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
Sport:Hurling
Irish:Aontroim
Nickname(s):Saffrons
The Saffron men
The Glensmen
County board:Antrim GAA
Manager:Darren Gleeson
Captain:Conor McCann[1]
Recent competitive record
Current All-Ireland status:Joe McDonagh Cup W in 2022
Last championship title:None
Current NHL Division:1B
Last league title:None
First colours
Second colours

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.

The team is nicknamed the Saffrons, the Saffron men or the Glensmen.[2][3]

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.[4]

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.[5]

Current panel
Subs used
Ryan McCambridge for E. Campbell
Daniel McKernan for C. Bohill
Domhnall Nugent for C. McCann
Niall McKenna for J. McNaughton
Conor Johnston for C. Clarke
Eoin O'Neill for N. McManus
Subs not used
Paul McMullan
Stephen Rooney
Phelim Duffin
Mattie Donnelly
Scott Walsh

Players

Notable players

Top scorers
Further information: All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship records and statistics § All-time top scorers

Neil McManus

All Stars

Antrim has 5 All Stars, as of 1993.

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

Team sponsorship

Antrim unveiled a sponsorship agreement with Fibrus in December 2022, projected to last five years.[6]

Honours
Official honours, with additions noted.[7]

National

Provincial
  • Ulster Senior Hurling Championship
    • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winners (58): 1900, 1901, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1916, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015,[8] 2016, 2017
    • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runners-up (11): 1902, 1906, 1914, 1915, 1923, 1932, 1941, 1992, 1995, 1997, 2000
  • Walsh Cup
    • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winners (1): 2008
  • Ulster Intermediate Hurling Championship
    • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winners (5): 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1973
  • Ulster Junior Hurling Championship
    • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winners (15): 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1968, 1969, 2002
  • Ulster Under-21 Hurling Championship
    • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winners (24): 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016[9]
  • Ulster Minor Hurling Championship
    • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winners (56): 1931, 1933, 1935–41, 1945–56, 1958–66, 1969, 1970, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1995–99, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015[10]

References
  1. "'Hopefully there will be more days like that ahead' - McCann". BBC. 13 December 2020.
  2. "Saffron men ready for the winner-takes-all clash". Gaelic Life. 17 October 2020. Saffrons captain Conor McCann understands the magnitude of the game, and he says that they have learnt from mistakes made in the past.
  3. "'Joe McDonagh has a great respect in Antrim': Glensmen win first cup". Off the Ball. 13 December 2020.
  4. "Flashback: 1989 All-Ireland SHC semi-final — Antrim v Offaly". 24 May 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  5. "Joe McDonagh Cup: Antrim beat Meath 2–30 to 3–10 to book final place against Kerry". BBC. 28 November 2020.
  6. "Antrim announce new five-year sponsorship deal with Fibrus". Hogan Stand. 1 December 2022.
  7. "Antrim — Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Uladh". Ulster GAA. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  8. "Ulster SHC final: McKinley points Saffrons to provincial success". Hogan Stand. 12 July 2015.
  9. "Ulster U21 HC final: Glensmen survive Oak Leaf scare". Hogan Stand. 27 July 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  10. "Ulster MHC final: Saffrons sink Oak Leafers". Hogan Stand. 12 July 2015.
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