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Revive The All-Ireland Intermediate Championship

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Replying To perfect10:  ""With proper branding", i.e. lets try flog a dead horse.
a bit like the railway cup,this one is for the history books."
The Railway Cup was a great competition, and it was a shame it was let die the way it did. It was an honour for great footballers from unheralded counties to get picked to represent their province, mix it with the starts of their more illustrious neighbours, and potentially win a national medal. I wonder if you polled the current batch of intercounty players, how many of them would express an interest in taking part in a revival?

Tacaí Liatroma (Leitrim) - Posts: 1108 - 07/05/2023 18:07:42    2476472

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Replying To StoreysTash:  "It was a terrible competition, I think only a handful of counties took part and nobody really cared."
I seem to remember some years only us, Cork and Kilkenny entered a team? Or am I remembering that wrong?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13450 - 07/05/2023 19:45:36    2476509

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Replying To johnocarroll17:  "
Replying To CastleBravo:  "The All Ireland Intermediate HC was started in the 1960s with the weak counties playing higher counties' 2nd strings. By 1973 it was scrapped in favour of the Senior B HC.

Then in the 1990s it was revived, again with a mix of 1st and 2nd teams, but within a few years the 1st teams left. The IHC lumbered on for about 15 more years with fewer and fewer teams until 2018 when the first and only game was the AI final. Don't think it was even played last year.

So, after being tried twice and failing, what exactly has changed that would mean that "a great competition would be guaranteed" if the Intermediate hurling championship was revived with mixed 1st and 2nd teams?

Also as pointed out above, when would it be played? Does it take the place of the JMcD/CR? If it's meant to be an additional competition where would it fit in the calendar? The tendency in recent years has been towards fewer inter county games and a tighter schedule in order to accommodate club games."
I agree that the stronger counties were apathetic in the past. However, with proper branding and promotion stronger counties could use it as a development opportunity for up and coming players.

The competition would take the place of the Ring and Rackard Cups. Apart from the competing counties in the Ring and Rackard Cups nobody else appears to be interested in these competitions."
"Apart from the competing counties in the Ring and Rackard Cups nobody else appears to be interested in these competitions." The Lory Meagher Cup doesn't even get a mention by you. Is that to say that not even those in the competing counties care about those? If so, you're wrong. The lower tier cups are a great way to play at your own level and measure your progress. When Leitrim won the Lory Meagher Cup it was a big deal; perhaps not a bonfires-all-along-the-N4-to-Carrick big deal but a thing of pride for Gaels in the county nonetheless. The following year we succeeded in staying up in the Nicky Rackard Cup and contesting the semi-final. We'd never be able to assess our progress by scrapping those competitions and replacing them with a lose-once-and-you're-out knockout competition.

Tacaí Liatroma (Leitrim) - Posts: 1108 - 07/05/2023 21:18:02    2476544

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Replying To GaA247:  "Proposal…

Connacht Intermediate Hurling Championship (5)
Mayo
London
Sligo
Roscommon
Galway Intermediates

Leinster Intermediate Hurling Championship (10)
Offaly
Laois
Westmeath
Carlow
Meath
Kildare
Wicklow
Kilkenny Intermediates
Wexford Intermediates
Dublin Intermediates

Ulster Intermediate Hurling Championship (6)
Kerry
Cork Intermediates
Tipperary Intermediates
Limerick Intermediates
Clare Intermediates
Waterford Intermediates

Ulster Intermediate Hurling Championship (6)
Antrim
Down
Derry
Tyrone
Donegal
New York"
Armagh, Fermanagh, Monaghan, Cavan, Leitrim, Longford and Louth must be wondering why they've been left out.

Tacaí Liatroma (Leitrim) - Posts: 1108 - 07/05/2023 23:39:18    2476579

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Replying To Tacaí Liatroma:  "Armagh, Fermanagh, Monaghan, Cavan, Leitrim, Longford and Louth must be wondering why they've been left out."
They are junior level

Junior proposal

Connacht Junior Hurling Championship (5)
Leitrim
Warwickshire
Lancashire
Roscommon 2nd team
Galway Juniors

Leinster Junior Hurling Championship (10)
Longford
Louth
Offaly Intermediates
Laois Intermediates
Westmeath Intermediates
Carlow Intermediates
Meath Intermediates
Kilkenny Juniors
Wexford Juniors
Dublin Juniors

Munster Junior Hurling Championship (6)
Kerry Intermediates
Cork Juniors
Tipperary Juniors
Limerick Juniors
Clare Juniors
Waterford Juniors


Ulster Junior Hurling Championship (7)
Armagh
Monaghan
Fermanagh
Cavan
Antrim Intermediates
Down Intermediates
Derry Intermediates

GaA247 (Cork) - Posts: 58 - 08/05/2023 11:56:26    2476681

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What was the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship and when was it a competition?

ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1252 - 08/05/2023 12:28:11    2476698

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If its to be reintroduced and revised I'd like to see it played in a group format rather than provincial level. Top Tier counties can enter 2nd string and the teams in Joe McD can enter first teams. I think it would be a great idea to promote hurling. I remember just as a flash from the past Kerry Seniors were in this championship in Munster and Tipp only beat them by a point in the final.

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 08/05/2023 13:39:55    2476726

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Replying To ExiledInWex:  "What was the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship and when was it a competition?"
https://hoganstand.com/Forum/FindPost?MessageID=2317987 - here

Tacaí Liatroma (Leitrim) - Posts: 1108 - 08/05/2023 14:34:41    2476755

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Replying To Tacaí Liatroma:  "The Railway Cup was a great competition, and it was a shame it was let die the way it did. It was an honour for great footballers from unheralded counties to get picked to represent their province, mix it with the starts of their more illustrious neighbours, and potentially win a national medal. I wonder if you polled the current batch of intercounty players, how many of them would express an interest in taking part in a revival?"
Actually, forget the footballers; you can be sure that every once in a while, each of Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon produce a hurler that would make it onto the Galway team. It's inevitable. They'd bite your hand off for a shot at national glory without a doubt. Ditto Kerry in Munster, a bunch of counties in Leinster and all of Ulster.

Tacaí Liatroma (Leitrim) - Posts: 1108 - 09/05/2023 01:10:09    2476917

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The current joe McDonagh and Christy ring teams could be used as the eligible counties for the intermediate championship. Intermediate teams of Liam McCarthy counties can also be added to bulk up the provincial championships.

Straight knockout to reduce fixtures and the 4 provincial champions meet in the all Ireland Intermediate semi-finals

Munster (6)
Kerry
Cork B
Tipperary B
Limerick B
Clare B
Waterford B

Leinster (9)
Westmeath
Offaly
Laois
Meath
Kildare
Wicklow
Kilkenny B
Wexford B
Dublin B

Connacht (4)
Sligo
London
New York
Galway B

Ulster (4)
Down
Derry
Tyrone
Antrim B

GaA247 (Cork) - Posts: 58 - 05/01/2024 02:37:46    2518427

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As Viking points out (we agree on some things), there was no interest in it at all.

The gulf between a Dublin B team even and a Cats B team (lads who never hurled inter county championship) would be even vaster than the current gap. So extrapolate from that to the other "Leinster" counties.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2992 - 05/01/2024 08:55:23    2518435

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Replying To Viking66:  "I seem to remember some years only us, Cork and Kilkenny entered a team? Or am I remembering that wrong?"
In reply to yourself and StoreysTash -

2014 is the year that Tash is thinking of. Wexford and Kilkenny were the only Leinster teams to enter. Wexford won that Leinster Final and went through to play Cork in the All-Ireland Final in Nowlan Park, where we were beaten. But at least that year, there was a full Munster Championship, with the Munster winners playing Galway in an All-Ireland semi-final too.

2017 is the year you're thinking of. Wexford and Kilkenny were the only Leinster teams, and Kilkenny won that Leinster Final. Cork were the only other team to enter and so they were straight into the All-Ireland Final, where Kilkenny beat them as well.

In 2018, Cork and Kilkenny were the only two teams to enter, so the only match played was the All-Ireland Final.

No competition in 2019 or any year since then, and absolutely no appetite to revive it either.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2503 - 05/01/2024 09:33:43    2518441

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "As Viking points out (we agree on some things), there was no interest in it at all.

The gulf between a Dublin B team even and a Cats B team (lads who never hurled inter county championship) would be even vaster than the current gap. So extrapolate from that to the other "Leinster" counties."
We agree on most of the really important things Barney. Like hurling!

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13450 - 05/01/2024 09:40:58    2518443

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Replying To WildPundit:  "If its to be reintroduced and revised I'd like to see it played in a group format rather than provincial level. Top Tier counties can enter 2nd string and the teams in Joe McD can enter first teams. I think it would be a great idea to promote hurling. I remember just as a flash from the past Kerry Seniors were in this championship in Munster and Tipp only beat them by a point in the final."
The intermediate championship could almost mirror the tailteann cup only with second teams of the big counties

The groups could look like….

Group A
Clare (2nd team)
Derry
Kilkenny (2nd team)
Westmeath

Group B
Cork (2nd team)
Galway (2nd team)
Kildare
Laois

Group C
Down
Offaly
Tipperary (2nd team)
Waterford (2nd team)

Group D
Kerry
Limerick (2nd team)
Meath
Wexford (2nd team)

New York could even enter in the preliminary quarter finals like they do in the football

GaA247 (Cork) - Posts: 58 - 11/01/2024 02:00:03    2519521

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "As Viking points out (we agree on some things), there was no interest in it at all.

The gulf between a Dublin B team even and a Cats B team (lads who never hurled inter county championship) would be even vaster than the current gap. So extrapolate from that to the other "Leinster" counties."
I think interest would come if there were proper promotion and relegation involved in the championship

The Ring cup, Rackard cup etc has become more interesting with guaranteed promotion for the winners and relegation at stake

And also, an intermediate championship would give the opportunities for up and coming players from counties such as Cork Kilkenny and the other tier 1 counties to get inter county experience albeit at intermediate level

GaA247 (Cork) - Posts: 58 - 11/01/2024 02:03:50    2519522

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Presume Tom Smith created this thread of absolute nonsense

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1840 - 13/01/2024 13:36:57    2519980

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