Placings just as important as silverware in Clare Junior Hurling Championships

With the Junior B and C Hurling Championships commencing this weekend, winning isn’t everything as the emphasis is equally on placings ahead of next year’s adult hurling championship restructure.
Following the ratification of the Clare Hurling Structures Review Committee’s proposal in December, the introduction of Premier Intermediate and Junior B Championships for 2025 will extended the adult hurling championships to an unprecedented eight tiers in a bid to increase the number of meaningful matches, improve player retention as well as the attractiveness of the club championships.
While the senior race for the Canon Hamilton remains the same 16 team competition, the remaining seven grades (Premier Junior C and Junior C depending on numbers) will be ten team championships split into two groups of five, with the group winners progressing to semi-finals while the second and third placed teams in each group face off in quarter-finals.
With every match, minute and score potentially decisive, it should make for some exciting fare over the next two months.

2025 Adult Hurling Championship Formats

Senior
Comprised of 16 teams
• Top 15 teams from 2024 Senior.
• 2024 Intermediate champions.

Format – 16 teams divided into four groups of four, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals (Group winner v Group runner-up).
Relegation – The bottom team in each group will enter the relegation play-offs, with a draw to determine two matches in which the losers of both to play each other in a demotion decider that will confirm which one team is relegated to Premier Intermediate for 2026.

Premier Intermediate (new)
Comprised of 10 teams
• 7 remaining Intermediate quarter-finals from 2024.
• 1 team relegated from 2024 senior.
• Winners of two play-offs involving the third placed teams in 2024 Intermediate groups.

Format – 10 teams divided into two groups of five, with the group winners to advance directly to the semi-finals and the second and third placed teams to contest quarter-finals (Group 1 Runners-Up v Group 2 Third Placed Team, Group 2 Runners-Up v Group 1 Third Placed Team).
The Premier Intermediate winners are promoted to Senior for 2026.
Relegation – The bottom teams from both groups face each other, with the loser relegated to Intermediate for 2026.

Intermediate
Comprised of 10 teams
• 2 third placed play-off losers from 2024 intermediate.
• 4 fourth placed intermediate teams.
• 4 semi-finalists from 2024 Junior A.

Format – 10 teams divided into two groups of five, with the group winners to advance directly to the semi-finals and the second and third placed teams to contest quarter-finals (Group 1 Runners-Up v Group 2 Third Placed Team, Group 2 Runners-Up v Group 1 Third Placed Team).
The Intermediate winners are promoted to Premier Intermediate for 2026.
Relegation – The bottom teams from both groups face each other, with the loser relegated to Junior A for 2026.

Junior A
Comprised of 10 teams
• 4 losing quarter-finalists from 2024 Junior A.
• 5 remaining 2024 Junior A teams after relegation team confirmed to 2025 Premior Junior.
• 2024 Junior B winners.

Format – 10 teams divided into two groups of five, with the group winners to advance directly to the semi-finals and the second and third placed teams to contest quarter-finals (Group 1 Runners-Up v Group 2 Third Placed Team, Group 2 Runners-Up v Group 1 Third Placed Team).
The Junior A winners are promoted to Intermediate for 2026.
Relegation – The bottom teams from both groups face each other, with the loser relegated to Premier Junior B for 2026.

Premier Junior B
(new)
Comprised of 10 teams
• Relegated team from 2024 Junior A.
• 7 remaining quarter-finals from 2024 Junior B after winners promoted to Junior A.
• 2 winners of play-offs between the 4 third placed teams in 2024 Junior B.

Format – 10 teams divided into two groups of five, with the group winners to advance directly to the semi-finals and the second and third placed teams to contest quarter-finals (Group 1 Runners-Up v Group 2 Third Placed Team, Group 2 Runners-Up v Group 1 Third Placed Team).
The Premer Junior B winners are promoted to Junior A for 2026.
Relegation – The bottom teams from both groups face each other, with the loser relegated to Junior B for 2026.

Junior B
Comprised of 10 teams
• 8 remainng teams from 2024 Junior B.
• 2 2024 Premier Junior C finalists.

Format – 10 teams divided into two groups of five, with the group winners to advance directly to the semi-finals and the second and third placed teams to contest quarter-finals (Group 1 Runners-Up v Group 2 Third Placed Team, Group 2 Runners-Up v Group 1 Third Placed Team).
The Junior B winners are promoted to Premier Junior B for 2026.
Relegation – The bottom teams from both groups face each other, with the loser relegated to Premier Junior C for 2026.

Premier Junior C
Comprised of 10 teams (based on 2024 team numbers)
• 6 losing semi-finalists & quarter-finalists from 2024 Premier Junior C.
• 4 Third placed teams from 2024 Premier Junior C groups.

Format – 10 teams divided into two groups of five, with the group winners to advance directly to the semi-finals and the second and third placed teams to contest quarter-finals (Group 1 Runners-Up v Group 2 Third Placed Team, Group 2 Runners-Up v Group 1 Third Placed Team).
The Premier Junior C winners are promoted to Junior B for 2026.
Relegation – The bottom teams from both groups face each other, with the loser relegated to Junior C for 2026.

Junior C
Comprised of 8 teams (based on 2024 team numbers)
• 4 fourth placed teams from 2024 Premier Junior C group.
• 4 2024 Junior teams.

Format – 8 teams divided into two groups of four, with the top two teams from each to advance to the semi-finals.
The Junior C winners are promoted to Premier Junior C for 2026.