Cork Premier Intermediate Football Championship

Cork Premier Intermediate Football Championship
Current season or competition: 2024 Cork Premier Intermediate Football Championship
Irish	Craobhchomórtas Peile Príomh Idirmheánach Chorcaí
Code	Gaelic football
Founded	2006;19 years ago (2006)
Region	Cork (GAA)
Trophy	Billy Long Cup
No. of teams	12
Title holders	Kilshannig (1st title)
Most titles	Newmarket (2 titles) Mallow (2 titles) Valley Rovers (2 titles) St. Vincent's (2 titles)
Sponsors	McCarthy Insurance Group
Official website	Official website

The Cork Premier Intermediate Football Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as McCarthy Insurance Group Cork County Premier Intermediate Football Championship and abbreviated to the Cork PIFC) is an annual Gaelic football competition organised by the Cork County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association and contested by the top-ranking intermediate clubs in the county of Cork in Ireland. It is the third tier overall in the entire Cork Gaelic football championship system.

The Cork Premier Intermediate Championship was introduced in 2006 following a split in the existing Cork Intermediate Football Championship. At the time of its creation it was the second tier of Cork Gaelic football.

In its current format, the Cork Premier Intermediate Championship begins in April. The 12 participating club are drawn into three groups of four teams and play each other in a round-robin system. The three group winners and the three runners-up proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the final match at Páirc Uí Rinn in October. The winner of the Cork Premier Intermediate Championship, as well as being presented with the Billy Long Cup, qualifies for the subsequent Munster Intermediate Club Football Championship.

The competition has been won by 15 teams. Mallow, Newmarket, Valley Rovers and St. Vincent's are the only teams to have won the championship on more than one occasion. Kilshannig are the title holders, defeating Aghabullogue by 2–10 to 1–09 in the 2024 final replay.

Format

Current

Development

On 2 April 2019, a majority of 136 club delegates voted to restructure the championship once again. ^{[1] [2]} The new format also led to a reduction in the number of participating clubs from 16 to 12.

Overview

Group stage: The 12 teams are divided into three groups of four. Over the course of the group stage, which features one game in April and two games in August, 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 three teams in each group qualify for the knock-out stage.

Play-off: The second best and third best third placed teams from the group stage play off for last quarter-final place.

Quarter-finals: The play-off winner and the seven top-ranking teams from the group stage contest this round. 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 Cork Senior A Championship.

Teams

2025 Teams

The 12 teams competing in the 2025 Cork Premier Intermediate Football Championship are:

Team	Location	Division	Colours	Poaition in 2024	In Championship since	Championship Titles	Last Championship Title
Aghabullogue	Coachford	Muskerry	Green and white	Runners-up	2024	0	—
Aghada	Aghada	Imokilly	Green and white	Group stage	2019	0	—
Bandon	Bandon	Carbery	White and yellow	Group stage	2023	0	—
Bantry Blues	Bantry	Carbery	Blue and white	Quarter-finals	2022	0	—
Castletownbere	Castletownbere	Beara	Black and white	Group stage	2013	0	—
Glanmire	Glanmire	Imokilly	Green and gold	Champions (Cork IAFC)	2025	0	—
Iveleary	Inchigeelagh	Muskerry	Red and white	Semi-finals	2022	0	—
Kiskeam	Kiskeam	Duhallow	Black and white	Relegated (Cork SAFC)	2025	1	2016
Macroom	Macroom	Muskerry	Green and white	Relegation playoff winners	2011	0	—
Naomh Abán	Ballyvourney	Muskerry	Blue and white	Semi-finals	2011	0	—
Nemo Rangers	Trabeg	Seandún	Black and green	Group stage	2006	0	—
Rockchapel	Rockchapel	Duhallow	Maroon and white	Quarter-finals	2021	0	—

Sponsorship

Since 2006 the Premier Intermediate Championship has been sponsored by the Evening Echo . McCarthy Insurance Group became the new title sponsor in December 2023. ^[3]

Venues

Páirc Uí Chaoimh hosted the 2024 final between Glanmire and Boherbue.

