Kilkenny Premier Junior Hurling Championship

The Kilkenny Premier Junior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the JJ Kavanagh & Sons Premier Junior Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Kilkenny PJHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association and contested by the top-ranking junior clubs in the county of Kilkenny in Ireland. It is the third tier overall in the entire Kilkenny hurling championship system.

Kilkenny Premier Junior Hurling Championship
Current season or competition: 2024 Kilkenny Premier Junior Hurling Championship
Irish	Craobh Iomána Príomh-Shóisear Chill Chainnigh
Code	Hurling
Founded	1905; 120 years ago (1905)
Region	Kilkenny (GAA)
Trophy	Bob Aylward Cup
No. of teams	22
Title holders	St Lachtain's (3rd title)
Most titles	Mooncoin (7 titles)
Sponsors	JJ Kavanagh & Sons
Official website	Official website

Introduced in 1905 as the Kilkenny Junior Hurling Championship for teams deemed not eligible for the senior grade or second-string senior teams, it eventually became a divisional competition with the North and South champions playing each other for the county title. At the time of its creation it was the second tier of Kilkenny hurling. The competition took on its current name in 2022, when the entire junior hurling championship system was reformed.

In its current format, the Kilkenny Premier Junior Championship is played across the autumn months. The participating teams are split into Section A and Section B and engage in a knockout competition that culminates with the final at UPMC Nowlan Park.

Mooncoin is the most successful team in the tournament's history, having won it seven times. St Lachtain's are the current champions after beating Windgap in the 2024 final.

History

The Kilkenny Junior Championship was established in 1905 in an effort to provide meaningful competition for the increased number of teams that had been created in Kilkenny.^[1] It remained the second tier of Kilkenny hurling until the creation of the Kilkenny Intermediate Championship in 1929. For over a century, the Kilkenny Junior Championship was played on a divisional basis. Individual junior championships were organised by the North Board and the South Board, with the two winners playing off for the county title. This format was replaced by a countywide championship in 2011.^[2] The competition was rebranded as the Kilkenny Premier Junior Hurling Championship in 2022.^[3]

Format

Section A

12 teams participate in Section A. It comprises junior-grade clubs represented by their first-team panels. A teams finishing position in the Kilkenny Premier Junior Hurling League determines at what stage they enter the championship. Three teams from this section qualify for the Combined Section.

Round 1: The eight teams ranked 3–6 in the two league groups contest this round. Four matches are played with two winning teams advancing to Round 2 and the other two winning teams receiving byes to the quarter-finals.

Round 2: The two teams ranked in second place in the two league groups and two round 1-winning teams contest this round. Two matches are played with the two winning teams advancing to the quarter-finals.

Quarter-finals: The league finalists, two winning teams from Round 1 and two winning teams from Round 2 contest this round. Three matches are played with the three winning teams progressing to the Combined Section.

Section B

10 teams participate in Section B. It comprises senior and intermediate-grade clubs represented by their second-team panels. One team from this section qualify for the Combined Section.

Preliminary round: Two teams drawn at random contest this round. Two matches are played with two winning teams advancing to the quarter-finals.

Quarter-finals: The two preliminary round winners and six other teams contest this round. Four matches are played with the four winning teams advancing to the semi-finals.

Semi-finals: The four quarter-final winners contest this round. Two matches are played with the two winning teams advancing to the final.

Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared section champions and progress to the Combined Section.

Combined section

Semi-finals: Four teams qualify for this section; the three Section A quarter-final winners and the Section B winners. Two matches are played with the two winning teams advancing to the final.^[4]

Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions.^[5]

2024 Teams

The 22 teams competing in the 2024 Kilkenny Premier Junior Hurling Championship are:

