Down Intermediate Hurling Championship
{{Short description|Annual hurling competition for Intermediate clubs in Down}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox GAA tournament
| name = Down Intermediate Hurling Championship
| currentlyrunning =2023 Down Intermediate Hurling Championship
| image =
| caption =
| irish = Craobhchomórtas Idirmhéanach Iomána an Dún
| code = Hurling
| founded =
| region = File:Colours of Down.svg Down
| trophy = Charlie Keown Memorial Cup
| teams = 6
| title holders = File:Colours of Galway.svg Bredagh
| currentordinal =
| super =
| most titles =
| mostordinal =
| sponsors = Morgan Fuels
| tv =
| motto =
| website = [http://www.downgaa.net/ Down GAA]
}}
The Down Intermediate Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Morgan Fuels Down Intermediate Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Down IHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Down County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association for the second tier hurling teams in County Down in Northern Ireland.
In its current format, the Down Intermediate Championship begins with a group stage. The four group stage teams play each other in a round-robin system. The top two teams in the group proceed to the knockout stage, where they are joined by the bottom two teams from the Down SHC. The final is usually played at Páirc Esler in Newry. The winner of the Down Intermediate Hurling Championship qualifies for the subsequent Ulster Intermediate Club Championship.
Bredagh are the title holders after defeating Carryduff by 4-17 to 1-16 in the 2024 final.{{cite web|url=http://www.thedownrecorder.co.uk/pages/?title=Four_goals_help_seal_cup_for_fine_Bredagh_outfit#:~:text=23%20October%202024,points%20in%20an%20entertaining%20affair.|title=Four goals help seal cup for fine Bredagh outfit |publisher=Down Recorder|date=23 October 2024|access-date=28 October 2024|first=|last=}}
Format
=Group stage=
Over the course of the four-team group stage, each team plays once against the others in the group, resulting in each team being guaranteed at least three games.{{cite web|url=http://www.downgaa.net/news/championship-draws-2023-jhc-ihc-and-shc|title=Championship Draws 2023: JHC, IHC and SHC|publisher=Down GAA website|date=28 June 2023|access-date=30 October 2023|first=|last=}} 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 from the group stage proceed to the knockout stage.
=Knockout stage=
Semi-finals: The top teams from the group stage and the bottom two teams from the Down SHC group stage contest the semi-finals.{{cite web|url=http://www.downgaa.net/competitions/201443|title=2023 Down GAA Intermediate Hurling Championship|publisher=Down GAA website|date=|access-date=30 October 2023|first=|last=}}
Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final.
Teams
= 2023 teams =
The following teams will potentially compete in the 2023 Down Intermediate Hurling Championship:
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! style="background:#E52B50;color:black;" |Club ! style="background:#E52B50;color:black;" |Location ! style="background:#E52B50;color:black;" |Colours ! style="background:#E52B50;color:black;" |Championship titles ! style="background:#E52B50;color:black;" |Last championship title |
| colspan="5" |Intermediate clubs |
|---|
| style="text-align:left" | Ballela
| |0 |— |
| style="text-align:left" | Carryduff
| |1 |2020 |
| style="text-align:left" |File:Colours_of_Antrim.svg Clonduff
|Yellow and white |0 |— |
| style="text-align:left" |File:Colours_of_Laois.svg St. Peter's
|Blue and white |0 |— |
| colspan="5" |Senior clubs |
| style="text-align:left" |File:Colours_of_Kilkenny.svg Ballycran
|Rubane |Black and amber |0 |— |
| style="text-align:left" |25x25px Ballygalget
|Green and white |0 |— |
| style="text-align:left" |Bredagh
|Maroon and white |1 |2023 |
| style="text-align:left" |File:Colours_of_Offaly.svg Liatroim Fontenoys
|Green, white and yellow |1 |2022 |
| style="text-align:left" |Newry Shamrocks
| |1 |2021 |
| style="text-align:left" |File:Colours_of_Tipperary.png Portaferry
|Blue and yellow |0 |— |
Qualification for subsequent competitions
The Down Intermediate Championship winners qualify for the subsequent Ulster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship.
Trophy and medals
The Charlie Keown Memorial Cup is the current prize for winning the championship. It was commissioned to honour Liatroim Fontenoys clubman Charlie Keown who served in a number of administrative roles with the Down County Board, including a three-year term as chairman from 1985.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishnews.com/sport/2021/07/06/news/former-county-chairman-keown-sought-to-improve-down-gaa-on-and-off-the-field--2376750/|title=Former county chairman Keown sought to improve Down GAA on and off the field|publisher=The Irish News|date=6 July 2021|accessdate=4 October 2023|first=|last=}} Pearse Óg McCrickard was the first recipient of the cup in 2022.
List of finals
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;"
! rowspan="2" style="background:#E52B50;color:black;" | Year ! colspan="2" style="background:#E52B50;color:black;" | Winners ! colspan="2" style="background:#E52B50;color:black;" | Runners-up ! rowspan="2" style="background:#E52B50;color:black;" | Venue ! rowspan="2" style="background:#E52B50;color:black;" |# |
| style="background:#E52B50;color:black;" | Club
! style="background:#E52B50;color:black;" |Score ! style="background:#E52B50;color:black;" | Club ! style="background:#E52B50;color:black;" |Score |
|---|
| 2024
| Bredagh | 4-17 | 1-16 | |
| 2023
| Bredagh | 2-16 | 0-09 |
| 2022
| 0-24 | 2-15 |
| 2021
| 2-12 | 1-13 |
| 2020
| 2-15 | 1-12 |
Roll of honour
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;"
!# !Club !Titles !Runners-up !Years won !Years runners-up |
| rowspan="4" |1
|1 |3 |2020 |2021, 2022, 2023 |
| Liatroim Fontenoys
|1 |1 |2022 |2020 |
| Bredagh
|1 |0 |2023 |— |
| Newry Shamrocks
|1 |0 |2021 |— |
See also
- Down Senior Hurling Championship (Tier 1)
- Down Junior Hurling Championship (Tier 3)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.downgaa.net/ Official website]
{{Down GAA|state=expanded}}
Category:Down Intermediate Hurling Championship
Category:Hurling competitions in County Down
Category:Intermediate hurling county championships
Category:Down GAA club championships