Laois Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship

The Laois Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Laois Shopping Centre Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Laois PIHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association from 2020 for the second tier hurling teams in the county of Laois in Ireland.

Laois Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship
IrishCraobh Príomh-Idirmheánach Iomáint Laoise
CodeHurling
Founded2020 (2020)
Region Laois (GAA)
TrophyDick Palmer Cup
No. of teams8
Title holders Portlaoise (1st title)
SponsorsLaois Shopping Centre
Official websiteCarlow GAA

In its current format, the Laois Premier Intermediate Championship begins with a group stage in mid-summer. The eight participating teams are divided into two groups of four and play each other in a round-robin system. The three top-ranking teams in each group proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the final match at Laois Hire O'Moore Park. The winner of the Laois Premier Intermediate Championship qualifies for the subsequent Leinster Club Championship.

The title has been won by four different clubs, none of which have won the title more than once. Portlaoise are the title holders after defeating Ballyfin by 0–19 to 0–10 in the 2023 final.[1]

History

A second tier senior hurling competition had existed in various formats since 1995. It was originally played as the Dick Palmer Cup, with clubs qualifying for the competition by not reaching a certain stage of the Laois Senior Championship. Since 2010, the Laois Senior A Championship operated as a stand-alone competition, with promotion and relegation to the various championships. A review of Laois's hurling structures in 2019 resulted in the Laois Senior A Championship being renamed the Laois Premier Intermediate Championship.[2][3]

Regular format

Group stage

The eight teams are divided into two groups of four. Over the course of the group stage each team plays once against the others in the group, resulting in each team being guaranteed at least three 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 top two teams in each group qualify for the knock-out stage.

Knockout stage

Following the completion of the group stage, the top three teams from each group advance to the knockout stage. The two top-ranking teams receive byes to separate semi-finals.

  • Quarter-finals: The second and third-ranked teams in each group contest this round. The two winners from these two games advance to the semi-finals.
  • Semi-finals: The two quarter-final winners and the top-ranked teams 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.

Promotion and relegation

At the end of the championship, the winning team is automatically promoted to the Laois Senior Championship for the following season. The two bottom-placed teams from the group stage take part in a playoff, with the losing team being relegated to the Laois Intermediate Championship.

Sponsorship

Laois Shopping Centre became the first title sponsor of the championship in 2020.[4]

Qualification for subsequent competitions

The Laois Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship winners qualify for the subsequent Leinster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship. Inaugural winners, The Harps, did not part in the provincial campaign as the 2020–21 series was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

List of finals
Year Winners Runners-up Venue #
Club Score Club Score
2020 The Harps 1-18 Portlaoise 2-12 MW Hire O'Moore Park [5]
2021 Ballinakill 2-14 Ballyfin 1-14 MW Hire O'Moore Park [6]
2022 Abbeyleix St Lazarian's 1-24 Clonaslee 0-13 MW Hire O'Moore Park [7]
2023 Portlaoise 0-19 Ballyfin 0-10 Laois Hire O'Moore Park

References
  1. McEvoy, Barry (22 October 2023). "Portlaoise defeat Ballyfin to return to the Senior Hurling grade for 2024". Leinster Express. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  2. "Senior hurling to start prior to lower grades among the proposals from Laois GAA fixtures group". Laois Today. 18 November 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  3. Hartnett, Alan (4 December 2019). "Name change paves the way for area teams in Laois senior hurling championship". Laois Today. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  4. "Laois Shopping Centre Adult Hurling and Football Championships 2023 – Official Launch". Laois GAA website. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  5. "The Harps strings are humming as they end years of heartache". Laois Nationalist. 13 August 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  6. Egan, Andrew (7 November 2021). "Lynch and Lalor goals help Ballinakill return to Senior ranks at first time of asking". Laois Live. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  7. Gannon, Tom (2 October 2022). "Abbeyleix runaway winners of the Laois premier intermediate final". Laois Live. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
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