Team	Location	Colours	Championship section	Position in 2024	Championship titles	Last championship title
Ballyhale Shamrocks	Ballyhale, Knocktopher and Knockmoylan	White and Green	B	Quarter-finals (Section B)	1	1973
Barrow Rangers	Paulstown	Blue and white	A	Quarter-finals (Section A)	3	1990
Clara	Clara	Maroon and White	B	Preliminary round (Section B)	2	1977
Cloneen	Cloneen	?	A	Round 1 (Section A)	0	—
Dicksboro	Palmerstown	Maroon and white	B	Quarter-finals (Section B)	3	1919
Emeralds	Urlingford	Green and white	A	Semi-finals	1	2001
Erin's Own	Castlecomer	Blue and white	B	Semi-finals (Section B)	1	1958
Galmoy	Galmoy	Blue and white	A	Quarter-finals (Section A)	3	2004
Graignamanagh	Graiguenamanagh	Green and white	A	Quarter-finals (Section A)	1	1972
James Stephens	Kilkenny	Green and red	B	Semi-finals	4	2000
John Locke's	Callan	Saffron and blue	A	Round 1 (Section A)	4	2017
Kilmacow	Kilmacow	?	A	Round 1 (Section A)	0	—
Lisdowney	Lisdowney	Blue and white	B	Quarter-finals (Section B)	2	2013
Mooncoin	Mooncoin	Green and white	B	Preliminary round (Section B)	7	2021
O'Loughlin Gaels	St John's Parish	White and green	B	Runners-up (Section B)	3	2019
Piltown	Pilltown	Amber and black	A	Round 2 (Section A)	3	2003
Rower–Inistioge	Inistioge	Green and red	B	Quarter-finals (Section B)	2	1963
Slieverue	Slieverue	Black and amber	A	Round 2 (Section A)	1	1950
St Lachtain's	Freshford	Black and amber	A	Champions	3	2024
St Patrick's	Ballyragget	Maroon and white	A	Round 1 (Section A)	2	2011
Thomastown	Thomastown	Blue and white	B	Semi-finals (Section B)	5	2012
Windgap	Windgap	Red and white	A	Runners-up	2	1986

Qualification for subsequent competitions

The Kilkenny Premier Junior Championship winners quality for the subsequent Leinster Junior Club Hurling Championship. Kilkenny clubs have dominated the competition and have won a total of 17 titles from the competition's inception in 2000.^[6] Tullogher–Rosbercon were the most recent Kilkenny representatives to win the provincial title.^[7]

Trophy

The winning team is presented with the Bob Aylward Cup. Born in Mullinavat, County Kilkenny, Bob Aylward (1911–1974) was part of the Kilkenny senior hurling team that won the All-Ireland SHC title in 1939.^[8] He later served as chairman of the Kilkenny County Board and was a member of Seanad Éireann until his death.

Sponsorship

JJ Kavanagh & Sons have been the long-time sponsors of the Kilkenny Premier Junior Hurling Championship.^[9]

Roll of honour

#	Club	Titles	Championships won
1	Mooncoin	7	1908, 1920, 1937, 1942, 1961, 2016, 2021
2	Tullogher Rosbercon	6	1957, 1989, 1992, 1997, 2008, 2023
3	Thomastown	5	1927, 1945, 1962, 2005, 2012
	Glenmore	5	1923, 1953, 1980, 1991, 2015
5	Mullinavat	4	1915, 1916, 1939, 1984
	Carrickshock	4	1928, 1954, 1979, 1999
	James Stephens	4	1924, 1929, 1955, 2000
	Bennettsbridge	4	1935, 1948, 1951, 2014
	John Locke's	4	1911, 1987, 2010, 2017
	Blacks & Whites	4	1998, 2002, 2009, 2022
11	St Lachtain's	3	1959, 1993, 2024
	Barrow Rangers	3	1982, 1988, 1990
	Dicksboro	3	1910, 1914, 1919
	Piltown	3	1981, 1996, 2003
	Galmoy	3	1949, 1966, 2004
	Danesfort	3	1925, 1930, 2006
	O'Loughlin Gaels	3	1975, 1995, 2019
	Conahy Shamrocks	3	1976, 2007, 2020
18	Dunnamaggin	2	1994, 2018
	North Selection	2	1932, 1934
	Rower-Instioge	2	1944, 1963
	Knocktopher	2	1931, 1965
	Clara	2	1969, 1977
	Graigue-Ballycallan	2	1946, 1985
	Windgap	2	1970, 1986
	St Patrick's, Ballyraggett	2	1978, 2011
	Lisdowney	2	1960, 2013
28	Owen Ruas (Urlingford)	1	1905
	Erins Own (City)	1	1906
	Mong	1	1913
	South Selection	1	1933
	Eire Og	1	1936
	Ballyline	1	1938
	Threecastles	1	1940
	Hugginstown	1	1941
	Stoneyford	1	1943
	Johnstown-Urlingford	1	1947
	Slieverue	1	1950
	St Senan's, Kilmacow	1	1956
	Erin's Own	1	1958
	Young Irelands	1	1964
	Coon	1	1967
	Fenians	1	1968
	Newpark Shamrocks	1	1971
	Graignamanagh	1	1972
	Ballyhale Shamrocks	1	1973
	Muckalee/Ballyfoyle Rangers	1	1974
	Tullaroan	1	1983
	Emeralds	1	2001

