By Mr. John Manning.
Instead of the previous straight Matchplay shootout between the respective Munster and Leinster champions, the 2026 National Intermediate and Junior Inter-County championship will be played in the Strokeplay format and involve the corresponding provincial winners and runners-up.
Tipperary were simply awesome at Riverdale to claim Munster Intermediate laurels and the reigning All-Ireland champions will be strong favourites at another home county venue. Sean Minogue and Tim Crowe survive from last year’s winning team.
Minogue is joined by his son John (a former Munster Junior Matchplay champion) and the pair will bid to match the Kellys of Carlow in winning a National Inter-County championship together.
Ken Hayes will seek intermediate gold to go with his 2019 junior victory in the blue and gold while Adrian Anglim (2025 Mixed winner) and Dean Courtney (twice Mixed runner-up) will add the know-how they gained in significant National Foursomes success.
Meath’s sextet is brimming with experience in the likes of successful Ireland International manager Paddy Kelly and reigning European Over-55 Strokeplay kingpin Anthony Kavanagh who helped the Royal County over the line at Glenville. Declan Gibney and Dominic Hynes both reached the final round of the National Strokeplay at Tullamore. 2020 National Intermediate Strokeplay Nett winner Stephen Knight and 2025 County Matchplay winner Eoghan Stanley also represent the Royals.
Unusually, Leinster runners-up Galway will able to field six of the Tribesman who saw action in the main Inter-County at Navan last week. That experience should stand to overall Leinster Strokeplay champion James McLoughlin, James Fleming, Donal Tarpey, Tony O’Connor, Nicky Furey and Kevin Walsh.
Munster silver medallists Kerry can call on James Fleming and Michael Creagh who both figured on the Kerry team that lost to Kildare in the 2024 final at Riverdale.
2026 Munster Mixed Foursomes runner-up Con O’Sullivan will bring his considerable expertise to proceedings as will Tony Blake, 2014 provincial Mixed Foursomes winner.
2013 Munster Juvenile Inter-County victor Michael Cronin and 2026 provincial Intermediate Strokeplay runner-up Daniel Broderick will contribute a youthful verve.
Kildare’s victory at Riverdale two years ago apart, this relatively young championship has been controlled by teams from the southern province. Will Munster’s domination continue?
Defending junior champions Cork field an entirely new team as they seek to emulate near neighbours Kerry who collected two titles in a row (in 2023 and 2024).
Cork Matchplay runner-up Jordan Murphy was in irresistible form at Riverdale with strong back-up from 2018 and 2019 Tom Fitzgerald Team event winner Aidan Kavanagh, Munster Matchplay semi-finalist John O'Mahony, 2025 provincial Strokeplay runner-up Ian Murphy, Cork Strokeplay silver medallist Alan Abraham and Liam Connolly, a 2025 Cork League runner-up with Crosshaven.
Limerick claimed the title when the final was previously played at Larkspur Park four years ago. Peadar McCarthy of that team features in the current year line-up. Also involved is 2025 National Over-55s Junior grade Strokeplay champion, Brendan Moloney.
2005 Munster Mixed Foursomes runner-up Billy Griffin has represented Clare with distinction in the past The Limerick cause is bolstered still further by another former Clare Inter-County player John Mulqueen, 2025 Ryan Cup victor Brendan O’Connor and 2024 Munster Strokeplay runner-up Eugene McNamara.
Westmeath have twice been National runners-up and the 2026 sextet (headlined by reigning National Strokeplay champion Daniel Malone) will seek to outperform the 2019 and 2024 Lake County representatives.
The Custume man will be ably supported by one of the 2024 silver medal team Neil Hannigan.
In addition, Rochfortbridge Scratch Cup winner Brendan Clarke, the runner-up in that event, Jordan Donoghue, Lough Owel Scratch Cup holder Andrew Coyne and Daniel Molloy, who claimed the Offaly Scratch Cup earlier in the season, will give Westmeath every chance.
Wexford will hope to go one better than their 2022 intermediate counterparts who finished as runners-up at Larkspur Park in 2022.
Standout player is two-time National Strokeplay bronze medallist Glenn Fortune who teams-up again with Brian O’Sullivan. The pair previously collected provincial Junior Inter-County laurels with Wexford in 2016.
Also appearing in the purple and gold will be Pat Jordan, Colm O’Brien, Graham Rowley and Aaron Moorehouse.
Munster teams hold a 100% record in the National Junior Inter-County championship.
The National Intermediate and Junior Inter-County championship finals will be played at Larkspur Park for the second time.
The format will mirror the first day’s play in the main Inter-County championship, three Scotch Foursomes and six singles (best five to count).
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