2025 Down Intermediate Football Championship
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| County | Down |
| Province | Ulster |
| Year | 2025 |
| Trophy | WJ Farrell Cup |
| Sponsor | The Parador Lodge |
| Teams | 16 |
| Defending champions |  Drumgath |
| Qualify for | Ulster Club IFC |
The 2025 Down Intermediate Football Championship is the 37th official edition of Down GAA's secondary Gaelic football tournament for intermediate clubs in County Down. 16 teams competed, with the winning team representing Down in the Ulster Intermediate Club Football Championship. The tournament operated a double elimination format for the opening two rounds of the championship, with the winners and early round losers rejoining at the quarter final stage.
Drumgath won the 2024 edition after defeating Clann na Banna in the final, and as per competition rules, did not defend their title as they qualified to play in the Senior Championship.
Participating teams
[edit]The following teams took part in the 2025 edition of the Down Intermediate Football Championship.[1]
| Division Two | Division Three | Division Four | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 An Riocht
|
Quarter Final |  Annaclone
|
Final |  St Pauls
|
Round 2B |
 Longstone
|
Quarter Final | Atticall
|
Quarter Final |  Teconnaught
|
Round 2B |
 Rostrevor
|
Quarter Final |  Ballymartin
|
Round 2B | ||
| Saval
|
Final | Clann na Banna
|
Semi Final | ||
 St Johns
|
Semi Final | Darragh Cross
|
Round 3 | ||
 Dromara
|
Round 3 | ||||
| Newry Shamrocks
|
Round 3 | ||||
| St John Bosco
|
Round 2B | ||||
| Tullylish
|
Round 3 | ||||
Round 1
[edit]The 16 participating teams were placed into an open draw. The winning teams advance to Round 2A, while losing sides proceed to Round 2B. The games took place over the weekend 21-25 August. [2]
| 21 August 2025 Round 1 | Clann na Banna
|
2–16 – 2–15 | Saval
|
Drumgath | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19:00 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: St Patrick's Park | ||||
| Referee: Eddie Cuthbert
|
| 21 August 2025 Round 1 | Rostrevor
|
2–28 – 0–09 | Ballymartin
|
Kilkeel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19:00 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: An Ríocht GAC | ||||
| Referee: Declan Ryan
|
| 22 August 2025 Round 1 | Atticall
|
2–16 – 0–07 | St Pauls
|
Drumnaquoile | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19:00 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: Pairc Naomh Eoin | ||||
| Referee: Oliver Burke
|
| 23 August 2025 Round 1 | An Riocht
|
2–15 – 1–16 (a.e.t.) |
Teconnaught
|
Dundrum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14:00 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: Páirc Sean O'Caoilte | ||||
| Referee: Ronan Mc Ateer
|
| 23 August 2025 Round 1 | Longstone
|
0–20 – 2–12 | Darragh Cross
|
Newcastle | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16:00 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: St Patrick's Park | ||||
| Referee: Darren O Hare
|
| 24 August 2025 Round 1 | St John Bosco
|
0–08 – 1–17 | Newry Shamrocks
|
Ballyholland | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14:00 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: Father Lynch Park | ||||
| Referee: Gavin Finnegan
|
| 25 August 2025 Round 1 | Dromara
|
2–18 – 1–16 | St Johns
|
Drumaness | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19:00 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: St Colman's Park | ||||
| Referee: Caolan Mc Ateer
|
| 25 August 2025 Round 1 | Tullylish
|
1–13 – 5–12 | Annaclone
|
Glenn | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19:00 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: John Martin Park | ||||
| Referee: Jake Magill
|
Round 2
[edit]Round 2A
[edit]Round 2A will feature the eight winning teams from Round 1, with an open draw to determine the fixtures. The winning teams progress directly to the quarter-finals, with the losing teams proceeding to Round 3.
| 4 September 2025 Round 2A | Dromara
|
1–12 – 2–14 | Annaclone
|
Saval | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18:45 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: Nan Sands Park | ||||
| Referee: Darren O Hare
|
| 5 September 2025 Round 2A | Atticall
|
0–12 – 0–09 | Clann na Banna
|
Rostrevor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18:45 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: Pettit Park | ||||
| Referee: Neill Cousins
|
| 6 September 2025 Round 2A | Longstone
|
1–11 – 0–13 | Rostrevor
|
Kilkeel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14:00 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: An Ríocht GAC | ||||
| Referee: Brian Higgins
|
| 7 September 2025 Round 2A | An Riocht
|
0–21 – 0–13 | Newry Shamrocks
|
Warrenpoint | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17:30 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: Páirc Liam Uí hÍr | ||||
| Referee: Declan Ryan
|
Round 2B
[edit]Round 2B sees the eight losing teams from Round 1 compete for a place in Round 3. The losing teams from this round will be eliminated from the competition.
| 4 September 2025 Round 2B | Teconnaught
|
0–09 – 0–15 | St Johns
|
Dundrum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19:15 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: Páirc Sean O'Caoilte | ||||
| Referee: Christopher Morgan
|
| 5 September 2025 Round 2B | Darragh Cross
|
3–13 – 1–05 | St Pauls
|
Annacloy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18:45 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: Aoibh na Ceanna | ||||
| Referee: Karl Brannigan
|
| 8 September 2025 Round 2B | Saval
|
5–13 – 1–09 | St John Bosco
|
Mayobridge | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18:45 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: St Patrick's Park | ||||
| Referee: David Carr
|
| 8 September 2025 Round 2B | Tullylish
|
3–14 – 1–13 | Ballymartin
|
Glenn | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18:45 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: John Martin Park | ||||
| Referee: Eddie Cuthbert
|
Relegation Semi-Finals
[edit]The 4 losers of Round 2B play each other in the Relegation Semi-Finals. The 2 winners will secure their Intermediate status for 2026, while the 2 losers will face-off in the Relegation Final.