List of finals

Legend

• Gold – All-Ireland junior club champions
• Silver – All-Ireland junior club runners-up

List of Kilkenny PJHC finals

Year	Winners		Runners-up		#
	Club	Score	Club	Score
2024	St Lachtain's	2-15	Windgap	1-12
2023	Tullogher-Rosbercon	1-19	St Lachtain's	0-17	[10]
2022	Blacks and Whites	1-17	Windgap	0-17	[11]
2021	Mooncoin	3-19	Tullogher-Rosbercon	3-11	[12]
2020	Conahy Shamrocks	3-14	Dicksboro	0-19	[13]
2019	O'Loughlin Gaels	1-17	Conahy Shamrocks	1-15	[14]
2018	Dunnamaggin	1-16	Piltown	2-08	[15]
2017	John Lockes	1-17	O'Loughlin Gaels	0-19	[16]
2016	Mooncoin	2-19	John Lockes	1-08	[17]
2015	Glenmore	1-12	Kilmacow	2-06	[18]
2014	Bennettsbridge	1-17	Mooncoin	1-07	[19]
2013	Lisdowney	2-16	Bennettsbridge	1-18	[20]
2012	Thomastown	3-13	Bennettsbridge	0-10	[21]
2011	St Patrick's, Ballyraggett	0-14	Piltown	1-08	[22]
2010	John Locke's	1-14	Barrow Rangers	0-14
2009	Blacks and Whites	0-17	John Locke's	2-06
2008	Tullogher-Rosbercon	2-10	Lisdowney	0-08
2007	Conahy Shamrocks	0-17	Tullogher-Rosbercon	1-11
2006	Danesfort	2-12	Tullogher-Rosbercon	2-11
2005	Thomastown	3-13	Bennettsbridge	1-06
2004	Galmoy	0-17	Thomastown	1-04
2003	Piltown	1-11 (2-12)	St Patrick's, Ballyraggett	1-08 (2-12)
2002	Blacks and Whites	0-10	Kilmacow	1-06
2001	Emeralds	3-11	Windgap	1-11
2000	James Stephens	0-10	Piltown	0-07
1999	Carrickshock	1-06	Emeralds	0-08
1998	Blacks and Whites	2-11	Carrickshock	0-10
1997	Tullogher-Rosbercon	0-12	Galmoy	1-08
1996	Piltown	0-11	Dicksboro	1-03
1995	O'Loughlin Gaels	2-13	Piltown	1-11
1994	Dunnamaggin	2-09	Blacks and Whites	1-10
1993	St Lachtain's	3-14	Kilmacow	1-07
1992	Tullogher-Rosbercon	2-13	Blacks and Whites	1-10
1991	Glenmore	3-07	St Lachtain's	0-12
1990	Barrow Rangers	6-09 (3-05)	Kilmacow	3-10 (2-08)
1989	Tullogher-Rosbercon	2-15	Galmoy	3-08
1988	Barrow Rangers	4-12	Slieverue	0-11
1987	John Locke's	2-17	Galmoy	3-08
1986	Windgap	1-11	Danesfort	2-01
1985	Graigue-Ballycallan	1-12	John Locke's	3-04
1984	Mullinavat	3-09	Emeralds	1-05
1983	Tullaroan	2-10	Ballyhale Shamrocks	2-09
1982	Barrow Rangers	0-12	John Locke's	0-06
1981	Piltown	3-06	Emeralds	2-06
1980	Glenmore	3-16	Tullaroan	2-06
1979	Carrickshock	3-11	Graigue-Ballycallan	2-07
1978	St Patrick's, Ballyraggett	4-06	Mullinavat	1-05
1977	Clara	3-12	Tullogher-Rosbercon	2-04
1976	Conahy Shamrocks	1-12	Carrickshock	0-08
1975	O'Loughlin Gaels	2-10	Carrickshock	2-03
1974	Muckalee/Ballyfoyle Rangers	4-17	Mullinavat	3-03
1973	Ballyhale Shamrocks	2-12	Thomastown	2-07
1972	Graignamanagh	2-12	Emeralds	3-05
1971	Newpark Shamrocks	1-11	Graignamanagh	2-03
1970	Windgap	W/O	Graigue-Ballycallan	Scratch
1969	Clara	1-17	Tullogher-Rosbercon	2-06
1968	Fenians	5-08	Glenmore	3-04
1967	Coon	5-11	Knocktopher	1-02
1966	Galmoy	6-04	Dunnamaggin	1-10
