Halfway Championship Review 2026

While there is still plenty of rounders to be played and a lot can change between now and the knockout stages, some clear trends are beginning to emerge across the Senior, Intermediate and Junior grades.

Senior Championships

Senior Men

With four rounds completed, the Senior Men’s Championship is beginning to take shape, although there is still plenty to play for over the coming weeks.

Looking strong for the semi-finals: Breaffy and Erne Eagles.

Four teams fighting for two places: Carrickmacross Emmets, Glynn Barntown, Galway City Rapparees and Cuchulainn.

Despite earning a creditable draw against Carrickmacross Emmets, Limekiln appear to have left themselves with too much ground to make up. Raheen face an equally difficult task.

Big Matches Still To Come

14 June — Glynn Barntown v Cuchulainn
28 June — Glynn Barntown v Galway City Rapparees
5 July — Carrickmacross Emmets v Cuchulainn
2 August — Galway City Rapparees v Erne Eagles

Predicted Semi-Finalists

  1. Erne Eagles
  2. Breaffy
  3. Galway City Rapparees
  4. Carrickmacross Emmets

Predicted semi-finals: Erne Eagles v Carrickmacross Emmets and Breaffy v Galway City Rapparees.

Senior Ladies

Breaffy look good for top spot, while Limekiln are well placed for second.

Behind them, it looks impossible to call between Erne Eagles, Carrickmacross Emmets, Glynn Barntown and Cuchulainn. All four look capable of beating each other.

5 July — Carrickmacross Emmets v Cuchulainn
9 August — Carrickmacross Emmets v Glynn Barntown

Predicted semi-finals: Impossible to call outside Breaffy looking safest for top spot.

Senior Mixed

Breaffy have been the standout team and look set for first place.

Carrickmacross Emmets look strong for second, while Glynn Barntown are well placed for a semi-final place.

Final spot could come down to three teams: Erne Eagles, Kilmeena and Limekiln.

Predicted Semi-Finalists

  1. Breaffy
  2. Carrickmacross Emmets
  3. Glynn Barntown
  4. Erne Eagles

Intermediate Championships

Intermediate Men

The Intermediate Men’s Championship is complete chaos. St Clare’s victory over Emo has blown the qualification race wide open.

Emo and Kilmeena still look like the strongest teams, with St Senan’s in a strong position and Kilmore chasing hard.

Predicted Semi-Finalists

  1. Emo
  2. Kilmeena
  3. St Senan’s
  4. Kilmore

Intermediate Ladies

Group A: Castletown Liam Mellows, Emo and Dublin Metropolitans look the strongest sides. Emo v Dublin Metropolitans on 14 June could decide a lot.

Predicted qualifiers: Castletown Liam Mellows and Emo.

Group B: Galway City Rapparees look set for top after two commanding victories. Elphin’s win over Kilmeena has thrown the group wide open.

14 June — Elphin v St Clare’s

Predicted qualifiers: Galway City Rapparees and Elphin.

Intermediate Mixed

Group A: Emo and Dublin Metropolitans look set to come through, with Raheen needing to go on a winning run.

Predicted qualifiers: Emo and Dublin Metropolitans.

Group B: Galway City Rapparees have given themselves an excellent platform after one huge win against St Clare’s. The last spot looks between St Senan’s, Erne Eagles and St Clare’s, with St Senan’s maybe swinging it.

Predicted qualifiers: Galway City Rapparees and St Senan’s.

Junior Championships

Junior Men

Group A: Gusserane probably top the group and go straight to the semi-final, with Carrickmacross Emmets, Myshall and Inniskeen Grattans making the quarter-finals.

Group B: Na Piarsaigh and Galway City Rapparees look set to be the qualifiers. Their match next Sunday will probably decide who goes straight into the semi-final and who has to go to Tymon Park for a junior quarter-final.

Junior Mixed

Junior Mixed looks wide open, with Galway City Rapparees, Na Piarsaigh or Garrymore, Inniskeen and Kilmore, and Leighlinbridge and Myshall all in the picture.

Championship favourites: Kilmore probably remain favourites, with Leighlinbridge, Galway City Rapparees and Myshall right there.

Junior Ladies

Group A: St Kieran’s and St Senan’s look set for qualification, with Na Piarsaigh just outside.

  1. St Kieran’s
  2. St Senan’s

Just outside: Na Piarsaigh.

Group B: Kilmore and Carrickmacross Emmets look set to top the group, with Skryne finishing third.

Group C: Gusserane and Leighlinbridge look set for the top two places, with Myshall in third.

Overall Junior Ladies contenders: St Senan’s, St Kieran’s, Leighlinbridge and Kilmore look a bit ahead, with the winner likely to come from those four.

Final Thoughts

If the first half of the season has taught us anything, it is that very few championships are settled. Senior Men, Intermediate Men and several of the Junior competitions remain incredibly open, while score difference could yet prove decisive in multiple grades.

The race for knockout places is only beginning, and the second half of the 2026 championship season promises to be every bit as dramatic as the first.