Clare Intermediate Hurling Championship

The Clare Intermediate Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association for the second tier hurling teams in the county of Clare in Ireland.

The series of games are played during the summer and autumn months with the county final currently being played at Cusack Park. The championship includes a group stage which is followed by a knock-out phase for the top teams. There is also promotion involving the Clare Senior Hurling Championship and relegation involving the Clare Junior Hurling Championship.

In 2012 it was decided that from 2014 onwards the Clare Senior Hurling Championship would become a single sixteen team championship. This meant that five clubs would lose their senior status and be relegated down to intermediate. However due to the overwhelming success of both the Clare Senior and Under-21 inter-county squads in 2013, the culling of the senior hurling championship was postponed for twelve months. 2014 saw the relegation of Broadford, Doora-Barefield, Ruan, Scariff and Wolfe Tones down to intermediate for the 2015 season.

The 2023 Intermediate Champions were Corofin who defeated Sixmilebridge by 0-18 to 0-14 to win their third title at this grade and return to senior ranks for 2023.

Format

Group stage

The 16 clubs 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 three group 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 quarter-finals.

Knockout stage

Quarter-finals: The 4 group winners and 4 group runners-up contest this round. A group winner will play a group runner-up of 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 two games advance to the final.

Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions and are promoted to the Clare Senior Hurling Championship.

Relegation

The bottom team in each group compete in the relegation playoffs and the losers will be relegated to the Clare Junior A Hurling Championship.

Qualification

At the end of the championship, the winning club qualify to the subsequent Munster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship.

Teams

2024 Teams

The 16 teams competing in the 2024 Clare Intermediate Hurling Championship are:

Qualification

At the end of the championship, the winning team qualify to the subsequent Munster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship.

List of finals

List of Clare IHC finals (incomplete)

Roll of honour

By club

Notes

* When Ennis Dalcassians won the 1943 Clare Junior Football Championship, they offered an opportunity to players from fellow junior club, Doora-Barefield, to join with them and enter the Clare Senior Football Championship as the Ennis Faughs. They went on to win four senior football titles in 1947, 1948, 1952 and 1954. The ''Ennis Faughs'' also won the 1946 Clare Intermediate Football Championship, and the 1945 Clare Intermediate Hurling Championship. The ''Ennis Faughs'' disbanded in 1956.

See also

* Clare Senior Hurling Championship
* Clare Junior A Hurling Championship
* Clare Under-21 A Hurling Championship

References

{{Clare GAA, state=expanded

Hurling competitions in County Clare
Intermediate hurling county championships
1927 establishments in Ireland
Recurring sporting events established in 1927