match ended in a draw: Naomh Eoin 1-09, Mount Leinster Rangers 1-09.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Club Titles - Carlow". Hogan Stand. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ "SPORT: Carlow Intermediate Hurling Championship Final & Junior Hurling Shield Final". Carlow Live. 23 August 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ "Rangers and Naomh Eoin meet in IHC final". The Nationalist. 29 August 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ "Bagenalstown return to top table". The Nationalist. 23 October 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ "Naomh eoin hold out for sweet win". The Nationalist. 5 December 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ "Battling Naomh Bríd get over the line". The Nationalist. 10 November 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2023.