Antrim keen for three more years

GAELIC GAMES: ANTRIM MAY experience something of an identity crisis this weekend. They find themselves competing in both the Ulster football championship – against Donegal – and the Leinster hurling championship – against Laois – and then, later in the summer, they'll also compete in the Ulster hurling championship.

It’s the unique scenario resulting from them being included in the Leinster hurling championship – along with Galway – on a three-year trial basis, while also being given an automatic place in the Ulster hurling final.

The fact the Antrim footballers are also out this weekend is purely coincidental and yet hardly ideal.

This year marks the end of that three-year trial, and although Antrim have yet to actually win a game in Leinster, county board chairman Jim Murray believes it’s been a unanimous success – and called for its continuation for at least another three years.

“We’re absolutely delighted with the way the Leinster trial has gone,” says Murray, “and still believe it’s the way forward for Antrim.

“It’s given us the level of competition we’ve been looking for. Leinster have been very accommodating, and if anything we’d like to see the relationship grow so that our minor hurlers would be involved too.

“Of course it is a bit of a push, financially, for our supporters to travel to Leinster venues. We’re happy enough with that, but we would like to think that in the future there is the possibility of a home match. But overall I feel the experiment has been great success, and know Galway feel the same.”

The GAA’s special Congress in autumn 2008 approved the Antrim and Galway switch, although the actual results have been mixed: Galway made the Leinster final last year, and put up a strong show against Kilkenny the year before, but Antrim lost out in the first round to Dublin in 2009, and then to Offaly last year, albeit after extra-time.

However, Antrim went on to take Dublin’s scalp in the qualifiers last year, and certainly fancy their chances when facing Laois in Portlaoise on Saturday evening.

“There are never more than a couple of points between Laois and ourselves,” says Murray.

“And we have no reservations about keeping this going for the foreseeable future. As long as Leinster are happy, we’re happy. It took us long enough to get in, and we’re hoping it will be long term.

“But I do think the icing on the cake would be if we were considered for a home draw. That’s something the Leinster Council might want to consider in the future, but in the meantime we’re delighted to be there. I know this is the end of the three-year trial but as far as we’re aware it will continue. There are still some negotiations going on, but we’d be hopeful it would continue for another three years at least.”

The prospect of bringing the county minors into the Leinster minor championship is something Antrim will also be pushing for, although not yet their under-21s:

“I think the first step is getting the minor team in, to help them grow. We need strong, competitive games for our minors. We see it every year that strong minor teams coming through Ulster, but nearly always getting well beaten in the All-Ireland quarter-final stage. So playing in Leinster would give the more regular games to help them grow and be more competitive.”

As for having to attend a Leinster hurling championship in Portlaoise on Saturday evening, and then travel to Ballybofey on Sunday for the Ulster football championship match against Donegal, Murray says it’s “just the luck of the draw”, given they were drawn in the preliminary round of the Ulster football championship:

“Of course it’s hard for our supporters, but it’s not like that’s going to happen every year.”

Win or lose against Laois on Saturday, Antrim are already pencilled in for the Ulster hurling final on June 28th – and having won the last nine Ulster titles in succession, including the 4-22 to 1-12 win over Down last year, that remains an important part of their overall hurling identity.

“Effectively we are competing in two championships, but we’re an Ulster team, and still want to show our respect to the Ulster championship. We’re allowed to do that by rule, but it’s important for the other hurling counties in Ulster as well that we give them a target to go forward, to play Antrim. We see the amount of work going into the other counties.”

The Galway hurling board recently made the suggestion that they should be given some financial incentive for staying in Leinster, as neither they nor Antrim currently receive any of the gate receipts from the Leinster hurling championship.

“We’d be sympathetic towards Galway’s feeling on that,” says Murray, “but it’s not a big thing for us. The only thing we’d like is a home draw. And that would help the Leinster teams as well, to promote themselves outside Leinster by playing say in Belfast.”

In the meantime Antrim manager Dinny Cahill has included four championship debutants in his team to face Laois in defenders Chris McGuinness and Kevin Molloy and forwards James Black and Conor McCann.

Several seasoned players, such as Liam Watson, Johnny Campbell, PJ O’Connell and Cormac Donnelly were ruled out through injury.

ANTRIM(SH v Laois): C O'Connell; C McGuinness, A Graffin, K Molloy; N McAuley, M Herron, C Herron; P Shiels, B McFall; S McNaughton, K Stewart, J Black; C McCann, N McManus, K McKeegan.