Your guide to the 2026 Divisions/Colleges hurling and football championships
James McCarthy, Imokilly, tries to get away from Fenton Denny, Muskerry during the 2025 Premier Senior Hurling Divisions/Colleges Championship Final at Pairc Ui Rinn. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
With the 2026 club championships coming into view, Cork GAA have again made minor adjustments to the Divisions/Colleges sections of the Premier Senior hurling and football championships.
The format changes, which were agreed between Cork County Board and the divisions and colleges in November, offer breathing room for those who have found it difficult to field over the last number of years, giving them the best opportunity at getting back on the pitch.
By leaving the unseeded rounds open-ended for now, divisions uncertain of their numbers are afforded extra time before committing. As a result, only the seeded sections of both competitions are locked in at this stage. Fixtures themselves are yet to be finalised, though the championship windows have been set.
In the McCarthy Insurance Group Divisions/Colleges Football Championship, three unseeded rounds have been pencilled in, subject to final entry numbers. All three are scheduled for April – on Tuesday nights – April 7, 14 and 21.
The seeded section will not commence until Tuesday, June 2. When it does, Carbery, Duhallow and Muskerry will go straight into the semi-finals, joined by the winner of the unseeded stream, which could include Beara, Imokilly, Seandún, Avondhu, Carrigdhoun or MTU, depending on confirmations.
The semi-final winners will compete for the Tadhg Crowley Cup on Tuesday, June 16, and the winner of the seeded section will then be entered into the preliminary quarter-final of the Cork PSFC, where they’ll face UCC.
The usual then applies, the winner of that contest gets a quarter-final spot in the championship proper. That prelim quarter-final is down to be played sometime between August 3 and August 9, during the gap between club championship fixtures.
On the hurling side, the unseeded section is expected to run over two rounds, again subject to entry confirmation. Round one is fixed for Tuesday, June 9, with round two down for Tuesday, June 23.
Entries are open to Carrigdhoun, Muskerry, Avondhu, Carbery, Seandún, Duhallow and MTU. Two teams will emerge to advance to the seeded section, where UCC and Imokilly already await, making up a four-team semi-final lineup.
Imokilly will face UCC in one semi-final, with the two unseeded qualifiers meeting in the other. The winners will contest the Denis O’Riordan Cup, with the prize, as ever, a place in the Premier Senior Hurling Championship quarter-finals.
The Junior A and Junior B hurling and football championship draws were made at convention at the start of December, and are outlined below.
Carrigdhoun v Seandún
Muskerry v Imokilly
Duhallow v Carbery
Avondhu v Carrigdhoun/Seandún
Muskerry/Imokilly v Duhallow/Carbery
Seandún v Carbery
Imokilly v Duhallow
Avondhu v Carrigdhoun
Muskerry v Seandún/Carbery
Imokilly/Duhallow v Avondhu/Carrigdhoun
Avondhu v Duhallow
Seandún v Muskerry
Imokilly v Carbery
Beara v Carrigdhoun
Avondhu/Duhallow v Seandún/Muskerry
Imokilly/Carbery v Beara/Carrigdhoun
Avondhu v Imokilly
Seandún v Duhallow
Carbery v Carrigdhoun
Muskerry v Avondhu/Imokilly
Seandún/Duhallow v Carbery/Carrigdhoun
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