| 20 September 2025 Relegation Play-Off Semi Final | St John Bosco
|
5–15 – 0–11 | Ballymartin
|
Warrenpoint | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13:00 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: Páirc Liam Uí hÍr | ||||
| Referee: Brendan Rice
|
| 20 September 2025 Relegation Play-Off Semi Final | Teconnaught
|
6–14 – 0–03 | St Pauls
|
Carryduff | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13:00 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: Páirc Aodha Dhuibh | ||||
| Referee: Barry Mullan
|
Relegation Final
[edit]The winner of the Relegation Final will maintain their Intermediate status into 2026, while the loser will be relegated to the 2026 Down J.F.C.
| 12 October 2025 Relegation Play-Off Final | Ballymartin
|
v | St Pauls
|
Ballykinlar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13:00 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: Tadhg Barry Memorial Park | ||||
| Referee: Ronan Barry
|
Round 3
[edit]Round 3 is a supplementary round for teams to have a second chance at reaching the quarter-finals. This round features teams that have lost once so far in this year's competition, either winning in Round 1 and losing in Round 2A, or losing in Round 1 but winning their Round 2B fixture. The losing teams in this round are eliminated from this year's competition.
This round is seeded, meaning that in each fixture a Round 2A losing team will face a Round 2B winning team.
| 13 September 2025 Round 3 | Rostrevor
|
2–18 – 0–05 | Tullylish
|
Saval | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17:00 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: Nan Sands Park | ||||
| [3] | Referee: Darren O Hare
|
| 14 September 2025 Round 3 | Newry Shamrocks
|
0–04 – 2–06 | St Johns
|
Mayobridge | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13:30 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: St Patrick's Park | ||||
| Referee: Jake Magill
|
| 14 September 2025 Round 3 | Clann na Banna
|
0–11 – 0–09 | Darragh Cross
|
Carryduff | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15:00 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: Páirc Aodha Dhuibh | ||||
| Referee: Mark Turley
|
| 15 September 2025 Round 3 | Dromara
|
1–13 – 1–15 | Saval
|
Tullylish | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19:15 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: Páirc na nÓg | ||||
| Referee: Declan Ryan
|
Quarter-finals
[edit]The quarter-finals see the two brackets rejoin, with the earlier Round 2A winners facing a Round 3 winner for a semi-final spot.[4]
| 19 September 2025 Quarter-final | Annaclone
|
1–11 – 0–12 | Rostrevor
|
Liatroim | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19:30 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: Fontenoy Park | ||||
| Referee: Brendan Rice
|
| 19 September 2025[a] Quarter-final | Atticall
|
1–13 – 1–14 | St Johns
|
Kilcoo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19:30 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: Páirc Eoghan Rua | ||||
| Referee: Declan Ryan
|
| 21 September 2025 Quarter-final | An Riocht
|
2–11 – 2–15 | Saval
|
Drumgath | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13:30 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: St Patrick's Park | ||||
| Referee: Ronan Barry
|
| 22 September 2025 Quarter-final | Longstone
|
0–14 – 2–13 | Clann na Banna
|
Liatroim | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19:15 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: Fontenoy Park | ||||
| Referee: Paul Faloon
|
| 27 September 2025 Quarter-final replay | Atticall
|
0–10 – 0–13 | St Johns
|
Mayobridge | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16:00 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: St Patrick's Park | ||||
|
|
a Game was originally scored as a one point win for St John's, but was overturned on appeal from Atticall and marked as a 1-13 to 1-13 draw, with a replay ordered.
Semi-finals
[edit]The semi-finals will see the four winning sides face off for a place in this year's final. This round is an open draw from the four quarter-final winners.
| 4 October 2025 Semi-final | Saval
|
3–09 – 2–07 | St Johns
|
Kilcoo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17:00 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: Páirc Eoghan Rua | ||||
| Referee: Kevin Mc Grath
|
| 5 October 2025 Semi-final | Annaclone
|
1–11 – 1–11 (a.e.t.) |
Clann na Banna
|
Liatroim | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15:00 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: Fontenoy Park | ||||
| Referee: Gavin Finnegan
|
| 9 October 2025 Semi-final replay | Clann na Banna
|
2–10 – 2–11 | Annaclone
|
Liatroim | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20:00 IST (UTC+1) | Venue: Fontenoy Park | ||||
| Referee: Darren O Hare
|
Final
[edit]The final was played between the two semi-final winning teams, and took place at Páirc Esler, Newry.
| 18 October 2025 Final | Annaclone
|
v | Saval
|
Newry | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue: Páirc Esler | |||||
|
|
References
[edit]- ^ "2025 Down Intermediate Football Championship". downgaa.net. 1 August 2025.
- ^ "Down Football Championships set to go with all to play for". Newry Reporter. 21 August 2025.
- ^ "Reds rule the roost with emphatic win against Tullylish". Newry Reporter. 15 September 2025.
- ^ "A weekend of Down Championship quarter finals to look forward to". Newry Reporter. 19 September 2025.