Kyte Powertech Cavan Intermediate Football Championship 2026

Club football in Cavan runs deep, and the Intermediate grade is where you see ambition in its rawest form. Fourteen clubs chase a county title and, far more valuable than silverware, promotion to the Senior Football Championship the following season. The Kyte Powertech Cavan Intermediate Football Championship has been running in some form since 1915 and has a well-earned reputation for close games and county grounds rattling with noise. If you want to watch Gaelic football without the price tag - every fixture is free - this is where to spend a summer afternoon.

What to expect

The 2026 championship uses a league-plus-knockout format. Each of the fourteen clubs plays four league-phase games against opponents drawn randomly after each round. The top eight in the league table advance to the quarter-finals, while the bottom four go into a relegation play-off with one team dropping to Junior grade. Clubs competing include Bailieborough Shamrocks, Laragh United, and Templeport St Aidan’s, among others. The early rounds take place at club grounds across the county - tight, intimate pitches where you are close enough to hear every call and clash. Quarter-finals and knockout games move to Kingspan Breffni in Cavan town, the county ground that opened in 1923, holds over 25,000 and has floodlights. The winner lifts the Tommy Gilroy Cup and books a place in the Ulster Intermediate Club Championship.

Fixtures run from July through the autumn, so there are several rounds to catch before the knockout stages. Check cavangaa.ie before travelling as venues and throw-in times for club grounds are confirmed week by week.

Getting there

Cavan town sits roughly an hour and twenty minutes from Dublin on the N3/M3 route. From Belfast it is about an hour south-west on the A509. Bus Eireann operates regular services from Dublin Busáras to Cavan town (route 30). Club grounds are spread across the county so check the specific venue before setting out - some are small rural pitches with limited signage and the parish church is often your best landmark. Parking at club grounds is generally free and on grass. Kingspan Breffni is on Park Lane south of the town centre; parking is available nearby with an easy walk in.

While you’re in Cavan

Cavan is the Lake County - over a thousand lakes scattered across a drumlin landscape that rewards a slow drive with the windows down. The county town has a good few pubs well used to match-day crowds. There is more to see in Cavan and across Co. Cavan.

Good to know

• Dates: League phase from early July through late summer; knockout stages autumn 2026
• Time: Various - check cavangaa.ie for each round’s schedule
• Price: Free admission at all grounds
• Fixtures and venues: Updated weekly at cavangaa.ie
• Knockout stages: Typically held at Kingspan Breffni, Park Lane, Cavan town