Antrim county football team

Antrim
Sport:Football
Irish:Aontroim
County board:Antrim GAA
Manager:Andy McEntee
Captain:Dermot McAleese
Home venue(s):Corrigan Park, Belfast
Recent competitive record
Current All-Ireland status:Ulster (QF) in 2022
Last championship title:None
Current NFL Division:3 (4th in 2022)
Last league title:'NFL Division 4 Winners 2021'
First colours
Second colours

The Antrim county football team represents Antrim GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association, in the Gaelic sport of football. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Ulster Senior Football Championship and the National Football League.

Antrim's home ground is Casement Park, Belfast. The team's manager is Andy McEntee.

The team last won the Ulster Senior Championship in 1951, but has never won the All-Ireland Senior Championship or the National League.

History

The county team has won the Ulster Senior Football Championship (SFC) on ten occasions: 1900, 1901, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1946 and 1951.[1]

The county team was the first in the province of Ulster to appear in an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) final, doing so in 1911 and repeating the feat again in 1912, but losing on both occasions.

Antrim team of 1912, All-Ireland finalist

Antrim's 1911 All-Ireland SFC semi-final win was not anticipated. The Ulster secretary got sick that year and did not organise a provincial championship. So Antrim arrived to play Kilkenny without having practiced and won by a scoreline of 3–1 to 1–1. The following year Antrim defeated Kerry. Heavy rain on the day, and over-indulgence at a wedding the day before were blamed for the unexpected 3–5 to 0–2 defeat. Antrim's County Board decision to introduce a City League in 1908, one of the first in Gaelic history, was a more legitimate explanation.[citation needed]

The 1946 Antrim football team was regarded as one of the most exciting of the era, taking advantage of the newly reintroduced handpass. Joe McCallin's two goals contributed to Antrim's defeat of Cavan in the Ulster SFC final. However, Kerry roughed them out of the All-Ireland SFC semi-final.

The opening of Casement Park boosted the sport in Belfast, but — from the late 1960s — the troubles restricted sporting life in the football heartlands of Belfast, particularly in Ardoyne. Political violence meant that the county could not build on the under-21 team of 1969, one of the finest in Ulster history (Din Joe McGrogan — scorer of the goals that put Antrim in the final — was killed by a loyalist bomb). The county's Vocational Schools team has made it to two All-Ireland finals: in 1968, when the team defeated Galway, and in 1971, when Mayo won.

Congregation of Christian Brothers member Laurence (Larry) Ennis (1933-2021) served as Antrim manager from 1979 until 1981, leading the team to a Dr McKenna Cup title, defeating Tyrone, Down and Armagh along the way.[2]

A drawn Ulster SFC semi-final with Derry in 2000 was one of the highlights of Antrim's football at inter-county level, alongside winning the 2008 Tommy Murphy Cup, defeating Wicklow in the final, a reverse of the previous year's final result against the same opponent. Antrim reached the 2009 Ulster SFC final, the first Antrim team to do so for 31 years. Antrim lost that game to 2008 All-Ireland SFC winner Tyrone.[3]

Jody Gormley was named Antrim manager ahead of the 2007 All-Ireland SFC,[4] a role he held for two seasons.

Lenny Harbinson managed the team from 2017 until 2020. He was unable to gain promotion from Division 4 of the National Football League and the county exited the Ulster SFC in its first game in each of his three years, though defeated Louth in an away 2019 All-Ireland SFC qualifier.[5]

In November 2020, Enda McGinley was appointed manager.[6] McGinley brought his former Tyrone teammate Stephen O'Neill in as part of his backroom team and Brendan Murphy was appointed as strength and conditioning coach.[7] McGinley and his backroom team left at the end of May 2022.[8]

Less than two months later, Andy McEntee was unexpectedly appointed as McGinley's successor as manager on a three-year term.[9]

Managerial history

Dates Name Origin
2017–2020 Lenny Harbinson St Gall's
2020–2022 Enda McGinley   
2022– Andy McEntee   

Players

For individual player details, see Category:Antrim inter-county Gaelic footballers.

All Stars

Antrim has one All Star.

1971: Andy McCallin

Team sponsorship

Antrim unveiled a sponsorship agreement with Fibrus in December 2022, projected to last five years.[10]

Honours

Official honours, with additions noted.[1]

National

Provincial

References

  1. ^ a b "Antrim — Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Uladh". Ulster GAA. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Brother Laurence (Larry) Ennis RIP – A tribute from Ulster Schools". 17 September 2021.
  3. ^ "Antrim Tyrone". BBC. 19 July 2009.
  4. ^ News | Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Official Website - GAA.ie
  5. ^ "Lenny Harbinson: Antrim football boss steps down after weekend championship defeat". BBC. 10 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Enda McGinley: Ex-Tyrone player is ratified as new Antrim football manager". BBC. 21 November 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Lynch backs reputation of new management". Gaelic Life. 12 February 2021.
  8. ^ Maguire, Liam (30 May 2022). "Antrim begin hunt for new manager after Enda McGinley's departure". The Irish News. McGinley's backroom staff will also depart.
  9. ^ "'It probably surprises me as much as anybody else'". Hogan Stand. 12 July 2022.
  10. ^ "Antrim announce new five-year sponsorship deal with Fibrus". Hogan Stand. 1 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Harte: No easy draw in Ulster Championship". Irish Examiner. 31 October 2009. The appointment of Derry man Liam Bradley as Antrim manager in late 2008… brought about a first Ulster final appearance in 39 years for the Saffrons.