1965	Knocktopher	4-17	Galmoy	4-08
1964	Young Irelands	9-07	Thomastown Rangers	1-03
1963	Rower-Instiogue	6,02, 2-11 (R)	Galmoy	7-03, 1-07 (R)
1962	Thomastown	7-09	Coon	4-04
1961	Mooncoin	4-11	Coon	2-02
1960	Lisdowney	3-08	Knocktopher	2-05
1959	St Lactain's	4-07	Thomastown	4-02
1958	Erin's Own	3-10	Knocktopher	2-04
1957	Tullogher-Rosbercon	4-04	Young Irelands	1-03
1956	St Senan's, Kilmacow	6-09	St Finbarr's, Castleinch	4-06
1955	James Stephens	4-04	Knocktopher	1-06
1954	Carrickshock	3-06	Galmoy	4-02
1953	Glenmore	6-04	Foulkstown	2-05
1952	John Locke's	4-04	Galmoy/Urlingford	2-01
1951	Bennettsbridge	7-02	John Locke's	5-02
1950	Slieverue	4-06	Urlingford	5-02
1949	Galmoy	4-08	Knocktopher	2-04
1948*	Bennettsbridge	2-01, 6-03 (R)	Slieverue	3-06, 2-06
1947	Johnstown-Urlingford	4-04, 6-05 (R)	John Locke's	4-04, 2-02 (R)
1946	Graigue	8-05	St Kieran's, Clogga	3-00
1945	Thomastown	4-05	St Rioch's	5-00
1944	The Rower	4-06	Danesfort	4-03
1943	Stoneyford	2-08	James Stephens	2-01
1942	Mooncoin	6-04	Lisdowney	3-02
1941	Hugginstown	2-07, 4-08 (R)	Horse & Jockey	3-04, 3-03 (R)
1940	Threecastles	5-02	Killarney	0-01
1939	Mullinavat	5-00	Freshford	3-01
1938	Ballyline	3-05	Mullinavat	2-04
1937	Mooncoin	4-06	Horse & Jockey (Galmoy)	4-04
1936	Eire Og	6-02	Moonrue	4-00
1935	Bennettsbridge	7-03	Slieverue	3-06
1934	North Selection	3-02	South Selection	1-03
1933	South Selection	5-02	North Selection	3-04
1932	North Selection	2-04	South Selection	2-02
1931	Knocktopher	9-04	Galmoy	2-03
1930	Danesfort	3-02, 6-02 (R)	Crowraddie	2-03, 3-03 (R)
1929*	James Stephens	3-00, 4-05 (R)	Dunkitt	5-01, 0-01 (R)
1928	Carrickshock	2-03	Wellbrok (Freshford)	1-02
1927	Thomastown	4-02	O'Loughlin Gaels	4-01
1926	Knockmoylan	3-05	Conahy	3-00
1925*	Danesfort	4-01	Knockmoylan	5-01
1924	James Stephens	5-01, 5-05 (R)	Thomastown	5-01, 1-00 (R)
1923	Glenmore	1-04	Dicksboro	1-01
1922	Dicksboro	6-02, 6-02 (R)	Clomanto	3-00, 0-03 (R)
1921	No Championship
1920*	Mooncoin	1-01, 3-02, 2-04	Tulla	5-01, 2-05, 1-03
1919*	Dicksboro	5-02 (Unfinished)	Knocktopher	0-04
1917–1918	No Championship
1916	Mullinavat	2-04	Dicksboro	1-02
1915	Mullinavat	2-04	Horse & Jockey	0-01
1914	Dicksboro	6-02	Mooncoin	4-01
1913	Mong (on objection)	1-01	Ballydoven	3-03
1912	No Championship
1911	John Locke's	7-01	Mooncoin	1-00
1910	Dicksboro	2-02	Mong	2-00
1909	No Championship
1908	Suirside Rovers (Mooncoin)	3-14	Erin's Own (City)	1-04
1907	No Championship
1906	Erin's Own (City)	9-20	John O'Leary's (City)	1-01
1905	Owen Ruas (Urlingford)	1-11	Tullaroan	2-07

Notes

• 1925: Danesfort awarded title after objection
• 1929: First game was unfinished due to heavy rain
• 1930: Replay ordered following an objection
• 1948: Replay ordered following an objection
• 1963: Reply ordered following an objection