Antrim Hurling

[general_lee]

Great to see a Belfast Club win the Hurling; first time since 2004 is it?

Have they any imports from Hurling Strongholds down the country or are they all home grown Antrim lads?

Simon Doherty, keeper, until Big Domhnall stepped between the posts this season. Think he's Armagh Chchullians

Sean Treacys

[Milltown Row2]

Great to see a Belfast Club win the Hurling; first time since 2004 is it?

Have they any imports from Hurling Strongholds down the country or are they all home grown Antrim lads?

Simon Doherty, keeper, until Big Domhnall stepped between the posts this season. Think he's Armagh Chchullians

Sean Treacys

Simon is well bedded into the club and takes a lot to do with the hurling teams, good lad to boot..

Domhnall has the set now, along with the Dunloy lads having football and hurling seniors is a good achievement

[NorthAntrimSaff]

SFC, SHC, JHC. Although i'm sure yesterday ment a hell of a lot more.

Has Michael Bradley had injury issues?

[Splash]

Been a few years since 4 teams were in the Ulster SHC. Good to see.

Slaughtneil will be favourites id imagine

True, they are at a level in terms of experience, tactics and physical conditioning way ahead of the rest of the teams.  Its theirs to lose at this stage.

Portaferry had the beating of Slaughtneil last year in the Ulster Final and were unlucky to not win it last year.

Slaughtneil will be favourites for Ulster, but Portaferry are not a million miles away. If Portaferry beat Ballygalget on Sunday, they will be looking to finally get an Ulster title.

[NorthAntrimSaff]

S'Neil will be stronger than last. Chrissy McKaigue back playing (well by looks of it after a year out) is a major boost. Experianced ball winner and a dam good hurler. Look to have brought through a few quality young lads too

[LC]

Been a few years since 4 teams were in the Ulster SHC. Good to see.

Slaughtneil will be favourites id imagine

True, they are at a level in terms of experience, tactics and physical conditioning way ahead of the rest of the teams.  Its theirs to lose at this stage.

Portaferry had the beating of Slaughtneil last year in the Ulster Final and were unlucky to not win it last year.

Slaughtneil will be favourites for Ulster, but Portaferry are not a million miles away. If Portaferry beat Ballygalget on Sunday, they will be looking to finally get an Ulster title.

Yes Portaferry gave them the fill it but S'neil from what I recall pulled away in the last 10 - 15 mins primarily based on the 3 attributes highlighted above.

[imtommygunn]

Portaferry hit SN early with goals and then SN clawed it back. I'd doubt Ballygalget will challenge them in Down but still think SN a good bit too strong for them.

You would never know with the Johnnies. They could maybe win ulster though think they might fall a bit short. They were more than a point better yesterday I thought. They've a lot of very big physical guys who are well suited to this time of year and then the likes of Johnston and a few others have a good bit of skill about them too.

[MalluskMan]

Your man has had an absolute nightmare. Feckin TNN and "Loughgiel will win the senior. No bother."

lads lads lads, settle down, three days down in the glens on the drink celebrating with the oisins men, don't believe all you read!!! Admittedly the Loughgiel call was wrong, but there was barely a hurling man in the county outside of corrigan  who saw that coming. Loughgiel are flakey, as quoted elsewhere, not fans of adverse weather it would seem!

[Splash]

Been a few years since 4 teams were in the Ulster SHC. Good to see.

Slaughtneil will be favourites id imagine

True, they are at a level in terms of experience, tactics and physical conditioning way ahead of the rest of the teams.  Its theirs to lose at this stage.

Portaferry had the beating of Slaughtneil last year in the Ulster Final and were unlucky to not win it last year.

Slaughtneil will be favourites for Ulster, but Portaferry are not a million miles away. If Portaferry beat Ballygalget on Sunday, they will be looking to finally get an Ulster title.

Yes Portaferry gave them the fill it but S'neil from what I recall pulled away in the last 10 - 15 mins primarily based on the 3 attributes highlighted above.

Wouldn't say it was the tactics or physical conditioning that got Slaughtneil over the line. The experience, yes, probably.

They got two brilliantly worked goals in the space of a minute, which completely stunned Portaferry, and then drew level through 65s and frees.

The second goal proving to ultimately be the difference and what separated the two.

Don't think it's right to say Slaughtneil pulled away in the last ten when Portaferry were in the lead until the 56th or 57th minute.

[Splash]

Portaferry hit SN early with goals and then SN clawed it back. I'd doubt Ballygalget will challenge them in Down but still think SN a good bit too strong for them.

You would never know with the Johnnies. They could maybe win ulster though think they might fall a bit short. They were more than a point better yesterday I thought. They've a lot of very big physical guys who are well suited to this time of year and then the likes of Johnston and a few others have a good bit of skill about them too.

Portaferry didn't get their goal until about 5 minutes to go.

