Eastern Intermediate Hurling Championship

Eastern Intermediate Hurling Championship
Irish	Craobhchomórtas Idirmheánach Iomáint Oirthear Phort Láirge
Code	Hurling
Founded	1964; 60 years ago (1964)
Region	Waterford (GAA)
No. of teams	6
Title holders	Portlaw (5th title)
First winner	Ballyduff Lower
Sponsors	Gerry Kennedy Crash Repairs
Official website	Waterford GAA

The Eastern Intermediate Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Gerry Kennedy Crash Repairs Eastern Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Eastern IHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the eastern divisional section of the Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1964 and contested by intermediate team in the county of Waterford in Ireland.

In its current format, the Eastern Intermediate Hurling Championship begins with a group stage. The six participating teams play each other in a round-robin system. The two top-ranking teams proceed to the final match at Walsh Park. The winner of the Eastern IHC subsequently represent the division in the Waterford IHC.

Portlaw are the title holders after defeating St Molleran's by 3–21 to 0–13 in the 2024 final.^[1]

The Eastern Intermediate Championship was established in 1964 in an effort to bridge the standard of play between the Waterford SHC and the divisional junior championships. Ballyduff Lower were the first championship winners.

On 31 January 2022, Waterford County Board delegates voted on the restructuring of the entire intermediate hurling championship system following a review process. It was decided to establish an all-county eight-team Waterford Premier Intermediate Championship for 2023. These eight teams were made up of the four semi-finalists from the 2022 Eastern and Western intermediate championships.^[2]

Six clubs start in the group stage. Over the course of the group stage, each team plays once against the others in the group, resulting in each team being guaranteed five group games. Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The teams are ranked in the group stage table by points gained, then scoring difference and then their head-to-head record. The top four teams qualify for the knockout stage

The top two teams from the group stage contest the final. The winning team are declared champions.

The fifth and sixth-placed teams from the group stage take part in a relegation playoff to determine who drops to the Eastern Junior A Hurling Championship.

From its inception in 1964, the Eastern IHC champions automatically qualify for the Waterford IHC. Here they play the Western IHC winners to determine the county champions.^[3] This format was abandoned for a period in the late 1970s and early 1980s when a county-wide Waterford IHC was in operation, however, it was later reinstated.

Notes:

• 1995 - The first match ended in a draw: St Molleran's 2–12, Kill 3-09.
• 1997 - The first match ended in a draw: Erin's Own 1–12, Ferrybank 1–12.
• 2008 - The first match ended in a draw: St Molleran's 0–13, St Saviour's 1–10.