Down Intermediate Hurling Championship
| Down Intermediate Hurling Championship | |
|---|---|
| Irish | Craobhchomórtas Idirmhéanach Iomána an Dún |
| Code | Hurling |
| Region |  Down (GAA) |
| Trophy | Charlie Keown Memorial Cup |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Title holders |  Liatroim Fontenoys (2nd title) |
| Sponsors | Morgan Fuels |
| Official website | Down GAA |
The Down Intermediate Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Down GAA Northern Switchgear Intermediate Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Down IHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Down County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association for the second tier hurling teams in County Down in Northern Ireland.
In its current format, the Down Intermediate Championship begins with a group stage. The eight group stage teams play in two groups against each other in a round-robin system. The two first placed teams face each other in the final. The final is usually played at Páirc Esler in Newry. The winner of the Down Intermediate Hurling Championship qualifies for the subsequent Ulster Intermediate Club Championship.
Liatroim Fontenoys are the title holders after defeating Carryduff by 0-17 to 2-09 in the 2025 final.
Format
Group stage
The eight teams are divided in two groups. Teams face each other team in the group. 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 first placed teams from both groups face each other in the final.[1]
Knockout stage
Final: The two first placed teams in the final contest the final.[1]
Teams
2026 teams
The following teams were due to potentially compete in the 2026 Down Intermediate Hurling Championship:[1]
| Club | Location | Colours | Championship titles | Last championship title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intermediate clubs | ||||
 Ballela |
Ballela | Green and Gold | 0 | — |
 Ballyvarley |
Banbridge | Red and White | 0 | — |
 Castlewellan |
Castlewellan | Green and White | 0 | — |
 Clonduff |
Hilltown | Yellow and white | 0 | — |
 East Belfast |
Belfast | Black and Gold | 0 | — |
 Kilclief |
Kilclief | Green and Red | 0 | — |
 St. Peter's |
Warrenpoint | Blue and white | 0 | — |
| Newry Shamrocks |
Newry | Green and White | 1 | 2021 |
| Senior clubs | ||||
| Ballycran |
Rubane | Black and amber | 0 | — |
| Ballygalget |
Ards Peninsula | Green and white | 0 | — |
 Bredagh |
Ballynafeigh | Maroon and white | 2 | 2023 |
 Carryduff |
Carryduff | Purple and Gold | 1 | 2020 |
| Liatroim Fontenoys |
Leitrim | Green, white and yellow | 2 | 2022 |
 Portaferry |
Portaferry | Blue and yellow | 0 | — |
Qualification for subsequent competitions
The Down Intermediate Championship winners qualify for the subsequent Ulster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship.
Trophy and medals
The Charlie Keown Memorial Cup is the current prize for winning the championship. It was commissioned to honour Liatroim Fontenoys clubman Charlie Keown who served in a number of administrative roles with the Down County Board, including a three-year term as chairman from 1985.[2] Pearse Óg McCrickard was the first recipient of the cup in 2022.
List of finals
Up to 2025 the bottom two teams of the Down SHC qualified for the IHC semi-finals.
| Year | Winners | Runners-up | Venue | # | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Score | Club | Score | |||
| 2025 | Liatroim Fontenoys | 0-17 | Carryduff | 2-09 | Páirc Esler | |
| 2024 | Bredagh | 4-17 | Carryduff | 1-16 | Páirc Esler | |
| 2023 | Bredagh | 2-16 | Carryduff | 0-09 | Páirc Esler | [3] |
| 2022 | Liatroim Fontenoys | 0-24 | Carryduff | 2-15 | Páirc Esler | [4] |
| 2021 | Newry Shamrocks | 2-12 | Carryduff | 1-13 | Páirc Esler | [5] |
| 2020 | Carryduff | 2-15 | Liatroim Fontenoys | 1-12 | Páirc Esler | [6] |
Roll of honour
| # | Club | Titles | Runners-up | Years won | Years runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liatroim Fontenoys | 2 | 1 | 2022, 2025 | 2020 |
| Bredagh | 2 | 0 | 2023, 2024 | — | |
| 2 | Carryduff | 1 | 5 | 2020 | 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
| Newry Shamrocks | 1 | 0 | 2021 | — |
See also
- Down Senior Hurling Championship (Tier 1)
References
- 1 2 3 "2026 Down GAA Northern Switchgear Intermediate Hurling Championship". Down GAA. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
- ↑ "Former county chairman Keown sought to improve Down GAA on and off the field". The Irish News. 6 July 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- ↑ "Gaelic Games: Bredagh defeat Carryduff to claim the Down IHC title". Belfast Media. 22 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
- ↑ "Laitroim Win Intermediate Hurling Championship". Down GAA website. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- ↑ "Newry Shamrocks thrilled to become senior hurlers in 2022: Paul Sheehan". The Irish News. 23 November 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- ↑ "Down 2020 Junior and Intermediate Hurling Finals". Down GAA website. 2 August 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
