# 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 Davy Fitzgerald.
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.

## 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.
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.
On 12 August 2024, Antrim officials appointed Davy Fitzgerald as the senior team's manager, for two years, with a third one optional.

## Panel

* Team as of 4 June 2022, 2022 Joe McDonagh Cup final vs Kerry.
* Ryan Elliott
* David Kearney
* Gerard Walsh
* Paddy Burke
* Joe Maskey
* Eoghan Campbell
* Conall Bohill
* Michael Bradley
* Keelan Molloy
* James McNaughton
* Neil McManus
* Ciarán Clarke
* Conal Cunning
* Conor McCann
* Seaan Elliott

### 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

## Management team

Manager: Davy Fitzgerald

## Managerial history

Dominic McKinley ?–1997
Seán McGuinness 1997–1998
Seán McNaughton 1999–2001
Tom McLean 2001
Dinny Cahill 2001–2005
Jim McKernan 2005–2006
Terence McNaughton & Dominic McKinley (2) 2006–2009
Dinny Cahill 2009–2011
Jerry Wallis 2011–2012
Jim Nelson 2012
Kevin Ryan 2012–2015
P. J. O'Mullan 2015–2016
Terence McNaughton (2) & Dominic McKinley (3) 2016–2018
Neal Peden 2018–2019
Darren Gleeson 2019–2024
Davy Fitzgerald 2024–

## Players
### Records
#### 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.

## Honours

    Official honours, with additions noted.

### National

* All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
** Runners-up (2): 1943, 1989
* All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship
** Winners (3): 1978, 1981, 1982
** Runners-up (1): 1974
* All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship
** Winners (1): 1970
* All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship
** Winners (1): 2002
** Runners-up (2): 1959, 1963
* Joe McDonagh Cup
** Winners (2): 2020, 2022
* Christy Ring Cup
** Winners (1): 2006
** Runners-up (2): 2016, 2017
* National Hurling League Division 2
** Winners (4): 1956, 1970, 2003, 2020
* Oireachtas Cup
** Winners (1): 1946
* All-Ireland Vocational Schools Championship
** Winners (1): 1971

### Provincial

* Ulster Senior Hurling Championship
** 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, 2016, 2017
** Runners-up (11): 1902, 1906, 1914, 1915, 1923, 1932, 1941, 1992, 1995, 1997, 2000
* Walsh Cup
** Winners (1): 2008
* Ulster Intermediate Hurling Championship
** Winners (5): 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1973
* Ulster Junior Hurling Championship
** Winners (15): 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1968, 1969, 2002
* Ulster Under-21 Hurling Championship
** 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
* Ulster Minor Hurling Championship
** 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