The Antrim Senior Hurlers, Senior Footballers and Under 20 Hurlers teams have been named for this weekend. The Senior Hurlers players face Down in Newry in what is effectively a relelgation play-off in Division 1B of the National Hurlling League Division 1B’ the Footballers take on London in Cargin at 1pm in Division 4 of the National Football League and the Under 20 Hurlers face Meath in the Leinster Championship in Kilmessan at 2pm, Finally the Antrim team to play Kilkenny in Division 1 of the National Camogie League at Nowlan Park is the same as faced Galway last weekend in Cushendun.
Antrim made short work of Down on Sunday afternoon as they swept aside the challenge of the Mournemen with plenty to spare at the end of 70 minutes. It was a hugely impressive performance from the Saffrons who made a lightning start to the contest and maintained control throughout. In what was a significantly efficient performance, Darren Gleeson’s men scored 5-12 from open play and a list of 10 different scorers against a Down side who were full of confidence following their win against Kerry just seven days previous.
While the sun shone on the Ballycran pitch, a swirling wind made life difficult for both sides but Conal Cunning managed to score all but one of his frees, eight of his ten points from placed ball.
The Saffrons majors came from Ciaran Clarke (two), Seaan Elliott (two), Domhnall Nugent and Conor Johnston. Clarke’s first coming after just ten seconds of the game while this was possibly Elliott’s finest game in a Saffron shirt. Scoring two goals, a point from a side line and tormenting the Down defence……
TEAMS
Antrim: Ryan Elliott; Phelim Duffin, Gerard Walsh, Niall O’Connor; Paddy Burke, Eoghan Campbell, Ryan McGarry; Joe Maskey, Conal Cunning; James McNaughton, Domhnall Nugent, Conor McCann; Seaan Elliott, Ciaran Clarke, Conor Johnston
Subs: Neil McManus for J McNaughton (44); Eoin O’Neill for C McCann (48); Matthew Donnelly for N O’Connor (51); Daniel McKernan for J Maskey (58); Conal Bohill for S Elliott (69)
Scorers: C Cunning 0-10 (8f); S Elliott 2-1; C Clarke 2-1 (1-00 pen); D Nugent 1-2; C Johnston 1-2; C McCann 0-2; J Maskey 0-1; P Burke 0-1; D McKernan 0-1; G Walsh 0-1 (f)
Down: Stephen Keith; Michael Hughes, John McManus, Tom Murray; Matt Conlon, Conor Woods, Caolan Taggart; Pearse Og McCrickard, Liam Savage; Marc Fisher, Paul Sheehan, Jordan Doran; Daithai Sands, Darragh Mallon, Eoghan Sands
Subs: Gerard Hughes for J Doran (41); Chris Egan for P Sheehan (43); Declan McCartney for D Mallon (53); Padraig Doran for M Fisher (58); Oisin McManus for P Og McCrickard (60)
Scorers: E Sands 2-00; C Egan 1-2; D Sands 0-4; P Sheehan 0-2 (2f); P Og McCrickard 0-2; P Doran 0-2 (1f); M Conlon 0-1; M Fisher 0-1; G Hughes 0-1; O McManus 0-1 (1f)
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.
St Louis Ballymena 1-16 St Malachy’s Castlewellan 2-10
St Louis Ballymena Complete Incredible Turnaround to Stun St Malachy’s and Reach Dalton Cup Final
Dalton Cup Semi-FinalVenue: Coláiste Feirste, Belfast Date: Friday, March 20, 2026
St Louis Ballymena have capped off a spectacular turnaround to their season, defeating a heavily favored St Malachy’s Castlewellan in a thrilling Dalton Cup semi-final at Coláiste Feirste.
Having lost their first three games in the round-robin section—including a heavy defeat to St Malachy’s at this very venue—few would have predicted St Louis to emerge victorious. However, the Ballymena boys flipped the script to book their place in the final against St Joseph’s Donaghmore.
St Malachy’s goalkeeper Conran Andrews makes a spectacular catch during the Dalton Cup semi-final aginst St Louis at Colaiste Feirste.
