Leinster Hurling Championship – Round One
Antrim v Dublin
Saturday 22 April
Throw in: 2pm
Referee: John Keenan (Wicklow)
Brendan McTaggart previews Antrim’s Leinster Championship opener with Dublin on Saturday at Corrigan Park.
Antrim’s Leinster championship campaign begins on Saturday with a little piece of history. The first Leinster championship game to be held in Ulster. Having secured their status in Division One for a fourth season in succession, Darren Gleeson will have his first crack at the Leinster championship ‘proper’ with their previous visit shortened due to the covid pandemic.
Saturday will be five weeks since the Saffrons last played a competitive game and as the Antrim manager told us, they’ve been busy preparing for what promises to be an intense and hectic schedule over the next few weeks: “Our last game was against Tipp on 19th March and we were back at it on the Tuesday night after that.
“We had a week training camp that was hugely beneficial. There was a block of intense, heavy training there and a challenge game with Waterford. The lads were fantastic and bought into everything that we were trying to achieve out there.”
Antrim manager Darren Gleeson
It’s not the first time the Saffrons have gone to Portugal for this training camp but as Gleeson informed us, his players are reaping the rewards they have sewn off the pitch: “It was all driven by the players. It’s a great sign and a great trait in these players when they are willing to go that extra mile to do what it takes. The County Board did give funds towards it but the overwhelming majority of the coffers it took to put on that training camp came from funds raised by the players. They’ve put in a huge amount of work both on and off the pitch to try and be the best they possibly can be.”
Incredibly, this is the first time Gleeson and his backroom team have had the time to prepare for the championship on its own. Previous campaigns have been curtailed with scheduling and a global pandemic(!) and he told us it was more than welcome: “I suppose that’s the truth of it (championship preparation). The first year we won the McDonagh Cup during covid and there was no entry into the Liam McCarthy. Next year we had that one game in Navan against Dublin in a funny game with no crowd or atmosphere then last year was a very compact schedule with league and the relegation play-off before going into the McDonagh Cup and then Cork in the All-Ireland qualifier last year.
“The break has been beneficial and overall, we’re in a good place. The lads have benefitted from everything we’ve put in place and it’s allowed us to get rid of a few knocks and niggles.”
Antrim and Dublin in action in Parnell Park earlir this season
Antrim’s recent history hasn’t been anything to write home about. A rousing comeback in Parnell earlier in the league still saw Antrim come up three points short (2-19 to 0-28) while there was defeats by four and eight points in the previous league campaigns. You have to go back to 2010 for the last time Antrim defeated Dublin, Karl Stewart firing over the winner in Croke Park to give Antrim a 1-17 to 0-19 win, meaning Neil McManus us the only surviving member of that squad to have tasted victory over the Dubs with current coach Johnny Campbell playing centre half. Despite this, Gleeson still remains upbeat and positive on the Saffrons chances: “I think it’s a game that whoever plays to their potential will come out on the right side of the result. The difference in recent games against Dublin is we’ve been playing catch-up when we have our purple patch. We need to be more consistent throughout the game and not let the game get away from us. You look at the game in Parnell earlier this year and last year as well. When they’ve got on top of us they have built a lead and then we’re trying to get back into the game and get some sort of parity.”
Saturday represents another step in the journey that Darren Gleeson and his backroom team have taken Antrim hurling on. A step in a journey returning to the Leinster championship. It will be the first of two home games in the competition, two massive games against sides playing at the top level of hurling and a chance for Antrim to test where they are in that regard. It is a massive test, make no mistake about it and Gleeson is hoping for a vocal support on the Whiterock Road come Saturday: “When I got my backroom team together we wanted Antrim playing regularly in Division One and have Leinster Championship hurling and that was told to the County Board. They wanted Antrim to be playing consistently at the top level and we wanted it too. The opportunities there now for us to have an impact and we’re as well prepared as we could be for this. It’s brilliant to have these five games now and especially for the players who have pushed really hard to get to this level.
Three of Antrim’s ‘young guns’ Keelan Molloy, Conal Cunniing and James McNaughton. These lads were just lef primary school the last time Antrim lowered the Dublin colours back in 2010
“I’m hoping for a huge crowd in Corrigan but I’d expect a fair few travelling from Dublin also. They carry a healthy support and we’ll see a sprinkling of blue shirts throughout Belfast on Saturday.
“It’s a small piece of history and brilliant for the promotion of our game. A couple of years back when Slaughtneil played Ballyhale in Newry there was calls to have more high profile games in the north of the country and Saturday is one of those games.”
Since the interview with Darren, he has announced his team with Ryan Elliott retaining his place in goals. Club mate Ryan McGarry takes hold of a number three shirt he has made his own this year with Paddy Burke and Niall O’Connor either side. Captain Eoghan Campbell takes his place at the heart of the defence with Gerard Walsh and Conal Bohill either side while Michael Bradley and James McNaughton make up the midfield pairing. Keelan Molloy lines out at centre three-quarters with brothers Seaan and Nigel Elliott either side making an all Dunloy half forward line while Neil McManus is accompanied by Conal Cunning and Conor Johnston at full forward.
The only obvious omission is Niall McKenna who has picked up a knock in recent training, a huge blow but it’s a forward unit who is full of guile, speed, strength and accuracy. They will need to be firing on all cylinders on Saturday from the first whistle.
Antrim’s Seaan Elliot who lines out in the half forward line
10 of the starting 15 lined out from the first whistle when the sides met in the shortened Leinster Championship two years ago but this has been a more settled Antrim team in recent times. Ryan McGarry at three has been something of a revelation since moving to the position for Dunloy during their championship campaign while Gerard Walsh looks more at home at wing half. Eoghan Campbell is a natural at six while Michael Bradley has been Antrim’s most consistent performer in 2023 regardless of his position. A pairing with James McNaughton certainly has huge potential to work and they will be up against a massive test on Saturday.
To get anything from the game Antrim will have to make Dublin do something different from recent matches. Those games have largely been played on their terms and Gleeson hit the nail on the head when saying his side has been playing catch up too often. A fast start is required, a huge support is needed, a rocking Corrigan Park to welcome Leinster Championship hurling to the ‘wee six’ would go down well.
Let’s bring the noise.
James McNaughton who will line out at midfield alonside Michael Bradley