Antrim county hurling team

The Antrim county hurling team represents Antrim GAA, the County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association, in the Gaelic sport of hurling. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship and the National Hurling League. It also contests the Ulster Senior Hurling Championship when the competition is run, winning the latest title in 2017.

Antrim's home ground is Casement Park, Belfast. The team's manager is Darren Gleeson.

The team last won the Ulster Senior Championship in 2017, but has never won the All-Ireland Senior Championship or the National League.

History

Antrim is the only Ulster county to appear in an All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (SHC) final, the first of which was in 1943 losing to Cork and the second was in 1989 losing to Tipperary. In 1943 Antrim defeated both Galway (by 7–0 to 6–2) and Kilkenny (by 3–3 to 1–6) in the old Corrigan Park, but disappointed in the All-Ireland against Cork. Two years previously, Antrim had been graded Junior a year before, and had been beaten by Down in the Ulster final. It was only competing in the Senior Championship because the Junior grade was abolished. Antrim hurlers featured strongly in Ulster Railway cup final appearances in 1945, 1993 and 1995. In hurling, the progression that began with Loughgiel's success at club hurling level in 1983 (with players like 15-stone goalkeeper Niall Patterson) culminated in an All-Ireland final appearance in 1989.[1]

Antrim's first All-Star, Ciaran Barr starred in a 4–15 to 1–15 All-Ireland semi-final win over Offaly in 1989. The final was one of the poorest on record, as stage fright overcame the Antrim team. It was no flash in the pan: Antrim failed by just two points against Kilkenny in the 1991 All-Ireland semi-final.

Antrim qualified for the 2020 Joe McDonagh Cup final.[2]

Players

All Stars

• 1988: Ciaran Barr
• 1989: Dessie Donnelly, Olcan McFetridge
• 1991: Terence McNaughton
• 1993: Paul McKillen

Honours

• Christy Ring Cup: 1
  • 2006
• All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championships: 1
  • 1970
• All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championships: 1
  • 2002
• All-Ireland Vocational Schools Championships:
  • 1971
• National Hurling Leagues: 3
  • 1956 (Div 2)
  • 1970 (Div 2)
  • 2003 (Div 2)
• All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championships: 3
  • 1978
  • 1981
  • 1982
• Walsh Cup: 1
  • 2008
• Ulster titles: 145
  • Senior: 57 – 1900–01, 1903–05, 1907, 1909–11, 1913, 1916, 1924–31, 1933–40, 1943–49, 1989–91, 1993–94, 1996, 1998–99, 2002–09, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015,[3] 2016, 2017
  • Under 21: 24 – 1964, ‘65, ‘66, ‘67, ‘70, ‘72, ‘73, ‘74, ‘76, ‘78, ‘79, ‘80, ‘81, ‘82, ‘88, ‘89, ‘91, ‘92, ‘94, ‘95, ‘96, ‘98, ‘99, '00, 2002, '06, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016[4]
  • Minor: 56 – 1931, ‘33, ‘35–41, ‘45–56, ‘58–66, ‘69, ‘70, ‘86, ‘87, ‘88, ‘92, ‘93, ‘95–99, '00, '01, 2002, '03, '04, '05, '06, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015[5]
  • Junior: 15 – 1950–55, ‘57, ‘58, ‘59, ‘61, ‘63, ‘66, ‘68, ‘69, '02
  • Intermediate: 5 – 1966, 67, 69, 70, 73

References

1. "Flashback: 1989 All-Ireland SHC semi-final – Antrim v Offaly". GAA.ie. 24 May 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
2. "Joe McDonagh Cup: Antrim beat Meath 2-30 to 3-10 to book final place against Kerry". BBC Sport. 28 November 2020.
3. "Ulster SHC final: McKinley points Saffrons to provincial success". Hogan Stand. 12 July 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
4. "Ulster U21 HC final: Glensmen survive Oak Leaf scare". Hogan Stand. 27 July 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
5. "Ulster MHC final: Saffrons sink Oak Leafers". Hogan Stand. 12 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.