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All Ireland gold last night, Tipperary v Galway, real classic. Lane lasses into the net in the final seconds and is jumped by a dozen Galway supporters.
I would say in today's games that there would be at least 3 straight reds and 4 or five double yellows. Leahy, was he a dirty shite all the time, he was only 18 in that game last night. And Declan Ryan was as bad, but stroke over some great points. Antrim were represented that year with Gerry McClory doing lines man.

My questions is this, do we prefer the hurling of that time to the type we have at the minute? I'll go for the late eighties early nineties every time. At least Antrim could compete with the big guns then.

McKernan astonished at snub

Antrim hurling manager Jim McKernan
22 November 2006


Jim McKernan has issued a statement criticising the Antrim county board for failing to ratify him for a second year as senior hurling manager despite leading the Saffrons to Christy Ring and Ulster success.

McKernan was overlooked by the county board in favour of Sambo McNaughton and Dominic McKinley, despite an excellent debut year as manager in 2006.

"To say I am extremely disappointed is an understatement, I am totally astonished not to be allowed to implement year two of our three-year strategy after a very successful year which we exceeded all expectations and targets," said McKernan.

"The addition of Mick O'Connell to our management team makes the decision by the county board even more difficult to accept. My record stands for itself. Last year no one wanted this job when Antrim was in decline, it was a poisoned chalice, it had no viable vision or go forward strategy. This position has been turned round and now the players and supporters and my management team can hold our heads high.

"At the start of the year Antrim Hurling was in turmoil, they were relegated from the Liam McCarthy Cup, player confidence was decimated, and the team was in decline," said Kernan, who went on to point out that under his managerial reign the county retained their place in the NHL Division 1 with wins over Galway and Laois, ran All-Ireland champions Kilkenny to two points, won the Christy Ring Cup, claimed the Ulster SHC and reached all the targets set out by the county board at the start of the year.

"If the selection process was based on achievements, track record and effort then I cannot understand the county board's decision not to install us for another year, but that is in the past.

"I would like to personally thank my management team and players for their commitment and professionalism especially to Paul McKillen and Paul Boyle without whom our achievements would not have been met. It is with great regret that we were not allowed to achieve our full potential as a management team thus preventing us delivering Antrim into a top eight position in the country in 2007.

"Finally as a true Antrim man I would like to offer my sincere best wishes to the new senior hurling management team and I hope they achieve the goals that we had set for 2007 season."

would agree with you there, Johnney

Best hurler played against, Clute.
Best hurler I've seen in Antrim was Eddie Donnelly
Best club hurler I've played with Karl Stewart

couldn't resist anyway best pitch in Ulster is Casement, the best playing surface and maybe used the most. Omaghs not bad either

we had no problems with it last year

Mc Gourty is only captain of Queens. read the article and there is nothing on it thats out of order. these people phone him up like everybody else at this time of year to fill a column, Kevin is only too willing to spout off. people on this site are over reacting. If he's not playing for Antrim so what!!!!!

Found it strange that you were beaten by so much, thought you would have won that game at least. Talking to some of the lads in the club on Sunday after your result and some were happy some never said anything but, what they did say is that they want to get back into the Championship next year, some names being banded about for our management team at the minute nothing solid though, but the lads are hungry. Should be a good championship next year. Is the current Cargin management staying?

I doubt it very much, i would love to have heard there interview and wheat they promised for the county team, have they got a money backer? and will they have a say in how the county is going to sort out the hurling leagues. also who is taking the minor hurling team?

according to an "Antrim official" it's just hearsay and nothing will be changed. your right I've played every game to win whether it's Guess Who with my kids or hurling. but the fact remains that (and if you had have been there) they had a different degree of intensity in playing that game (ballycastle) if they had have played like that all year then they could have went a lot further than they did.

it's about time the sorted out the hurling leagues properly. the football leagues are a roaring success, even the lower leagues in hurling all the teams seem to be fighting for positions, but the senior league has been a joke for a number of years.

The county board did not even ask us to play the game. That's what I've been told. To be fair I'm not in the inner circle but would but would be speaking regularly with the senior members and committee, like I did on Saturday night and that was there answer. They could have been telling me porkies but...the fact of the matter is there was a ball's up and two sets of lads have missed out and it's a hollow victory.

Sorry lads you picked me up on an argument I had with a Rossa man. My point is simple, is it fair to say that if a team knew that an impending change to the leagues was coming and that if they played out there remaining games against teams that did not know there was a change to the structures, would this not come across as underhand?

If we had have had the knowledge of Mr Donnelly who sits on the fixtures committee and is also a Ballycastle man. The skulduggery of it stinks. I have no problems with Ballycastle just the way things have been handled.

Regarding the Dunloy problem. The county board have refused Naomh Gall the game. Speaking to members of the team and some of the management they have said they wanted to play the game. Dunloy had a chance to put their case towards the Ulster council, have they done this appeal? There would be one or two people who have said they don't want the game played but the majority of players, members, and committee men/ladies want the game to go ahead.

This is the worst situation to be in and as far as I'm concerned we have not won any title. This happened to us against Glenarm many years ago in an Intermediate final and we were at Casement and on the pitch with referee there, and Glenarm didn't turn up. We asked for the game to be played and played the game. Only won by a point in the last minute but it was well worth it.

Typical arrogance from Rossa and Ballycastle men. When clubs start realising that they do not have a divine right to stay in a certain league based on what they have done in the past the better. Not so long ago Naomh Gall was relegated, and rightly so, I'm sure our committee at the time tried to argue for staying in Division one but failed. We went down came back up and went on to win 5 Senior Championships in a row and an Ulster championship as well. That was the kick up the arse our club needed. For years Rossa have tried to stay in division one football but finally they were relegated.

Ballycastle have found themselves in a difficult position this year, but are not the worst team. As the league came to a close, they started to win games in October and against teams that could not be bother to turn up at this time of year. With one of there committee men on the Antrim fixtures committee, have they had word of the intended league changes and applied themselves a lot better than they did at the start of the year.
We played them and they came down and played the game as if it were championship. Had we the knowledge of a certain member of their club and the game that we were playing was a relegation play off match then I'm sure Naomh Gall would have played the game at a higher tempo and the result could have been different.

The county board at the start of the year said one up one down. Like everything they have done this year, they have went back on there word. County games would not control leagues games, lie number one, senior hurling would have reserve games played before them, lie number two. League would be decided by, one up from Division two and one down from division 1, lie number 3. League games would not be called off for silly reasons. Lie number 4.

Dare I say it. but I think the county would be better off if the previous county executive was still in control. If they have any balls, they should stick to there word

Don't want to get into a slagging match but what was in the handbags? Rocks!!!!!! Goalkeeper had no reason to run down there and "sort things out" it's not a coincidence that Cargin seem to be involved in handbags. If the incident had not have happened Cargin would be getting ready to play Cross this week instead of now having two first team players sitting on the sideline.

would it be fair to say that Cargin would have won the game, if the fight had not have broken out?

club: Naomh Gall

County: Aontroim

Best Gaa Memory: All Ireland weekends away with the lads at St Judes Hurling, serious craic!!!!!!!!!!

Best playing Memory: playing in the Glens