| Laois Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship | |
| Irish: | Craobh Príomh-Idirmheánach Iomáint Laoise |
| Code: | Hurling |
| Region: | Laois |
| Trophy: | Dick Palmer Cup |
| Teams: | 8 |
| Title Holders: | Portlaoise |
| Currentordinal: | 1 |
| Super: | st |
| Sponsors: | Laois Shopping Centre |
| Website: | Laois gaa |
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 Club Championship.
The title has been won by four different clubs, none of which have won the title more than once. Portlaoise are the title holders after defeating Ballyfin by 0–19 to 0–10 in the 2023 final.[1]
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]
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.
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.
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.
| Club | Location | Colours | Championship titles | Last championship title | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballinakill | Ballinakill | Maroon and white | 1 | 2021 | |
| Ballyfin | Ballyfin | Green and white | 0 | — | |
| Camross | Coolrain | Black and amber | 0 | — | |
| Clonaslee–St Manman's | Clonaslee | Red and white | 0 | — | |
| Clough–Ballacolla | Clough and Ballacolla | Blue and gold | 0 | — | |
| Portlaoise | Portlaoise | Green and white | 1 | 2023 | |
| Rathdowney–Errill | Rathdowney and Errill | Red, white and green | 0 | — | |
| Slieve Bloom | Mountrath | Orange and white | 0 | — |
Laois Shopping Centre became the first title sponsor of the championship in 2020.[4]
At the end of the championship, the winning team qualify to the subsequent Leinster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship, the winner of which progresses to the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Hurling Championship.
| Year | Winners | Runners-up | Venue | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Score | Club | Score | ||||
| 2020 | The Harps | 1-18 | Portlaoise | 2-12 | MW Hire O'Moore Park | [5] | |
| 2021 | Ballinakill | 2-14 | Ballyfin | 1-14 | MW Hire O'Moore Park | [6] | |
| 2022 | Abbeyleix St Lazarian's | 1-24 | Clonaslee | 0-13 | MW Hire O'Moore Park | [7] | |
| 2023 | Portlaoise | 0-19 | Ballyfin | 0-10 | Laois Hire O'Moore Park | ||
| Club | Titles | Years won | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Harps | 1 | 2020 | |
| Ballinakill | 1 | 2021 | |
| Abbeyleix St Lazarian's | 1 | 2022 | |
| Portlaoise | 1 | 2023 |