Dunloy excited by Portaferry challenge says Elliott

By Shaun Casey

AFTER ending their four-year wait for an Antrim Senior Hurling Championship title, Dunloy are now aiming to get back on top Ulster according to their joint-manager, Shane Elliott.

Dunloy also conquered Ulster back in 2022 and went all the way to the All-Ireland final at Croke Park but lost out to Kilkenny’s Ballyhale Shamrocks by seven points.

Now they are back on the provincial scene and Portaferry stand between them and a crack at defending champions Sleacht Néill in the final.

“The expectation in our club, every year, is that we need to win the Antrim Championship and we get massive, massive satisfaction out of doing that,” said Elliott, who manages the team alongside Liam Richmond.

“Once we do that then, there’s bonus territory and all that, but we’ve won Ulster Championships and we’ve been to All-Ireland finals before.

“We feel that we have a group that are in their prime now, so we really don’t want it to end here. We have refocused in the days after the Antrim final and we’re ready for the challenge of Portaferry.

“The shackles do come off a bit (in Ulster), I think everybody enjoys it. Portaferry are probably the same, getting out of Down was probably important for them so it should be an interesting tie.”

Elliott feels that the pressure is off now that his side has got their hands back on the Volunteer Cup, and that they can throw the shackles off against the five in-a-row winners from the Mourne County.

“We know we’re facing into a massive challenge,” Elliott continued.

“But having won Antrim, that monkey is off our backs and the pressure is off now a wee bit and we can go out and enjoy and that’s exactly what we intend to do.

“But we’re looking forward to it because we know Portaferry are a good side and I think it’ll be a good game of hurling. If you’re a neutral, I think you’ll be entertained by what the two of us produce.”

Portaferry reached the Ulster decider in 2024 but Derry kingpins Sleacht Néill got the better of them, edging the encounter with three to spare.

Still, Portaferry, under new manager Connor O’Prey this season, have been knocking at the Ulster door for the last few years. They’re ultimately aiming to be crowned kings of the province for the first time since 2014.

“We didn’t think a thing about Ulster because our sole focus was on getting out of Antrim again given that we hadn’t done it in the previous four years,” Elliott continued.

“The boys certainly enjoyed themselves before we got back out and back at it and started to prepare for Portaferry because we know it’s going to be a massive challenge.

“Portaferry, over the past two or three years in particular, have been very unlucky not to win Ulster. We played them in the league this year and they’re a very good side.”