Carlow Junior Hurling Championship
In-game article clicks load inline without leaving the challenge.
The Carlow Junior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the JJ Kavanagh and Sons Junior Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Carlow JHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Carlow County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association for the third tier hurling teams in the county of Carlow in Ireland.
In its current format, the Carlow Intermediate Championship begins with a group stage. The six participating club teams play each other in a round-robin system. The four top-ranking teams proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the final match at Netwatch Cullen Park.
Bagenalstown Gaels are the title holders after defeating Ballinkillen by 1-11 to 0-13 in the 2024 final.
History
When Carlow's top tier hurling competition was granted senior status in 1960, a new Junior Hurling Championship was created. This was Carlow's second tier competition until 1984 when it became the third tier competition after the creation of the Intermediate Hurling Championship.
Format
Group stage
Seven clubs start in the group stage. Over the course of the group stage, each team plays once against the others in the group, resulting in each team being guaranteed six group games and one bye round. 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 four teams qualify for the knockout stage.
Knockout stage
Semi-finals: The top four teams from the group stage contest this round. First place plays fourth place and second place plays third place. 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
At the end of the championship, the winning team is automatically promoted to the Carlow Intermediate Hurling Championship for the following season.
Teams
2026 Teams
Eight teams competed in the 2025 Carlow Senior Hurling Championship:
| Team | Location | Colours | Position in 2025 | In championship since | Championship titles | Last championship title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballinkillen | Ballinkillen | Blue and gold | Runners-up | 2022 | 6 | 2020 |
| Burren Rangers | Kilbride | Green and white | Shield runners-up | 2025 | 1 | 2024 |
| Carlow Town | Carlow | White and blue | Semi-finals | ? | ? | ? |
| Mount Leinster Rangers | Borris | Black and red | Semi-finals | ? | ? | ? |
| Naomh Bríd | Leighlinbridge | Maroon and white | Shield champions | ? | ? | ? |
| Naomh Eoin | Myshall | Black and amber | Relegated from Intermediate | 2026 | ? | ? |
| Setanta | Carlow | Purple, green and gold | Shield semi-finals | 2025 | 0 | — |
| St Mullin's | St Mullin's | Green and white | Shield semi-finals | ? | ? | 2022 |
2024 teams
| Club | Location | Colours | Position in 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballinkillen | Ballinkillin | Blue and gold | Semi-finals |
| Burren Rangers | Kilbride | White and green | Champions |
| Carlow Town | Carlow | White and blue | Champions (Shield) |
| Mount Leinster Rangers | Borris | Black and red | Runners-up |
| Naomh Bríd | Leighlinbridge | Maroon and white | Runners-up (Shield) |
| Naomh Eoin | Myshall | Black and yellow | Group stage |
| St Mullin's | St Mullin's | Green and white | Semi-finals |
Qualification for subsequent competitions
At the end of the championship, the winning team qualify to the subsequent Leinster Junior Club Hurling Championship.
Trophy and medals
The Martin Grennan Cup is the current prize for winning the championship. It was presented in June 2023 in memory of Martin Grennan who was a member of the St Mullin's club. Joint-captains Ian St Ledger and Pádraig Ryan from the Kildavin/Clonegal club were the first recipients of the cup. In accordance with GAA rules, the County Board awards a set of gold medals to the championship winners.
List of finals
List of Carlow JHC finals
| Year | Winners | Runners-up | Venue | # | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Score | Club | Score | |||
| 2025 | Bagenalstown Gaels | 1-11 | Ballinkillen | 0-13 | Netwatch Cullen Park | |
| 2024 | Burren Rangers | 1-18 | Mount Leinster Rangers | 2-10 | Netwatch Cullen Park | |
| 2023 | Kildavin/Clonegal | 1-18 | Mount Leinster Rangers | 1-07 | Netwatch Cullen Park | |
| 2022 | St Mullin's | 3-09 | Burren Rangers | 2-07 | Netwatch Cullen Park | |
| 2021 | ||||||
| 2020 | Ballinkillen | |||||
| 2013–2020 | ||||||
| 2012 | Ballinkillen | |||||
| 2009–2011 | ||||||
| 2008 | Ballinkillen | |||||
| 2006–2007 | ||||||
| 2005 | Ballinkillen | |||||
| 2004 | Carlow Town | |||||
| 2002–2003 | ||||||
| 2001 | Palatine | |||||
| 2000 | ||||||
| 1999 | Carlow Town | |||||
| 1998 | Ballinkillen | |||||
| 1991–1997 | ||||||
| 1990 | Palatine | |||||
| 1989 | ||||||
| 1988 | Carlow Town | |||||
| 1984–1987 | ||||||
| 1983 | Palatine | |||||
| 1980–1982 | ||||||
| 1979 | Carlow Town | |||||
| 1972–1978 | ||||||
| 1971 | Ballinkillen | |||||
| 1970 | Palatine | |||||
| 1966–1969 | ||||||
| 1965 | Palatine | |||||
| 1960–1964 |
See also
- Carlow Senior Hurling Championship (Tier 1)
- Carlow Intermediate Hurling Championship (Tier 2)
- Carlow Junior Hurling Shield (Tier 4)