Carlow Intermediate Hurling Championship

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.

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. 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.

Overview
Group 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.

List of finals
Notes:
 * 2018- The first match ended in a draw: Naomh Eoin 1-09, Mount Leinster Rangers 1-09.

External link

 * Carlow GAA website