First Half: St Louis Dominate Early Exchanges
The game opened at a frantic pace. St Louis drew first blood after just three minutes when Alfie Gordon gathered a ball down the left wing, beat his man, and popped it over the bar. Castlewellan responded swiftly through their talisman Cillian Curran, who leveled the score from play and then nudged his side ahead with a free from the right on eight minutes.
St Louis quickly found their rhythm, heavily driven by Conan McKeever in midfield. McKeever slotted a free to tie the game before Kiran JayaPrakash won the resulting kick-out and fired over a point to reclaim the lead. Though JayaPrakash pushed a subsequent chance wide, St Louis kept the pressure on.
Curran showed his class again for Castlewellan, turning sharply inside to score and keep his side in touch. However, the final ten minutes of the half belonged entirely to St Louis. Oisin Agnew landed a brilliant score from just outside the D, and despite a Castlewellan free from Ryan Morgan, St Louis piled on the agony. McKeever added two more points—including a beautiful curled effort from the sideline. Mark Kirby nearly found the net after a great piercing run but settled for a dangerous point from play. Ronan Laverty and JayaPrakash tacked on two more excellent scores just before the whistle, leaving St Louis with a commanding 0-10 to 0-04 lead at the break.
Second Half: Castlewellan Fightback and Late Drama
St Louis corner back Charlie O’Brien gets past the challenge of St Malachy’s Ronan Cunningham during the Dalton Cup semi-final at Colaiste Feirste
Castlewellan emerged from the dressing room a different beast. Within three minutes, Ollie Brannigan rattled the St Louis net for a crucial goal. Shea Kearney quickly followed up with two points in a minute (one free, one from play) to completely erase St Louis’ comfortable cushion.
Sensing the shift in momentum, St Louis looked to their leader. Conan McKeever stepped up to convert two vital frees, steadying the ship for the Ballymena men. Castlewellan’s Aodhan Aldridge kept the pressure on with a point on 10 minutes, but the defining moment of the match arrived shortly after.
On 12 minutes, Kiran JayaPrakash produced a moment of individual magic. Soloing tightly along the endline, he unleashed a fierce, angled shot high into the Castlewellan net, giving the goalkeeper no chance. The goal galvanized St Louis; they rattled the crossbar a minute later before McKeever set up both Oisin Agnew and Ronan Laverty with piercing passes to stretch the lead back out to eight points by the 20th minute.
Refusing to yield, Castlewellan’s substitute Harry McVeigh made an immediate impact, pointing well from play. McKeever answered with another free, but Castlewellan found another gear. After tapping over a point, they won the resulting kick-out, racing through the St Louis defense to allow their number Mcveigh to fire in a dramatic second goal. They came close to claiming a third goal when one of the forwards rattled the ball of the base of the upright but St Louis held out
With the deficit slashed, Shea Kearney pointed a free on 28 minutes to set up a nerve-wracking finale. As the game entered injury time, Castlewellan won a close-range free with a chance to level the game and force extra time. The shot was struck with intent, but the St Louis defensive line stood resolute, blocking the ball out just as the final whistle blew.
The St Louis players, management, and fans erupted into scenes of jubilation. From losing their first three games to knocking out the tournament favorites, St Louis Ballymena now march on to the Dalton Cup final with massive momentum behind them.
St. Louis Conan McKeever in action during his team’s win over Castlewellan in the Dalton Cup semi-final at CColaiste Feirste.
St Louis Grammar School Ballymena
1 PJ Marron, 2 Charlie O’Brien, 3 Lir Hodkinson, 4 Lir Hamill, 5 Mark Kirby, 6 Joseph Killough, 7 Nicholas McCrory, 8 Conan McKeever, 9 Cayden McGuckian, 10 Kiran JayaPrakash, 11 Oisin Angelecki, 12 Ronan Laverty, 13 Cahan O’Kane, 14 Odhran Cassidy, 15 Alfie Gordon, 16 Daithi Diamond, 17 Luke Bradley, 18 Conalladh Clarke, 19 Charlie Herald, 20 Jack Curry, 21 Oisin Martin, 22 Tomas Matthews, 23 Luca McCamphill, 24 Oliver McCarroll, 25 Liam O’Neill, and 26 Aidan Scullion.
