“I AM VERY familiar with the service stations,” Kevin Ryan jokes as he tots up the 500 or so miles it takes to make the round-trip from his home in Waterford to Ballymena.
The first evening he took training with Antrim’s U21 hurlers, only six or seven players turned up. Two nights before their All-Ireland semi-final against Wexford, it was a bit better.
They had 14.
It was no surprise then that the Saffrons were rank outsiders in Semple Stadium last month. The bookmakers made Wexford 1/80 favourites, the only horse worth talking about in a two-horse race.
“Our whole ambition going down to Thurles would have been to be competitive and be in touch with Wexford and in the game as long as possible,” Ryan says as he looks back on a seismic shock and a historic two-point win.
Obviously by half time that ambition changes and they had the hurling to carry on. They had the mental strength to carry on.
Already in place as Antrim senior manager, Ryan took charge of the U21s a month before the start of the Ulster championship this summer.
He was coming into a set-up used to dominating at provincial level — they have won the last five Ulster titles — but shipping heavy defeats in the All-Ireland series.
It was 29 points against Clare last year; 26 against Dublin the year before; 28 against Tipperary in 2010.
Now tomorrow they make history as the first Ulster county ever to contest an U21 hurling final. If they were underdogs against Wexford, you can double that against a Clare side which again are red-hot favourites — 1/66 this time — and boast four of the side who started in last Sunday’s drawn senior final.
It is a bit easier to get a crowd to training now, Ryan admits, and while he tried to keep the routine as normal as possible in the run-up to the final, he hopes that this year’s success will sow the seeds of future interest.
“You’d have to consider what’s after happening the last 10 or 15 years. Last year they were beaten by 30 points or something like that. Lads wouldn’t see they have a chance here.
“When you try to get them together, it is also in the middle of senior club championship and they all give themselves a chance of winning that. So it is kind of hard to convince a young lad who has been hammered basically for years at inter-county level that if you do enough work, you won’t be hammered.
That’s the one good thing out of winning the semi-final. A lot of those lads will get a lot of belief and being honest, my whole ambition for the weekend is if they can be as competitive and stand up to it on a big day like this, it would be more encouraging for the fellas for next year or two.
“We have a lot of good young lads at 19 years of age and our plans are to get all them involved, and there are five or six lads out of minor this year, and prepare them over a two year period to be very competitive at U21 so that will help it will help get lads in for the future. That is the big thing.”
If Antrim beat Clare it would in my view be the biggest upset in the history of the GAA, hands down. The very best of luck to them I hope they make their county and their people proud whatever happens at the weekend.
Prior to 2009 we (Clare) had never even won a Munster championship at this grade. Now we play Antrim in a final that if we win we will have won 2 titles back to back. The sense of occasion in thurles and carnival atmosphere that will be there should be worth a visit to for neutrals. The great season of hurling is also prevalent in this grade throwing up some fantastic games. We will certainly make our northern brethren feel welcome tomorrow in thurles and I hope all teams go home happy with their teams performance.
I concur with the positive sentiment towards Antrim. What a shame the GAA did’nt have the sense of occasion, to bring the match to Clones and give Ulster hurling a final to savour all the more…
While I’m delighted for Antrim and everything I don’t agree with the sentiment that if they cause an upset against Clare its “good for hurling”. What’s good for Hurling is if the best, most skillful, most committed team wins. If that happens to be Antrim then fine but a team that can only muster 14 players at training the week of an All Ireland Semi Final isn’t deserving of any level of success, not when atleast 14 of those Clare lads trained every day in January with the senior panel.
There’s more chance of Crystal Palace winning the Premier League. No disrespect to Antrim, it was a fantastic achievement getting to the final but that Wexford team was the weakest team to ever come out of Leinster.
With a team mostly made up of Clare lads who played in last weeks All Ireland I can’t see any result other than a Clare win. Having said that its great to see hurling talent coming out of Ulster, long may it continue
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Best of luck to the Saffrons. Keeping hurling alive in Ulster despite the attitude of the Ulster Council and GAA headquarters.
If Antrim beat Clare it would in my view be the biggest upset in the history of the GAA, hands down. The very best of luck to them I hope they make their county and their people proud whatever happens at the weekend.
It would be brilliant for hurling in Ulster if the huge underdogs from Antrim caused an upset,
A good Mt Sion man & hopefully future manager of the Waterford senior hurlers. Best of luck Antrim.
Prior to 2009 we (Clare) had never even won a Munster championship at this grade. Now we play Antrim in a final that if we win we will have won 2 titles back to back. The sense of occasion in thurles and carnival atmosphere that will be there should be worth a visit to for neutrals. The great season of hurling is also prevalent in this grade throwing up some fantastic games. We will certainly make our northern brethren feel welcome tomorrow in thurles and I hope all teams go home happy with their teams performance.
I love a good underdog story, but cant see the saffrons beating clare. Be great for hurling if they could
I concur with the positive sentiment towards Antrim. What a shame the GAA did’nt have the sense of occasion, to bring the match to Clones and give Ulster hurling a final to savour all the more…
Hurling? In Clones?? A come here…
Casement park is unavailable due to renovation so Clones would have been a good option in fairness.
Does anyone else think that top photo makes it look like they’re doing a haka?
Best of luck to the Saffrons tomorrow.
While I’m delighted for Antrim and everything I don’t agree with the sentiment that if they cause an upset against Clare its “good for hurling”. What’s good for Hurling is if the best, most skillful, most committed team wins. If that happens to be Antrim then fine but a team that can only muster 14 players at training the week of an All Ireland Semi Final isn’t deserving of any level of success, not when atleast 14 of those Clare lads trained every day in January with the senior panel.
Antrim for Liam 2021!!
The only Ulster hurlig team to win an All-Ireland title in Hurling was Derry in the junior grade. Please God Antrim can win this one.
Best of Luck Antrim, don’t be afraid to get stuck in. We are playing their Seniors in 2 weeks again :)
There’s more chance of Crystal Palace winning the Premier League. No disrespect to Antrim, it was a fantastic achievement getting to the final but that Wexford team was the weakest team to ever come out of Leinster.
Wexford’s attitude beat them that day.
With a team mostly made up of Clare lads who played in last weeks All Ireland I can’t see any result other than a Clare win. Having said that its great to see hurling talent coming out of Ulster, long may it continue
Come on Antrim!
Ulster Hurling deserves its place at the top table!
I thought Antrim weren’t playing in thurles 100 percent what a load of bluffers I hope they get hammered by 20 points