Kerry Premier Junior Football Championship

The Kerry Premier Junior Football Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as Kerry Petroleum County Premier Junior Football Championship and abbreviated to the Kerry PJFC) is an annual Gaelic football competition organised by the Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association and contested by the top-ranking junior clubs in the county of Kerry in Ireland. It is the third tier overall in the entire Kerry Gaelic football championship system.

The Kerry Premier Junior Championship was introduced in 2016 following a restructuring of the entire Kerry Gaelic football championship system at all levels.

In its current format, the 16 participating club are drawn into four groups of four teams and play each other in a round-robin system. The four group winners and the four runners-up proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the Final. The winner of the Kerry Premier Junior Championship, as well as being presented with the Tom Keane Perpetual Cup, qualifies for the subsequent Munster Club Championship.

As of 2026 the competition has been won by eleven different teams.

History

Beginnings The Kerry Premier Junior Championship was introduced in 2016 following a restructuring of the entire Kerry Gaelic football championship system at all levels.

Format

Group stage The 16 clubs are divided into four groups of four. Over the course of the group stage, each team plays once against the others in the group, resulting in each team being guaranteed three 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 two teams in each group qualify for the quarter-finals and the bottom team in each group advance to the relegation playoffs.

Knockout stage Quarter-finals: The 4 group winners and 4 group runners-up contest this round. A group winner will play a group runner-up of another group. The two winners from these two games advance to the semi-finals.

Semi-finals: The four quarter-final winners contest this round. The two winners from these two games advance to the final.

Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions and are promoted to the Kerry Intermediate Football Championship.

Relegation playoffs Relegation semi-finals: The 4 group losers contest this round. The two losers from these two games advance to the relegation finals.

Relegation finals: The two semi-final losers contest the relegation final. The losing team are relegated to the Kerry Junior Football Championship.

Qualification At the end of the championship, the winning club qualify to the subsequent Munster Junior Club Football Championship.

Teams 2026 Teams ClubLocationDivisionColoursIn championship sinceChampionship titlesLast championship title Annascaul AnnascaulWest KerryBlue and white0— ArdfertArdfert St Brendan'sBlack and white0— BallyduffBallyduff Shannon RangersGreen and white0— BrosnaBrosna St Kieran'sTangerine and white0— CastlegregoryCastlegregory West KerryGreen and gold0— ChurchillTralee St Brendan'sGreen and black0— CurrowCurrow St Kieran'sRed and white 20240— Dromid PearsesDromid South KerryMaroon and white12017 DuaghDuagh Feale Rangers Maroon and gold 20250— KeelKeel Mid KerryBlue and white0— ListryListry East KerryGreen and white0— ReenardReenard South KerryBlue and white 20240— St Patrick’s, BlennervilleBlennerville St Brendan'sRed and white0— St Senan'sListowel Feale RangersBlue and yellow0— Tarbert Tarbert Shannon Rangers Red and black 2026 0 — WatervilleWaterville South KerryRed and white0—

Sponsorship Since 2019 the Premier Junior Championship has been sponsored by Kerry Petroleum. The competition was previously sponsored by Castleisland Mart.

Trophy and medals The Tom Keane Perpetual Cup is the current prize for winning the championship. Colin McGillycuddy of Glenbeigh-Glencar was the first recipient of the cup when it was presented to him after the 2016 final replay. In accordance with GAA rules, the County Board awards a set of gold medals to the championship winners. The medals depict a stylised version of the Kerry GAA crest.

Roll of honour

By club # Team Titles Runners-Up Winning years Losing years1 Na Gaeil1220192016, 2018 Ballymacelligott1120252023 Gneeveguilla1120212020 Firies1120242017 Glenbeigh-Glencar102016— Dromid Pearses102017— Beaufort102018— Ballydonoghue102020— Fossa102022— Listowel Emmets102023— Keel102026—12 St Senan's02—2019, 2025 Skellig Rangers01—2021 Listry01—2022 Ardfert01—2024 Churchill01—2026

By division DivisionTitlesRunners-upTotal East Kerry336 Mid Kerry303 St Brendan’s Board145 Feale Rangers123 South Kerry112 St Kieran's112 Shannon Rangers101 Kenmare District000 West Kerry000 Tralee District000

List of finals

Legend

– All-Ireland junior club champions – All-Ireland junior club runners-up

List of Kerry PJFC finals YearWinnersRunners-upVenue#ClubScoreClubScore2026Keel 0-14 Churchill 0-12 Austin Stack Park 2025 Ballymacelligott 2-17 (AET)(pens:4) St Senan's 3-14 (AET)(pens:1) Austin Stack Park 2024 Firies 0-16 (AET) Ardfert 1-11 (AET) Austin Stack Park 2023 Listowel Emmets 0-24 (AET) Ballymacelligott 1-18 (AET) Austin Stack Park 2022 Fossa 4-15 (AET) Listry 0-22 (AET) FitzGerald Stadium 2021 Gneeveguilla 0-12 (AET) Skellig Rangers 0-09 (AET) FitzGerald Stadium 2020 Ballydonoghue 3-20 (AET) Gneeveguilla 3-18 (AET) Austin Stack Park 2019 Na Gaeil 3-14 St Senan's 1-10 Austin Stack Park 2018 Beaufort 4-13 (AET) Na Gaeil 2-18 (AET) Austin Stack Park 2017 Dromid Pearses 0-17 (AET) Firies 1-11 (AET) J. P. O'Sullivan Park 2016 Glenbeigh-Glencar 1-06 1-16 (R) Na Gaeil 0-09 0-12 (R) FitzGerald Stadium

Team records and statistics Performances by divisions DivisionTitlesRunners-upYears wonYears runners-upEast Kerry332021, 2022, 20242017, 2020, 2022Mid Kerry302016, 2018, 2026—St Brendan’s1420192016, 2018, 2024, 2026Feale Rangers1220232019, 2025South Kerry1120172021St Kieran’s1120252023Shannon Rangers102020—

Kerry Premier Junior Football Championship

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