They had a great chance for a goal about 10 minutes in which would have put them 8 or 9 up, but Slaughtneil made an amazing save to deny them.

[Milltown Row2]

Been a few years since 4 teams were in the Ulster SHC. Good to see.

Slaughtneil will be favourites id imagine

True, they are at a level in terms of experience, tactics and physical conditioning way ahead of the rest of the teams.  Its theirs to lose at this stage.

Portaferry had the beating of Slaughtneil last year in the Ulster Final and were unlucky to not win it last year.

Slaughtneil will be favourites for Ulster, but Portaferry are not a million miles away. If Portaferry beat Ballygalget on Sunday, they will be looking to finally get an Ulster title.

Yes Portaferry gave them the fill it but S'neil from what I recall pulled away in the last 10 - 15 mins primarily based on the 3 attributes highlighted above.

Wouldn't say it was the tactics or physical conditioning that got Slaughtneil over the line. The experience, yes, probably.

They got two brilliantly worked goals in the space of a minute, which completely stunned Portaferry, and then drew level through 65s and frees.

The second goal proving to ultimately be the difference and what separated the two.

Don't think it's right to say Slaughtneil pulled away in the last ten when Portaferry were in the lead until the 56th or 57th minute.

Slaughneil play to the final whistle in all their games in Ulster and in the semi final games they have had with this team.. They are a phenomenal outfit that have delivered great games.. In my time they are up their with the best Dunloy/Loughgiel/Cushendall teams of the last 30 plus years..

Getting over the line in the All Ireland series is their biggest let down but they have given it some go.. 

Haven't seen championship ready Portaferry (they still have a game to play on Sunday) but from what I've seen of them in the league they are the best Down team but that means very little with standards in the Antrim leagues poor enough down to teams missing players due to county commitments

[imtommygunn]

Oh then I am misremembering part of that game... Well they have one hurdle to get past first though I'd be surprised, no offense to anyone, if they didn't get past that one.

On that MR SN must be sore not progressing in the AI especially with Dunloy getting to the final in one of their first visits with that team.

[NAG1]

Oh then I am misremembering part of that game... Well they have one hurdle to get past first though I'd be surprised, no offense to anyone, if they didn't get past that one.

On that MR SN must be sore not progressing in the AI especially with Dunloy getting to the final in one of their first visits with that team.

That's where I think MR2 is getting slightly carried away.

Yeah they are/were a good side but dont think, hurling wise they can be compared to the better teams to come from LG, CD or Dunloy in their prime.

[imtommygunn]

They are a very very good team though. I really wish Antrim had a forward(or player) of the ability of Brendan Rodgers and even a defender as good as O'Mannion (spelling). That said their inability to make any dent on the AI series maybe shows they're not quite as good as that.

[Splash]

Been a few years since 4 teams were in the Ulster SHC. Good to see.

Slaughtneil will be favourites id imagine

True, they are at a level in terms of experience, tactics and physical conditioning way ahead of the rest of the teams.  Its theirs to lose at this stage.

Portaferry had the beating of Slaughtneil last year in the Ulster Final and were unlucky to not win it last year.

Slaughtneil will be favourites for Ulster, but Portaferry are not a million miles away. If Portaferry beat Ballygalget on Sunday, they will be looking to finally get an Ulster title.

Yes Portaferry gave them the fill it but S'neil from what I recall pulled away in the last 10 - 15 mins primarily based on the 3 attributes highlighted above.

Wouldn't say it was the tactics or physical conditioning that got Slaughtneil over the line. The experience, yes, probably.

They got two brilliantly worked goals in the space of a minute, which completely stunned Portaferry, and then drew level through 65s and frees.

The second goal proving to ultimately be the difference and what separated the two.

Don't think it's right to say Slaughtneil pulled away in the last ten when Portaferry were in the lead until the 56th or 57th minute.

Slaughneil play to the final whistle in all their games in Ulster and in the semi final games they have had with this team.. They are a phenomenal outfit that have delivered great games.. In my time they are up their with the best Dunloy/Loughgiel/Cushendall teams of the last 30 plus years..

Getting over the line in the All Ireland series is their biggest let down but they have given it some go.. 

Haven't seen championship ready Portaferry (they still have a game to play on Sunday) but from what I've seen of them in the league they are the best Down team but that means very little with standards in the Antrim leagues poor enough down to teams missing players due to county commitments

It will be a bit of a shock if Ballygalget beat Portaferry this weekend. Not on par with St John's last weekend, but Portaferry have been comfortable so far this year.

Don't think anyone could object to saying Portaferry are the best team in Down. The past couple years they've been going from strength to strength it seems.

I'm not sure they're just as good this year as they were last year, but we'll see I suppose.

On the flip side, Ballygalget are looking a more complete team this year, but I think they have a bit more to do and are probably a year or two off a championship at least.



Agreed- Slaughtneil are a great team and it's mad they are yet to reach an All Ireland Final. There have been worse teams in All Irelands.