Antrim county hurling team

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Antrim

Sport:	Hurling
Irish:	Aontroim
Nickname(s):	Saffrons The Saffron men The Glensmen
County board:	Antrim GAA
Manager:	Davy Fitzgerald
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

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.^[2][3]

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.^{[citation needed]} 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]

On 12 August 2024, Antrim officials appointed Davy Fitzgerald as the senior team's manager, for two years, with a third one optional.^[6]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2022)

• 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

Neil McManus

Antrim has 5 All Stars, as of 1993.

Antrim unveiled a sponsorship agreement with Fibrus in December 2022, projected to last five years.^[7]

Official honours, with additions noted.^[8]

• 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

• 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,^[9] 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^[10]
• 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^[11]