PROFILED: Laois GAA Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship club-by-club guide

With the Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship due to get underway on Wednesday evening, we’ve done a profile on the eight Laois GAA clubs competing in the 2026 championship.

GROUP A

Clonad

​Manager – David O’Brien

Selectors – Liam Ahern, Seorise Conroy, Pat Cahill

Captain – Jimmy Farrell

New Players- Shane Cahill, Sean Holland, Daniel Thornton

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons- PJ Daly (emigration)

Last year – Intermediate Hurling champions

Star player – Fionn Holland

Key players – David O’Brien and John Onions

Prospects – Clonad had a great year in 2025, winning the Intermediate Hurling Championship. They’ve been drawn into a tricky group and will be looking to reach a quarter-final at the very least on their first year up at this grade in quite some time.

Clonaslee St Manman’s

Manager- Glen McEvoy

Selector/ Coach- Chris Murray

Selectors- Damien Lalor & Martin Fallon

Captain- TBC

New Players- Shane McCann, Paul Mulhall

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons- James Young & Rory Conroy have retired from last year's team. Jack Owens is out for the year. Cathal Lee returned back from the county injured and may be out for 6/7 weeks. Tom Smith, who was the top-scorer for the previous two seasons, is on J1 in Chicago and may be back for the closing stages of the championship.

Last year – Quarter-Finals

Star player – Bob Downey

Key players – Niall Corbet, Liam Senior

Prospects – Clonaslee St Manman’s were unlucky not to get into the last four in 2025 after Camross beat them by two points in the quarter-final. The injuries to Jack Owens and Cathal Lee, along with Tom Smith being in America, could leave them in a tricky situation in qualifying out of the group.

Camross

Manager – Brendan Lowry

Selectors – Fintan Palmer and Eugene LaCumbre

Captain – Andrew Collier

New Players- Bryan Bredin, who transferred from Trumera to Camross in January, is graded Premier Intermediate

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons- None.

Last year – Semi-Finalists

Star player – Darrell Dooley

Key players – Ryan Cuddy, Kevin Byrne

Prospects – Camross’ second team are always there and thereabouts in this grade. They’ve reached the last four in the last two years. They probably should have been in the Division 2 final, only for Colt-Shanahoe scoring two late goals. Will be hoping they don’t lose too many to the seniors.

Mountmellick

Manager – Damian Walsh

Selectors – Aidan Challoner, John McEvoy, Darren Young and John Payne

Captain – Laurence Kenny

New Players- Eli Colbert, Jack Mahon and Ciaran Connell

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons- Likely to be without Dan Grehan. Hoping to get Mick Bermingham and Nigel Murphy back during the year. Colin McEvoy unlikely to play due to work commitments.

Last year – Semi-Finalists

Star player – Pete Culleton

Key players – Jarlath Connolly, Finn Culleton

Prospects – Were knocked out of the championship by Rathdowney-Errill after waiting six weeks to play the semi-final after the timing issue with Colt-Shanahoe and Rathdowney-Erril in the quarter-final. Will be in the conversation for likely winners.

Round 1 Fixtures:

Camross v Mountmellick at 7.30pm in Slieve Bloom GAA on Wednesday, July 15.

Clonad v Clonaslee St Manman’s at 7.45pm in the LOETB Centre of Excellence on Wednesday, July 15.

GROUP B

Clough/Ballacolla

Manager - Liam Dunne

Selectors - Brendan Mc Evoy, James Conway & John Fitzpatrick

Captain - Sean Corby

New Players- Same as Senior. John Coonan (Canice's son) and Kyle Handcock also, CJ Brennan should feature here too; younger brother of Podge. The return of John Dwyer from Australia massive boost in the forwards. Has played lots of league between senior and premier intermediate.

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons- No retirements either, just some lads have opted to drop down a grade. Finbar Conway is in Australia so won't feature again this year. The only injury is long-term since last year's championship. Tommy Brennan, who suffered a bad leg break last summer in O’Moore Park against Borris-Kilcotton. He is back in training and it is hoped he will return to the field as soon as possible.

Last year – Relegation finalists

Star player – Kevin Hyland

Key players – Podge Brennan

Prospects – Always tricky for second teams in this competition as one injury to a senior player and you’ve lost one of your stars. Clough/Ballacolla survived a relegation final against Abbeyleix last year. Good few young lads up this year, but have been drawn into a tricky group.

​Colt-Shanahoe

Manager - Niall Holmes

Selectors - Tony Ryan and Michael Bergin

Captain - Arran McGowan

New Players- Panel is pretty much the same as last year

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons- Brian Gulfoyle is no longer available.

Last year – Quarter-Finalists

Star player – James Keyes

Key players – Nathan Dunne, Dylan Cuddy

Prospects – This is their third year playing at this grade after winning Intermediate in 2023. Their first year in 2024 saw them survive a Relegation Final against Clough/Ballacolla and then last year they reached the quarter-finals, but lost out to Rathdowney-Errill. That game had to be replayed after referee Patrick Phelan blew the full-time whistle ahead of time.

​Castletown

Manager – Ger Cuddy

Selectors - Damien Brophy and Padraig Cuddy

Hurling Coach- Cathal McNamara

Captain - John Gaughan

New Players- Two lads up from minor, Tom Og Phelan and Dan Whelan

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons- Conor Phelan is back from Australia. Aaron Phelan has now gone to America and Ciaran McKelvey has transferred to a club in Louth.

Last year – Relegated from senior

Star player – Kyron Cuddy

Key players – Ryan Mullaney, Jack Breen

Prospects – Relegated from last year’s Senior Championship by Portlaoise. They’ll be favourites to return to Laois’ top table for 2027. Should finish top of the group with ease.

​Rathdowney-Errill

Manager - Sean O’Dea

Selectors- Oisin Barry, Peadar Cleary & Shane Dollard

Captains- Jimmy Corrigan & Joe Fitzpatrick

New players - Killian Carroll and Harry Campion

Retirements- Shane Dollard, who has joined the management team.

Last year – Premier IHC Finalists

Star player – Paddy Hassett

Key players – Aaron Costigan, Micheal Cleary

Prospects – Will come into the championship in great form after winning ACHL Division 2 by beating Ballinakill. Reached the final last year and caused an upset by beating Mountmellick in the semi-final.

Round 1 Fixtures:

Clough/Ballacolla v Colt-Shanahoe at 7.30pm in Trumera on Wednesday, July 15

Castletown v Rathdowney-Errill at 7.30pm in the LOETB Centre of Excellence on Wednesday, July 15.