Kerry Premier Junior Football Championship

The Kerry Premier Junior Football Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as Kerry Petroleum County Premier Junior Football Championship and abbreviated to the Kerry PJFC) is an annual Gaelic football competition organised by the Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association and contested by the top-ranking junior clubs in the county of Kerry in Ireland. It is the third tier overall in the entire Kerry Gaelic football championship system.

The Kerry Premier Junior Championship was introduced in 2016 following a restructuring of the entire Kerry Gaelic football championship system at all levels.

In its current format, the 16 participating club are drawn into four groups of four teams and play each other in a round-robin system. The four group winners and the four runners-up proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the final match at FitzGerald Stadium. The winner of the Kerry Premier Junior Championship, as well as being presented with the Tom Keane Perpetual Cup, qualifies for the subsequent Munster Club Championship.

The competition has been won by seven teams. Listowel Emmets are the title holders, after defeating Ballymacelligott in the 2023 final.

Format

Group stage: The 16 teams are divided into four 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 knockout stage and the bottom team in each group enters the relegation playoffs.

Relegation Playoffs: After a series of playoffs involving the four teams, the loser of the final is relegated to the Kerry Junior Football Championship.

Quarter-finals: The eight group stage winners contest this round. the top team in each group is drawn against a second-placed team from another group. The four winners from these four games advance to the semi-finals.

Semi-finals: The four quarter-final winners contest this round. The two winners from these four games advance to the semi-finals.

Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions and gain automatic promotion to the following year's Kerry Intermediate Football Championship.

2023 Teams

Sponsorship
Since 2019 the Premier Junior Championship has been sponsored by Kerry Petroleum. The competition was previously sponsored by Castleisland Mart.

Trophy and medals
The Tom Keane Perpetual Cup is the current prize for winning the championship. Colin McGillycuddy of Glenbeigh-Glencar was the first recipient of the cup when it was presented to him after the 2016 final replay. In accordance with GAA rules, the County Board awards a set of gold medals to the championship winners. The medals depict a stylised version of the Kerry GAA crest.

Roll of honour

List of finals

Notes:
 2016 - The first match ended in a draw: Glenbeigh-Glencar 1-06, Na Gaeil 0-09.

See also

 Kerry Senior Football Championship (Tier 1)
 Kerry Intermediate Football Championship (Tier 2)
 Kerry Junior Football Championship (Tier 4)
 Kerry Novice Football Championship (Tier 5)
 Munster Junior Club Football Championship

References

 
3
Junior Gaelic football county championships