Early rounds

Fixtures in the opening rounds of the championship are usually played at a neutral venue that is deemed halfway between the participating teams.

Final

The final has always been played at one of Cork GAA's two main stadiums. On several occasions the final has been played at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, however, Páirc Uí Rinn has sometimes been the venue of choice for the final. ^[4]

Trophy

The winning team is presented with the Billy Long Cup. Billy Long was involved with the Lees club in the 1940s and 1950s. He was a selector with the Cork senior football team in 1956 and was a member of the County Board Executive.

List of finals

Legend

• Gold – Munster intermediate club champions
• Silver – Munster intermediate club runners-up

List of Cork PIFC finals

Year	Winners		Runners-up		Venue	#
	Club	Score	Club	Score
2024	Kilshannig	2-10	Aghabullogue	1-09	Páirc Uí Chaoimh
2023	Cill Na Martra	3-11	Bantry Blues	2-13	Páirc Uí Chaoimh
2022	Kanturk	3-11	Bantry Blues	1-10	Páirc Uí Chaoimh
2021	Newmarket	0-12	Kanturk	0-11	Páirc Uí Chaoimh
2020	Knocknagree	0-12	Kanturk	0-09	Páirc Uí Chaoimh	[5]
2019	Éire Óg	0-14	St Michael's	0-12	Páirc Uí Rinn	[6]
2018	Fermoy	0-11	St Michael's	0-07	Páirc Uí Chaoimh	[7]
2017	Mallow	1-17	St Michael's	1-16	Páirc Uí Chaoimh	[8]
2016	Kiskeam	2-12	Fermoy	0-14	Páirc Uí Rinn	[9]
2015	Carrigaline	0-12	St Michael's	0-11	Páirc Uí Rinn	[10]
2014	Valley Rovers	0-12	Na Piarsaigh	0-08	Páirc Uí Chaoimh	[11]
2013	Clyda Rovers	0-13	Macroom	0-08	Páirc Uí Chaoimh	[12]
2012	St Vincent's	0-12	St Michael's	0-11	Páirc Uí Chaoimh	[13]
2011	Newmarket	3-06	Clyda Rovers	1-10	Páirc Uí Chaoimh	[14]
2010	Newcestown	0-10	Clyda Rovers	0-09	Páirc Uí Rinn	[15]
2009	Valley Rovers	0-07	Clyda Rovers	0-05	Páirc Uí Chaoimh	[16]
2008	St. Finbarr's	2-13	St Vincent's	0-14	Páirc Uí Chaoimh	[17]
2007	Mallow	1-07	Killavullen	0-07	Páirc Uí Rinn	[18]
2006	St Vincent's	1-05	Glanmire	0-07	Páirc Uí Rinn

Notes

• 2006: The final went to two replays after St. Vincent's and Glanmire drew 0–09 apiece and 0–12 apiece.
• 2024: The final went to a replay after Kilshannig and Aghabullogue drew 1–14 apiece.

Roll of Honour

By club

#	Club	Titles	Runners-up	Championships won	Championships runner-up
1	St. Vincent's	2	1	2006, 2012	2008
	Valley Rovers	2	0	2009, 2014	—
	Mallow	2	0	2007, 2017	—
	Newmarket	2	0	2011, 2021	—
5	Clyda Rovers	1	3	2013	2009, 2010, 2011
	Kanturk	1	2	2022	2020, 2021
	Fermoy	1	1	2018	2016
	St. Finbarr's	1	0	2008	—
	Newcestown	1	0	2010	—
	Carrigaline	1	0	2015	—
	Kiskeam	1	0	2016	—
	Éire Óg	1	0	2019	—
	Knocknagree	1	0	2020	—
	Cill Na Martra	1	0	2023	—
	Kilshannig	1	0	2024	—
16	St Michael's	0	5	—	2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019
	Bantry Blues	0	2	—	2022, 2023
	Glanmire	0	1	—	2006
	Killavullen	0	1	—	2007
	Macroom	0	1	—	2013
	Na Piarsaigh	0	1	—	2014
	Aghabullogue	0	1	—	2024

