GAA

Herron back in action as hurlers battle for All-Ireland survival

ANTRIM co-manager Dominic McKinley says the players are under no illusions about the importance of their task on Saturday evening, when they play Laois in the first round of the All-Ireland Hurling qualifiers at O’Moore Park (7pm). The Saffrons will be missing Karl Stewart and Shane McNaughton for the weekend clash, as both are on pre-booked holidays, as well as long-term injury casualty Paul Shiels. However, Ciaran Herron is in contention to start at half-back having recovered from a hamstring...

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Holidays on hold for hurlers

TUESDAY signalled the end of the school year for the teaching staff at De La Salle College on Edenmore Drive, but for Kieran McGourty, there will be no extended foreign holidays. While some of the teaching fraternity jet off to the Costas, the West Belfast PE teacher will be in Portlaoise on Saturday night, focused on the All-Ireland hurling qualifier with Niall Rigney’s Laois. A place in the third qualifying phase of the championship is the prize, so instead the...

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Antrim’s Ulster final place was never in doubt

On Sunday last the Antrim hurlers won the Ulster Senior Hurling Championship for the eighth year in succession, beating Down by 3-20 to 4-15, but that victory scarcely caused a ripple of excitement because on the previous evening the county footballers qualified for the final of the Ulster Senior Football Championship by beating Cavan at Clones.  That means that on July 19th Antrim footballers will contest the Ulster final for the first time since 1970, a gap of thirty nine...

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Super Saffrons set up Ulster final with Tyrone

Saturday, June 27 will go down in the annals of Antrim football history as the day 17 players, and their manager Liam Bradley, guided the Saffrons to the promised land.  The hill at St Tiernach’s Park, Clones, and the Gerry Arthurs stand will be packed with Tyrone fans, tired as they may well be of making the trip south to Monaghan, such has been their success in recent years on Ulster final day.  But among them will be thousands of...

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Tyrone will be weary of Saturday night winners - Cavanagh

Tyrone footballer Sean Cavanagh believes that no matter who takes victory on Saturday at Clones, there's one hell of an Ulster final in prospect as the All-Ireland champions hope to take the Anglo Celt Cup for the first time since 2007. “Certainly whoever we play in the Ulster final - whether it is Antrim or Cavan - it will be a different game (than those against Armagh or Derry) because we will be playing one of the lesser successful counties...

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Great chance of reaching Ulster final - Gallagher

Aodhán Gallagher has pointed to a new, more positive mindset as the difference between this year's Antrim panel, with a first Ulster final appearance in almost 40 years in sight, and Antrim teams of the past. The St Gall's midfielder has been with the Antrim panel for five years but thinks it is the self-belief new manager Liam Bradley along with trainer Niall Conway have instilled in the squad that has made the difference this year. “I think it’s a...

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