The Laois Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Laois Shopping Centre Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Laois PIHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association from 2020 for the second tier hurling teams in the county of Laois in Ireland.
In its current format, the Laois Premier 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 Laois Hire O'Moore Park. The winner of the Laois Premier Intermediate Championship qualifies for the subsequent Leinster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship.
The title has been won by four different clubs, none of which have won the title more than once. Borris-in-Ossory–Kilcotton are the title holders after defeating Ballinakill by 2–16 to 0–19 in the 2024 final.[1]
History
A second tier senior hurling competition had existed in various formats since 1995. It was originally played as the Dick Palmer Cup, with clubs qualifying for the competition by not reaching a certain stage of the Laois Senior Championship. Since 2010, the Laois Senior A Championship operated as a stand-alone competition, with promotion and relegation to the various championships. A review of Laois's hurling structures in 2019 resulted in the Laois Senior A Championship being renamed the Laois Premier Intermediate Championship.[2][3]
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 Senior 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 Intermediate Championship.
Teams
2025 teams
The 8 teams competing in the 2025 Laois Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship are:
