Club Championships 2025

[Armagh18]

Not sure if it was mentioned but it's very poor work from the GAA that there was only a week between the semi's and finals for the junior and intermediate teams.

Honestly think it would have been much fairer on all the teams and lead to better games if there were a two weeks gap. I didn't see the hurling games so can't comment on those but I'd say if you asked all 8 clubs they would have been massively in favour of having a 2 weeks gap.

I thought in the intermediate it really looked noticeable in the second half that both teams were running on fumes down the straight - both teams reminded me of two punch-drunk fighters who barely had the energy to throw a punch - some of the mistakes made on both sides looked very much like the sort you see lads make when tired. Also I thought in the junior a lot of Cloghter's wide in the second half looked to be from lads who were struggling for energy.

Yeah it surely would help the quality and even for the club/communities as a whole, allow a bit of build up and excitement as it's a day that'll likely never happen again for them.

[ClubScene13]

Are people simple or what? League and championship are totally spearate in Kerry, played at different times of year, one with county players/one without.

Personally have no real issue with league and championship being separate. Kerry should have more than 8 senior clubs though. But that's their choice until something is done about it.

Why can't they have 16 clubs in the senior club championship? Then let the 16 teams compete for 8 slots along with 8 amalgamtions for the county championship.

There are 9 Senior clubs, going up to 10 next year. Tried to make it 12 with 8 divisional teams but Croke park wouldn't allow it.

That's the best shout I've seen on this.

Kerry have 12 junior All Ireland's from 24 since it was a competition, 8 out of 22 in intermediate.

To have 60 clubs, a record like that in AI competition and only put forward a handful of clubs as senior I don't know what the defence is. Same conversation takes place every year. 100% works well with the divisional teams but 16 down to 8 in some sort of round robin or 1st round before the divisional teams enter would soon fix a lot of it.

Dingle on the other hand is a serious achievement and would be a great story if they win it, good luck to them

[general_lee]

Everyone I've talked to in Cork is pretty much unanimous that their club competitions have improved hugely from the change to an increased number of tiers with smaller numbers in each tier. I'd love to see all counties (exact the smallest) have 4 tiers in their championships, even though I can't see any county managing to get the votes to ever pass this.

Armagh did something similar with the league structure - the leagues were condensed into divisions of 8 teams (competitive, linked to championship, no dead rubbers and competition is taken seriously)

Also last year brought in a Junior B Championship, somewhat foolishly restricted it to IIs teams only (who were then unceremoniously voted out of the All County Leagues to go and form their own league - make it make sense)

[gallsman]

The idea that all counties divide their championships in 3 is demonstrably rubbish. Senior A, Premier Intermediate, Premier Junior etc exist all over the place. "Novice" in Kerry is just what wind be called Junior B elsewhere.

[blanketattack]

Apparently after the ceremony, Julia Roberts was complaining that the Kerry club competition structure gave Jessie Buckley an unfair advantage in the Golden Globes.

[Armagh18]

The idea that all counties divide their championships in 3 is demonstrably rubbish. Senior A, Premier Intermediate, Premier Junior etc exist all over the place. "Novice" in Kerry is just what wind be called Junior B elsewhere.

Their novice level is probably closer to intermediate in most counties

[Stall the Bailer]

The idea that all counties divide their championships in 3 is demonstrably rubbish. Senior A, Premier Intermediate, Premier Junior etc exist all over the place. "Novice" in Kerry is just what wind be called Junior B elsewhere.

Can you demonstrate how it is rubbish? How many others do it like Kerry, where 25% of clubs (not teams) don't play in 3 grades of championship?

[Milltown Row2]

The idea that all counties divide their championships in 3 is demonstrably rubbish. Senior A, Premier Intermediate, Premier Junior etc exist all over the place. "Novice" in Kerry is just what wind be called Junior B elsewhere.

Ordinary Junior and Intermediate in those counties have always been in place, they have the numbers and teams available to do that. Some counties like Antrim only have Junior b in Hurling, but could rightly have Junior B in football..

Those counties only send their A competition winners into the provincial and All Ireland series, so winning Junior b one year enables you to compete in the premier level the next year..

That's good for those counties and it works for various reasons, but there is no real level playing field below Senior A grade when it gets to the knock out provincial stages, I think most can agree its a sticking point for many, and plenty of reasons have been given but I'd say the majority across the GAA will say a wee tweak here and there could improve it.

I think the lower competitions have been brilliant BTW so not knocking them but the association should always be looking at these 

We don't see anything wrong with div 1 only teams playing Championship club when it gets to these stages, so having div 2 teams playing intermediate at the club all Ireland should be grand, the counties will still have teams representing them but they must be working at fairer level.

In football Kerry have more than the lions share of titles, same can be said for Kilkenny for the hurling in the lower levels but they don't dominate like Kerry, otherwise we'll have this repetition of posts every year

[Blowitupref]

Not sure if it was mentioned but it's very poor work from the GAA that there was only a week between the semi's and finals for the junior and intermediate teams.

Yes should be a two week break prep time like they get in the senior final. What was stopping them from scheduling the Junior and intermediate finals for Saturday the 18th? 

[Milltown Row2]

Not sure if it was mentioned but it's very poor work from the GAA that there was only a week between the semi's and finals for the junior and intermediate teams.

Yes should be a two week break prep time like they get in the senior final. What was stopping them from scheduling the Junior and intermediate finals for Saturday the 18th? 

That's the day before the Senior and while Croke is in some order, its better to have it in its best conditions, weather this time of year also plays a part.

Back to the original dates would be best

[Blowitupref]

Not sure if it was mentioned but it's very poor work from the GAA that there was only a week between the semi's and finals for the junior and intermediate teams.

Yes should be a two week break prep time like they get in the senior final. What was stopping them from scheduling the Junior and intermediate finals for Saturday the 18th? 

That's the day before the Senior and while Croke is in some order, its better to have it in its best conditions, weather this time of year also plays a part.

Back to the original dates would be best

Have you already forgotten the Junior,Intermediate hurling finals was played in Croke Park on Saturday or does the senior football final get more special treatment than the Intermediate,Junior finals?

Going back to the original dates isn't going to work when county teams are focused on promotion and avoiding relegation in the NFL. Best would be playing semi-finals in December and finals in played the first two weekends in January.