BATHSHACK SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP
The Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship gets underway this weekend. What a game to kick things off: Belfast rivals St. John’s, who are the current champions, meet O’Donovan Rosa at Corrigan Park on Friday evening at 7 p.m.
The two met at the quarter-final stage of last year’s championship. O’Donovan Rossa appeared to have it wrapped up when St. John’s grabbed a late goal to turn the game on its head. From then on, St. John’s beat Cushendall in the semi-final and Loughgiel in the final to bridge a 52-year gap without a title.
Meetings between these two sides are always value for money, be it in the league or championship. The fierce rivalry between the two goes back a long way which makes Friday night’s clash all the more appealing. The Shaw’s Road side will be keen to gain revenge for that defeat in the quarter-final at Glengormley last year. The only thing this time around is that whoever loses the battle is not out of the competition. This is simply the first round of the league section.
The 2023 and 2024 champions, Cushendall, get their campaign underway when they travel to Hightown to take on St Enda’s at Glenormley. (The action getting underway here at 4:00 p.m.) This will be the Ruairis first outing since their shock exit to St. John’s in last year’s semi-final, they will be keen to get back on track, and with a wealth of young talent coming through the club at the minute (which saw them win minor and under-21 the last two seasons), the Ruairis are understandably among the favourites once again. St Enda’s will be keen to prove that they are not just along for the ride and what a boost it would be to their chances by gaining a scalp of this magnitude in the opening round.
Sunday sees the other four teams take their first steps in the 2026 Bath Shack Senior Hurling Championship, with Ballycastle hosting Loughgiel Shamrocks at 2 pm at Páirc Mac Uílín. The Shamrocks last championship appearance in Ballycastle saw them lose the final to St. John’s, and they will be keen to put this right this time around. There has been little between these two sides in their meetings this year in league and Feis cup, and this should be a cracker of a game, with a big crowd expected.
The final game in Round 1 sees last year’s Intermediate Champions Oisins travel to Dunloy for their first senior championship game in quite a few years. This young Glenariffe team has survived to the top division of the league this season and will take great encouragement from that. They will know that a massive task lies ahead of them, but they will be keen to show what they can do on the big stage.
It is four years now since Dunloy last lifted the Volunteer Cup, and they will be keen to get it back in their possession this season. Last year they were distracted by the big ball and showed they can mix up with the best in Antrim football, but hurling is their main focus, and will be striving to get the Volunteer Cup back in their possession come October. The action in this one gets underway at 4-30pm.
McKEEVER HOTELS INTERMEDIATE HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP
In the McKeever Hotels Intermediate Championship, it is round three, and Friday evening sees two games down for decision.
In Group 1 third placed Creggan play hosts to bottom of the table Rasharkin and the Loughshore men will see it as a great opportunity to collect two more points and strengthen their bid for a top three place. However, the Kickhams are a long way short of the team that won the 2014 All Ireland Junior Hurling Title, and Rasharkin will feel that they’re in with a chance.
In Group 2 Shane O’Neill’s have home advantage when they take on Tir na nÓg at Feystown on Friday evening at 7:00. The Glenarm men have made a good start with two wins out of two, and if they get the better of the visitors on Friday evening, it should see them through to the knock-out stages. Glenarm have been impressive with wins over St. Paul’s in Belfast and Glenravel at home, will go into this game as favourites against a Tir na nÓg side that scraped past Glenravel in the first outing before coming a long way short against South West rivals Cloney Gaels in the second. The Randalstown men need a win to keep their knock-out hopes alive but they will feel a result is not beyond them.
On Saturday at 2pm at Fr Maginn Park Glenravel, the home team Con Magees, who are still searching for their first point in the competition, face Cushendun who have two wins from their two outings against Cloney Gaels and St Paul’s. Another win for the men from the Glens would surely see them through to the knock out stages and they are strongly fancied to do just that.
Later in the day (4pm) St Paul’s will try and get off the mark in their Intermediate campaign when they host Cloney Gael’s Ahoghill at Pairc Pól, Belfast. The Shaw’s Road outfit face a formidable task against a Cloney side who bounced back from their opening day defeat to Cushendun to beat Tir na nOg convincingly in Round 2, and they will fancy their chances of adding to that on Saturday.
There is only one Intermediate game down for decision on Sunday and it sees St Gall’s travel to Ballyvoy to take on Carey Faughs. Both teams are unbeaten so far, Carey having accounted for Cloughmills and Rasharkin and top now top the group on four points. The men from Milltown have just played one game, beating Rasharkin in Dreen before having had a bye in the last round. A win for Carey would clinch a place in the knock-out stages, but St Gall’s will provide a stern challenge, and a win for the would go a long way towards qualification.
JUNIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP
There is one game tonight in the Junior Hurling Championship when Lamh Dhearg, winners last time out against Ardoyne, welcome Belfast Saints to Hannahstown. The Saints (the St Teresa’s and the Aggies combination) lost heavily in their opening game against Glen Rovers, Armoy and badly need a win tonight to stay in the race for a place in the knock-out stage.
On Saturday Glen Rovers, runners-up in the last two seasons, have Ardoyne as visitors to the Glen, with a 6-30 throw-in. The Belfast men lost narrowly to Lamh Dhearg in their opening game and will need to get a win tomorrow, but it will not be easy against an Armoy side who handed out a 33 point beating to Belfast Saints in their opening game.
In the other JHC game down for decision on Saturday Davitt’s, who had to sit out the opening day because of Latharna Og’s withdrawal, face Loch Mor Dal who were well beaten by Gort na Móna last time out. That game also has a 6-30 start time.
There is just one Junior game down for decision on Sunday when All Saints Ballymena, who were beaten at home by St Brigid’s in the opening round, face the daunting task of travelling to the Bear Pit to take on Sarsfields.