NFL Division 3
Antrim v Clare
Corrigan Park – Sunday 26th January-1-00pm
Antrim kick off their fourth year in division 3 of the National Football League with a difficult opener against Clare at Corrigan Park on Sunday. The Banner had three points to spare over Andy McEntee’s Antrim in the corresponding fixture last year in Ennis and will travel to Belfast confident of getting their league campaign off to a winning start.
Clare came close to gaining promotion back to division 2 last year, having been relegated the previous year but had to settle for third place to Down and Westmeath with a point separating them from the Lake County.
McEntee begins his third term in charge of the Saffrons and the former Meath manager has been well received in his adopted county that has seen them play an attractive brand of football.
Success is difficult to measure but Antrim have reached successive Tailteann Cup semi-finals which saw them lose to eventual winners Meath in 2023 and to Laois in 2024.
The Saffrons finished 4th in division 3 in 2022 under Enda McGinley having gained promotion from division 4 under the Errigal Ciaran man the previous year.
Survival in division 3 under Andy McEntee would have been seen as success in 2023 where Antrim finished 6th and in 2024 Antrim went one better, finishing 5th and this year’s campaign looks no less daunting.
Antrim face difficult away trips to Fermanagh, Offaly, Laois and Kildare with Leitrim and Sligo joining Clare in their trips to Corrigan this season.
The introduction of the new rules will add further intrigue to all of this year’s National League fixtures and Antrim have tested the water in challenges against Monaghan and Louth.
Just who adapts best and fastest to these rule changes will have a big bearing on how their league campaigns will pan out but I would expect the changes to bring about some confusion and controversy through the early rounds as teams come to terms with the changes.
The changes may well prove a benefit to Antrim however with a big emphasis on speed and moving the ball quickly and Antrim look to have the players who can adapt to these changes.
Team captain Peter Healey will miss the early rounds with an ongoing injury and Colm McLarnon is sidelined while Ruairi McCann of Creggan has opted out for 2025 and Declan Lynch and Paddy McAleer have retired but Antrim retained the majority of the panel who have served them well over the last few years.
Mick Byrne, Paddy McBride, Marc Jordan, Ronan Boyle, Joe and Patrick Finnegan, Ruairi McCann (Aghagallon), and Eunan Walsh will backbone a strong panel and Dermot McAleese will captain the side where the fit again Conor Stewart will provide a further boost.
Ryan Murray has returned to the Antrim panel after a year out with serious injury and the lamh Dhearg man will add much needed experience to the Antrim attack.
Niall Hynds, Patrick Ferris, Shaun O’Callaghan, Aaron McNeilly, and young Adams from St Johns are amongst the new faces in the panel as Andy McEntee continues to build the panel and these lads will add competition for places.
Clare manager Peter Keane has been handed a significant boost with Eoin Cleary and Keelan Sexton set to return to the senior panel ahead of the 2025 season.
Last month, former Kerry manager Keane succeeded Mark Fitzgerald in the role. Clare were without several stalwarts including Cleary and Sexton for 2024. In the aftermath of Colm Collins’ departure several squad members stepped away including Cleary, Sexton, Cian O’Dea and Pearce Lillis.
Cleary spent the summer in America playing Gaelic football for Chicago Wolfe Tones where he won a national title. His presence in Croke Park last October representing Munster in the interprovincial series sparked hopes a return was on the cards.
Clare will travel to West Belfast confident they can add to last year’s victory over Antrim in Ennis but Andy McEnee’s Saffrons have put in a lot of work in the build up to Sunday’s opener and can claim the win that could set them up for a good season.
