Antrim’s Junior and Intermediate hurling champions are in action this weekend as the Ulster Club Championships get underway. Junior champions Cushendun face Derry representatives Na Magha at Quinn Park, Ballymena while Intermediate kingpins St Gall’s face a long journey to Brewster Park where they face Fermanagh champions Lisbellaw.

Cushendun were very impressive when winning the Antrim title last week and they will need to reproduce that sort of form against a Na Magha team who drew with Eoghan Rua Coleraine in the Derry final. Eoghan Rua are not able to take part in the Ulster Junior this years so the Derry city men were going to represent the Oak Leaf county in this competition anway. Na Magha played in the Division 4 in the Antrim league this year and have won promotion to Division 3, so they will be formidable oppostition.

St Gall’s beat Creggan in the Antrim final, the Milltown men coming with a late charge to beat the Kickhams in a hard fought final. A good few of their players were involved with the football team who lost out so dramatically to Cargin on Saturday, but with football all but ended in the club for this season they will be able to concentrate on the task ahead.

Antrim camogie Intermediate champions Loughgiel are also in action on Sunday when they travel to Tyrone champions Derrylaughin, the venue decided by the toss of a coin. In previous seasons the Shamrocks have not been able to compete in the compeition because their seniors are in Ulster as well, but they are this season, and so the club will be bidding for a provincial double.