# Laois Intermediate Hurling Championship

The Laois Intermediate Hurling Championship (abbreviated to the Laois IHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association for the third tier hurling teams in the county of Laois in Ireland.
In its current format, the Laois 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 O'Moore Park.
The title has been won by 35 different clubs, 26 of which have won the title more than once. Clonaslee is the most successful team in the tournament's history, having won it eight times. Mountmellick are the title holders after defeating Abbeyleix by 4-17 to 1-16 in the 2024 final.

## 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 Premier Intermediate 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 Junior Championship.

## Teams
### 2025 teams

| Borris-in-Ossory-Kilcotton | 2024 Junior finalists 2nd team |
| Clonad | |
| Ballypickas | 2024 Junior winners |
| Slieve Bloom | |
| St Fintan's, Mountrath | |
| The Harps | 2nd team |
| Park-Ratheniska-Timahoe | |
| Trumera | |

#### 2024 teams

| Abbeyleix | 2nd team 2024 finalists |
| Clonad | |
| Mountmellick | 2024 winners |
| Slieve Bloom | 1st year after relegation |
| St Fintan's, Mountrath | |
| The Harps | 2nd team |
| Park-Ratheniska-Timahoe | 2023 Junior winners |
| Trumera | 2023 finalists |
Note: For 2024 Championships both the winners and finalists were promoted due to Championship restructure.

## Qualification for subsequent competitions

At the end of the championship, the winning team qualify to the subsequent Leinster Junior Club Hurling Championship.

## Sponsorship

Laois Shopping Centre is the title sponsor of the championship.

## Roll of honour

| # | Club | Wins | Years won |
| 1 | Clonaslee | 8 | 1936, 1943, 1955, 1962, 1969, 1982, 1987, 1997 |
| 2 | Camross | 6 | 1938, 1958, 1983, 2000, 2010, 2019 |
| 3 | Mountrath | 5 | 1941, 1949, 1990, 1996, 2001 |
| 4 | Abbeyleix | 4 | 1908, 1966, 1978, 2007 |
| 4 | Cullohill | 4 | 1909, 1946, 1954, 1973 |
| 4 | Borris-in-Ossory | 4 | 1940, 1953, 1988, 2009 |
| 4 | Colt | 4 | 1965, 1971, 1979, 2008 |
| 4 | Ballyfin | 4 | 1970, 1985, 2006, 2011 |
| 4 | Castletown | 4 | 1975, 1980, 1986, 1993 |
| 4 | Trumera | 4 | 2004, 2015, 2017, 2021 |
| 11 | Ballacolla | 3 | 1910, 1938, 1972, |
| 11 | Durrow | 3 | 1944, 1959, 1976 |
| 11 | Kilcotton | 3 | 1963, 1992, 2002 |
| 11 | Rosenallis | 3 | 1989, 1999, 2016 |
| 11 | Clough–Ballacolla | 3 | 1991, 1998, 2022 |
| 16 | Portlaoise | 2 | 1935, 1942 |
| 16 | Ballypickas | 2 | 1937, 1964 |
| 16 | Rovers | 2 | 1945, 1948 |
| 16 | Shanahoe | 2 | 1951, 2013 |
| 16 | St Canice's | 2 | 1952, 1957 |
| 16 | Ballinakill | 2 | 1974, 1995 |
| 16 | Ratheniska | 2 | 1961, 1977 |
| 16 | Rathdowney | 2 | 1960, 2003 |
| 16 | Rathdowney–Errill | 2 | 2005, 2020 |
| 16 | Mountmellick | 2 | 1967, 2024 |
| 16 | Borris-in-Ossory/Kilcotton | 2 | 2012, 2014 |
| 27 | Ballygeehan | 1 | 1913 |
| 27 | Kyle | 1 | 1947 |
| 27 | Castlemore | 1 | 1950 |
| 27 | Cuddagh | 1 | 1956 |
| 27 | St Conleth's | 1 | 1968 |
| 27 | Errill | 1 | 1981 |
| 27 | Park–Ratheniska | 1 | 1984 |
| 27 | Slieve Bloom | 1 | 2018 |
| 27 | Colt–Shanahoe | 1 | 2023 |

## List of finals

| Year | Winners | Winners | Runners-up | Runners-up | Venue | # |
| Year | Club | Score | Club | Score | Venue | # |
| 2017 | Trumera | 0-15 | Rathdowney–Errill | 0-14 | MW Hire O'Moore Park | |
| 2018 | Slieve Bloom | 3-11 | Camross | 1-12 | MW Hire O'Moore Park | |
| 2019 | Camross | 3-18 | Borris-in-Ossory/Kilcotton | 0-13 | MW Hire O'Moore Park | |
| 2020 | Rathdowney–Errill | 2-26 | Trumera | 0-13 | MW Hire O'Moore Park | |
| 2021 | Trumera | 1-19 | Clough–Ballacolla | 1-16 | MW Hire O'Moore Park | |
| 2022 | Clough–Ballacolla | 2-14 | Mountmellick | 2-09 | MW Hire O'Moore Park | |
| 2023 | Colt–Shanahoe | 4-15 | Trumera | 0-14 | Laois Hire O'Moore Park | |
| 2024 | Mountmellick | 4-17 | Abbeyleix | 1-16 | Laois Hire O'Moore Park | Note: both teams promoted due to Championship restructure |