St Malachy’s Castlewellan
1 Conlon Andrews, 2 Ruairi McAvoy, 3 Tobias Ondas, 4 Diathi Ireland, 5 Niall Russell, 6 Conal Shields, 7 Aodhan Aldridge, 8 Cathal Doran, 9 Matthew Crowl, 10 Ronan Cunningham, 11 Shea Kearney, 12 James Morgan, 13 Ryan Morgan, 14 Ollie Brannigan, and 15 Cillian Curran. Subs Noah Keown, Barney Flynn, Patrick Feeney, Caelum McMullan, Jack Burns, Adam Flanagan, Harry Grant, Finn Daly, Finn O’Rourke, Aidan McVeigh, Harry King, Eoin Delaney, Louis Grant, Harry McVeigh, Rossa McAleenan, Kian Russell, and Nathan McLaughlin.
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Dominican College Coleraine 1-13 | St Patrick’s Academy Lisburn 0-07 Venue: The Cricky, Cliftonville
Dominican College Coleraine secured the Danske Bank Nolan Cup with a commanding victory over St Patrick’s Academy Lisburn at The Cricky, Cliftonville Road, Belfast
Driven by a standout performance from their number six, Duffy Crocker, Dominican built an unassailable first-half lead and showed great resilience to weather a second-half fightback from St Pat’s.
Dominican Dominance
The match opened with a flurry of action. St Pat’s got on the board early, with Ronan Arthurs finishing a well-worked team move to point from play just 90 seconds in. However, Dominican quickly responded with a point from play by their star man, Duffy Crocker, setting the tone for the rest of the half.
Dominican capitalized on a mistake in the Lisburn defense—a poor backpass to the goalkeeper—which allowed Conor Love to easily slot over a point from a free. Under severe pressure, Oscar Leitch added a great individual point on the 12-minute mark.
From there, Dominican’s midfield took absolute control, stifling St Pat’s and preventing them from escaping their own half. Duffy Crocker was instrumental, hitting an incredible two-pointer from play at 14.5 minutes. Conor Love kept the scoreboard ticking with consecutive points from frees at 17 and 18 minutes.
Crocker was relentless, adding a second two-pointer from play on 19 minutes. St Pat’s managed a brief reprieve with a great point from play by Dara Campbell, but Dominican had the final say of the half. Tiarnan Andrews Fryer finished a superb team move on the stroke of halftime, leaving Lisburn paying the price for conceding too many frees.
Half-time Score: Dominican College 0-10 | St Pat’s Lisburn 0-01
Lisburn’s Comeback & Dominican’s Killer Blow
St Pat’s emerged from the dressing room with renewed purpose. Dara Campbell converted a free just 30 seconds after the restart. However, their momentum took a hit when Ronan Arthurs was shown a black card, reducing them to 14 men for a 10-minute spell.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, St Pat’s showed immense fighting spirit. Darragh Patterson hit a fantastic individual point under pressure at 5 minutes, followed by a free from Eoin Morris at 7.5 minutes to claw back into the game.
Dominican steadied the ship on 11 minutes with a great individual point from play by Conor Love. Shortly after, Lisburn returned to their full complement of 15 players as Arthurs re-entered the fray. Duffy Crocker then effectively shut the door on the comeback, converting a crucial two-pointer from a free on 14 minutes.
St Pat’s continued to battle hard. Dara Campbell pointed from a free at 18 minutes, and Eoin Morris added two more frees at 21.5 and 24.5 minutes. The Dominican goalkeeper also had to remain alert, pulling off a vital save on 22 minutes to deny Lisburn any hope of a late goal.
With St Pat’s pushing forward, Dominican struck the final, decisive blow. On 30 minutes, Oscar Leitch broke away to score a brilliant goal from play, calling game, set, and match for the Coleraine side and sealing the Nolan Cup title in style.
16 Dylan Corbett 2 Thomas Campbell, 3 Niall McGarry, 4 Joe Marshall, 5 Enda Lafferty, 6 Duffy Crocker 7 Hugh Patrick Donaghy, 8 Dara Hughes, 9 Tiarnan Andrews Fryer, 10 Charles Molyneaux, 11 Conor Love, 12 Patrick McKinley, 13 Fergal Murray, 14 Oscar Leitch, Subs
