National Hurling League – Division 1B
Antrim v Down
Saturday 21 May – Time: 5pm
Venue: Páirc Esler, Newry
Brendan McTaggart looks ahead to Saturday evenings pivotal game for Davy Fitgerald’s Antrim against Down.
It’s Saturday night lights in Newry as Antrim travel to Down with their status in Division One on the line. As if an old-fashioned Ulster Derby needs any more fuel added to the fire to make it a spicy contest.
While Saturday’s contest stands as a massive contest for Davy Fitzgerald’s men, the same can’t be said for our hosts whose fate has been settled already. Having secured promotion in the 2025 season to play in Division One for the first time in 19 years, defeating Kerry 1-23 to 0-28 in the last game, Ronan Sheehan’s men will make an immediate return to 2A. No points on the board but they have shown at times the quality they have and what they are capable off. Wexford putting on a late, late show to come away with the league points from Ballycran. Sounds familiar?
The last three games have come with a certain amount of pressure for the Saffrons. They dealt with that superbly against a dangerous Carlow side before finding the Dubs a different kettle of fish to deal with. A 15 point defeat to last years beaten All-Ireland semi-finalists with Dublin scoring an eye watering 1-26 from open play of their 1-31 tally. Fitzy and his backroom team will be expecting and demanding better on Saturday evening.
It’s four years since the Saffrons faced their neighbours, that contest coming in the McDonagh Cup with Antrim coming away with a 6-22 to 3-16 win and a game notable for Antrim scoring a goal right from the throw in. Joe Maskey with the marauding run before finding Ciaran Clarke and he did what Clarkey did best.
Similar again on Saturday wouldn’t go a miss for those who make the journey to the Marshes.
In the recent past, Antrim have mixed fortunes when it comes to contests like these. Last season, we needed a win against Laois to maintain our status and the Saffrons duly delivered while an agonising defeat to Offaly in O’Connor Park meant relegation from the Leinster Championship.
Down aren’t Offaly, but they will know Antrim better than any other county in Ireland given all their players ply their trade in the Antrim hurling leagues. There is no such thing an unknown quantity in the GAA these days given the amount of coverage there is across different platforms but this is a contest that you would imagine will feel different.
Off course, when it comes to contests with Down, we can cast our minds back to famous contests in Casement Park from yester-year. Down’s first Ulster title coming in 1992 with Noel Sands memorably lifting the Seamus McFerran Cup, the Ardsmen coming out on top in ’95 and ’97 also but mostly and overwhelmingly, the Saffrons have always had the upperhand in these contests.
I can remember sitting in the press box at Owenbeg after taking in the 2015 Ulster Final. Antrim somehow clawed their way back into the game and won 1-15 to 1-14 and a million thoughts were going through my head. Sitting to my right was former Irish News journalist and all-round great guy Paddy Heaney. He summed it up perfectly by saying: “These contests are full of guts and thunder but the class of Antrim always seems to bring them through in the end. They always seem to have that small bit extra when it’s needed.”
A small bit extra is all that’s needed on Saturday but two league points is a must for Antrim hurling. Staying in this division is pivotal for our growth and don’t let anyone tell you any different, this is as big as it gets.
Down would love to put the final nail in the Antrim Division 1B coffin and you know that Carlow are capable of producing the goods when needed, especially in their own backyard. While our attention is obviously on our game with Down, we may need a favour from the Dubs in the midlands.
But it’s a must to look after our own house first of all. A win on Saturday and nothing else matters.