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 Joe McDonagh Cup and the National Hurling League. It also contests the Ulster Senior Hurling Championship (SHC) 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 SHC 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
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
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 2024–2026
Players Notable players
Captaincy
Records Top scorers
Neil McManus
Awards All Stars: Antrim has 5 All Stars, as of 1993.
1988: Ciaran Barr 1989: Dessie Donnelly, Olcan McFetridge 1991: Terence McNaughton 1993: Paul McKillen
Champion 15: denotes that a player also won Player of the Year for the year in question.
2006: Malachy Molloy, Paddy Richmond, Ciarán Herron 2016: Simon McCrory, Eoghan Campbell, Ciarán Clarke 2017: Paddy Burke 2020: Mattie Donnelly, Stephen Rooney, Gerard Walsh, Keelan Molloy, Niall McKenna, , Ciarán Clarke2nd 2022: Ryan Elliott, Joe Maskey, Gerard Walsh2nd, Eoghan Campbell, Keelan Molloy2nd, Conal Cunning, Ciarán Clarke3rd
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-20 Hurling Championship Winners (39): 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, 2023, 2025, 2026 Ulster Minor Hurling Championship Winners (62): 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, 2016, 2017, 2023, 2025, 2026
References