Monaghan Intermediate Football Championship

The Monaghan Intermediate Football Championship (often referred to as the Monaghan IFC for short or the McElvaney's Waste & Recycling Intermediate Football Championship for sponsorship reasons) is an annual Gaelic football competition contested by mid-tier Monaghan GAA clubs.

Qualification for subsequent competitions

Ulster Intermediate Club Football Championship

The Monaghan IFC winner qualifies for the Ulster Intermediate Club Football Championship. It is the only team from County Monaghan to qualify for this competition. The Monaghan IFC winner may enter the Ulster Intermediate Club Football Championship at either the preliminary round or the quarter-final stage. For example, 2019 winner Magheracloone Mitchells won the Ulster IFC final. This was the first appearance by the Monaghan IFC winning club in an Ulster final since Donaghmoyne lost to Tyrone GAA club Pomeroy Plunketts in 2016. It was also the first Ulster IFC final win for a Monaghan club since 2013 winner Truagh Gaels.

All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship

The Monaghan IFC winners — by winning the Ulster Intermediate Club Football Championship — may qualify for the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship, at which it would enter at the semi-final stage, providing it hasn't been drawn to face the British champions in the quarter-finals. For example, 2013 winner Truagh Gaels won the All-Ireland final at Croke Park. Likewise 2005 winner Inniskeen Grattans.

Monaghan Senior Football Championship

Each year, the winning club is promoted — alongside the Monaghan Intermediate Football League (IFL) winner — and competes in the following year's Monaghan Senior Football Championship. No relegation from the IFC exists, with the two lowest finishing teams in the IFL instead being relegated to the junior ranks for the following year.

Trophy

The winning club receives the Paddy O'Rourke Cup, named after the Inniskeen Grattans clubman who served in various positions within club and county boards.

Format

The competition uses a double-elimination format up until the semi-final stage, which is knockout.

Ten teams enter the competition, with four teams drawn into the Preliminary Round and the remaining six teams into Round 1A. The winners of the preliminary round game play each other in Round 1A, making up the fourth game in that round.
The four winners in Round 1A then progress to Round 2A. At this stage, the four teams are drawn in two matches, with the two winners progressing to the Semi-Final stage.

The losers enter the ' back-door' route, with the two Preliminary Round losers, and three of the four Round 1A losers entering Round 1B.
As five teams are eligible for Round 1B, one team receives a bye to Round 2B, with the remaining four teams drawn in two matches. The two winners of the Round 1B games progress to Round 2B, and joining them in Round 2B is the loser of the Round 1A clash involving the preliminary round winners.
At this stage, again, the four teams are drawn in two matches with the two winners progressing to Round 3, where they face the losers of the Round 2A games.
In Round 3, the four teams are drawn in two matches, with the two winners progressing to the Semi-Final stage.

List of recent finals

Wins listed by club

References

{{Monaghan GAA, state=expanded

Monaghan GAA club championships
Intermediate Gaelic football county championships