Inter county
Encyclopedia
Inter county, sometimes inter-county, is Gaelic Athletic Association
(GAA) terminology which refers to competitions or matches between two GAA counties (which are different from legal counties). The term can also be used to describe the players on the teams.
The first inter county competitions the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
and the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
took place in 1887. Inter county teams select the best players from the clubs within the county, a practice which began in 1892. Before 1892 the winner of each counties club championship would represent the county in the All-Ireland championships.
The inter county season begins in January with each province
's warm up competition and ends in September after the All Ireland final. The GAA's inter county competitions are the organisation's most attended competitions and are Ireland's most attended sporting events, while the All Ireland finals are the most watched. and the All-Ireland Football Final is the most watched event in Ireland's sporting calendar.
Currently each of the 32 counties of Ireland
has a representative in the inter county leagues while every Irish county competes in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
; Kilkenny
does not compete in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
. London
also competes in the Men's Hurling
and Gaelic football
championships and leagues, winning the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship once in 1901,
Warwickshire
compete in the Men's hurling championship only, while New York
compete in the Men's football championships; in the past they also competed in the Hurling championship.
In Great Britain
, the British provincial council
organise inter county competitions for the 7 counties under its control. The British provincial council is the only area outside Ireland
to organise regular inter county matches.
Changing clubs between counties is known as an inter county transfer and is regulated by the Provincial council if the clubs are in the same province or by the central council of the GAA when the transferring between clubs in different provinces. A special transfer for students going on a J-1 visa
is available this allows a temporary transfer to Canada
, New York
or North America
.
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
(GAA) terminology which refers to competitions or matches between two GAA counties (which are different from legal counties). The term can also be used to describe the players on the teams.
The first inter county competitions the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
and the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
took place in 1887. Inter county teams select the best players from the clubs within the county, a practice which began in 1892. Before 1892 the winner of each counties club championship would represent the county in the All-Ireland championships.
The inter county season begins in January with each province
Provincial council
Provincial councils are organisational bodies within the Gaelic Athletic Association, each made up of several GAA counties. The provincial council is responsible for the organisation of club and inter-county competitions such as the provincial championships, and the promotion of Gaelic games within...
's warm up competition and ends in September after the All Ireland final. The GAA's inter county competitions are the organisation's most attended competitions and are Ireland's most attended sporting events, while the All Ireland finals are the most watched. and the All-Ireland Football Final is the most watched event in Ireland's sporting calendar.
Currently each of the 32 counties of Ireland
Counties of Ireland
The counties of Ireland are sub-national divisions used for the purposes of geographic demarcation and local government. Closely related to the county is the County corporate which covered towns or cities which were deemed to be important enough to be independent from their counties. A county...
has a representative in the inter county leagues while every Irish county competes in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
; Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
does not compete in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
. London
London GAA
The London County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or London GAA is one of the county boards outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in London...
also competes in the Men's Hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
and Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
championships and leagues, winning the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship once in 1901,
Warwickshire
Warwickshire GAA
The Warwickshire County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the county boards outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in Warwickshire. The county board is also responsible for the Warwickshire inter-county teams-Hurling:In 2005 Warwickshire fielded a hurling team in...
compete in the Men's hurling championship only, while New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
compete in the Men's football championships; in the past they also competed in the Hurling championship.
In Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, the British provincial council
British GAA
The British Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association or British GAA is the only provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in Great Britain...
organise inter county competitions for the 7 counties under its control. The British provincial council is the only area outside Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to organise regular inter county matches.
Changing clubs between counties is known as an inter county transfer and is regulated by the Provincial council if the clubs are in the same province or by the central council of the GAA when the transferring between clubs in different provinces. A special transfer for students going on a J-1 visa
J-1 visa
A J-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa issued by the United States to exchange visitors participating in programs that promote cultural exchange, especially to obtain medical or business training within the U.S...
is available this allows a temporary transfer to Canada
Canada GAA
The Canadian County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Canada GAA, is one of the county boards of the GAA outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games all across Canada. The county board is also responsible for Canadian inter county teams-History:Gaelic games have been played...
, New York
New York GAA
The New York County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or New York GAA, is one of the county boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in the New York metropolitan area...
or North America
North American GAA
The North American County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or North American GAA is one of the boards of the GAA outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in the United States of America, excluding the New York metropolitan region, which is under the control of the New York GAA...
.