By Division

#	Division	Titles	Runners-Up	Total	Most recent success
1	Avondhu	5	5	10	2024
	Duhallow	5	2	7	2022
3	Seandun	3	7	10	2012
	Carrigdhoun	3	0	3	2015
5	Muskerry	2	2	4	2023
6	Carbery	1	2	3	2010
7	Imokilly	0	1	1	—

Records and statistics

Final

Team

• Most wins: 2, joint record:
  • St. Vincent's (2006, 2012)
  • Mallow (2007, 2017)
  • Valley Rovers (2009, 2014)
  • Newmarket (2011, 2021)
• Most appearances in a final: 5, St. Michael's (2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019)
• Most Final appearances without ever winning: 5, St. Michael's (2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019)
• Longest gap between wins: 10 years, joint record:
  • Mallow (2007, 2017)
  • Newmarket (2011, 2021)

Top scorers

By season

Overall

Year	Top scorer	Team	Score	Total
2006	James Murphy	Glanmire	0-39	39
2007	James Murphy	Glanmire	0-21	21
2008	John Paul Murphy	St. Vincent's	0-29	29
2009	James Murphy	Glanmire	2-25	31
2010	David Drake	Carrigaline	0-39	39
2011	Nicky Flanagan	Newmarket	1-24	27
2012	Cian O'Riordan	Mallow	1-28	31
2013	Conor Horgan	Nemo Rangers	1-21	24
	Gearóid Finn	Kinsale	0-24
2014	Mícheál Ó Cróinín	Naomh Abán	2-26	32
2015	Daniel Goulding	Éire Óg	1-34	37
2016	Daniel Goulding	Éire Óg	1-36	39
2017	Daniel Goulding	Éire Óg	1-27	30
2018	Daniel Goulding	Éire Óg	3-17	26
	Maidhc Ó Duinnín	Naomh Abán	0-26
2019	Daniel Goulding	Éire Óg
2020	Fintan O'Connor	Knocknagree	0-28	28
2021	Conor O'Keeffe	Newmarket	0-32	32

See also

• Munster Intermediate Club Football Championship
• Cork Intermediate A Football Championship

References

1. Cormican, Eoghan (26 March 2019). "Here's a breakdown of the proposals to restructure the Cork county championships". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
2. "Cork clubs vote down radical restructuring proposals". RTÉ Sport. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
3. Cormican, Eoghan (14 December 2023). "Castlehaven drawn with Clonakilty and Carbery Rangers for second successive year". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
4. Horgan, John (28 July 2019). "Work on the new pitch at Páirc Uí Chaoimh is underway to take advantage of summer growth". Evening Echo. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
5. O'Callaghan, Therese (1 August 2021). "Knocknagree's meteoric rise takes them into senior ranks with victory over Kanturk". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
6. "Éire Óg edge out St Michael's to capture the Premier Intermediate Football crown". Evening Echo. 27 October 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
7. Hurley, Denis (21 October 2018). "Fermoy back in the big time Premier IFC triumph over St Michael's". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
8. O'Callaghan, Therese (16 October 2017). "Heartbreak for St Michael's as Mallow win Cork Premier Intermediate final". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
9. Horgan, Noel (29 October 2016). "Kiskeam rise to shock Fermoy". The Corkman. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
10. Hurley, Denis (19 October 2015). "Times never so sweet as Carrigaline reach promised land". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
11. Hurley, Denis (20 October 2014). "Valiant Valleys stick to their guns". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
12. "Glory at last for classy Clyda". Irish Examiner. 14 October 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
13. O'Sullivan, Jim (29 October 2012). "Courage gets Vincent's over line". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
14. "Newmarket pip Clyda and rip form book to shreds". Irish Examiner. 17 October 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
15. Lester, Bob (1 November 2010). "Newcestown back in the big time". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
16. Lester, Bob (19 October 2009). "Glory for Valley Rovers and senior status for first time". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
17. "Barr's secure senior goal". Irish Examiner. 6 October 2008. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
18. Lester, Bob (22 October 2007). "Mallow dig deep". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2017.