Laois Intermediate Football Championship

The Laois Intermediate Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football competition contested by mid-tier Laois GAA clubs. The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association has organised it since 1907.

The Heath are the title holders (2022), having defeated Arles–Kilcruise in the final.

Format
The Intermediate Championship has a 'back door' and operates similarly to the Senior Championship (and Junior Championship C only) by going for a straight knockout but the 'back door' is in place for anyone losing out.

The draw is first made for round 1 of the championship. The draw is then made for round 2 of the championship.

The final is held in O'Moore Park.

Honours
The winners of the Laois Intermediate Championship qualify to represent their county in the Leinster Intermediate Club Football Championship. The winners can, in turn, go on to play in the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship. They often do well outside the county, with the likes of Ballyroan Abbey (2008) and Crettyard (2005) among the clubs from Laois to win at least one Leinster Championship after winning the Laois Intermediate Football Championship. Ballyroan Abbey are the only Laois GAA club to have played in Leinster finals at senior and intermediate, Galway GAA club St Michael's narrowly defeating them in the All-Ireland semi-final.

History
It was first held in 1907, with Killenard the victors.

There was no championship in 1911, and none again from 1913 through 1917 and 1919 through 1933.

In the mid-1990s, Rosenallis won the Intermediate Championship straight after winning the Junior Championship, putting back-to-back titles together.

It was once the "Campion Sparrow Laois Intermediate Football Championship" for sponsorship reasons (as recently as 2012) but no more.

The 2017 final went to a replay before Emo got the better of Portlaoise.

During the pandemic year of 2020, the Laois Intermediate Football Championship achieved the distinction of being the only adult football championship completed in the county that year.

Wins listed by club

 * Clonaslee–St Manman's (6): 1981, 1998, 2002, 2009, 2015, 2020


 * Ballylinan (5): 1944 (earliest?)... 1961...


 * Annanough (5): 1936, 1940, 1946, 1949, 1978


 * Portlaoise (5): 1939, 1956, 1972, 1975, 1982


 * Crettyard (4): 1965, 1976, 1984, 2005


 * Timahoe (4): 1962, 2000, 2004, 2010


 * Killeshin (4): 1958, 1974, 1993, 2011


 * The Heath (4): 1943, 1953, 1986, 2022


 * St Fintan's Hospital (3): 1951, 1960, 1970


 * Barrowhouse (3): 1980, 1985, 1992


 * Arles–Killeen (3): 1997, 2001, 2003


 * Emo (3): 1964, 2012, 2017


 * Courtwood (3): 1971, 1987, 2018


 * O'Dempsey's (3): 1952, 1977, 2016


 * Arles–Kilcruise (2): 1967, 1999


 * Mountmellick (2): 1968, 2006


 * Ballyroan Abbey (2): 2008, 2013


 * Rosenallis (2): 1995, 2019


 * Park–Ratheniska (2): 1988, 2021


 * Jamestown (1): 1941


 * Stradbally (1): 1959


 * St Joseph's (1): 1969


 * Spink (1): 1989


 * Harps (1): 1994


 * The Rock (1): 1996


 * Graiguecullen (1): 2007


 * Ballyfin (1): 2014


 * Rathdowney 1912...