By Seamas McAleenan
DOWN and Antrim are set to meet twice over the next six weeks: this Friday in the Armagh City Hotel Ulster senior final and on 20 June in the last round of group games in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate Championship. Indeed, they could well meet again in July, or even August in Croke Park, in the latter stages of the All-Ireland.
It will be a surprise if Antrim are not favourites for all those games, even though the two teams have, to date, identical records for the season. Both won just one game in their respective league campaigns on the same weekend back in February, and both those wins were shock results that ultimately couldn’t prevent either team from being relegated to a lower division for next season.
Both Antrim and Down won their Ulster semi-finals on the last weekend of April, as they were expected to do against teams that had played in two league divisions below them. Antrim’s league victory came in Division 1A in Cork against last August’s All-Ireland senior finalists, and they competed well in the other games in that division. By contrast, Down were in Division 1B and couldn’t build on the win over Dublin that was achieved in Fontenoy Park. While they were in with a chance of winning the opening game against Limerick in Cappamore and competed well with Wexford in the last league outing, they were very much off the boil against both Offaly and Clare.
Free takers have dominated the scoring for each team. Nicole McAtamney’s accuracy has been a key element in Antrim’s season, while Aimee McAleenan was hitting seven or eight points in each league outing. McAleenan didn’t feature against Armagh in the recent provincial semi-final in Crossmaglen, and the focus has switched to others in the attack. Niamh McGrath was in charge of frees, but there weren’t many to take. Gerra McGrattan stepped up to the mark with 1-4 from play, and Dearbhla Coleman hit three points, with more established players Beth Fitzpatrick and Dearbhla Magee coming through from half-back to pick off a couple of long-range points.
Elaine Dowds made a few changes to the Antrim team in their semi-final win over Derry, with Becky Ellis taking over from Catriona Graham in goals and Caoimhe McNaughton and Caoimhe Conlon coming into the fullback line for their first starts this season. Both outfield players are very experienced and returning from injury. Getting a full game under their belts will provide Dowds with enhanced options ahead of this final, particularly as a number of the senior team are also involved in an All-Ireland U-23 semi-final against Limerick on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Domhnall Nugent will know that playing against Division Three champions Armagh and winning by ten points will be a lot different than playing against an Antrim team that has experience of camogie at the top level. The Saffrons are aiming to collect a third successive provincial title, something they haven’t done in nearly half a century. Down last held the crown in 2023 when they came into the final at Rossa Park, Belfast, as underdogs and won by 0-15 to 0-9. Indeed, that was their last final, as they were beaten at the semi-final stage in the past two seasons.
Only five of the 2023 Down team started the recent semi-final. Nine of the Antrim team that won the All-Ireland Intermediate final five years ago started in their 2-13 to 1-3 semi-final win over Derry, where the star player was teenage newcomer Éobha McAllister, who hit a goal and five points. Antrim are clear favourites, but they will certainly be wary of the threat Down pose.
