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 Darren Gleeson.
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.
Current 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
Players
Notable 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.