Johnnies begin title defence in Antrim

By Shaun Casey

THE Antrim Senior Hurling Championship kicks into gear this weekend and all eyes will be on the defending champions St John’s on the opening day.

The format will be the same as last season, with two groups made up of four teams and each side will face the teams in their groups once. The top side qualify for the semis, second and third placed teams go to the playoffs while whoever finishes fourth will crash out of the competition at the earliest juncture.

Last season, St John’s got their hands on the Volunteer Cup for the first time since 1973 and made it all the way to the Ulster Club final, where they eventually came up short against Sleacht Néill.

The Johnnie’s begin the defence of their title on Friday night when they host O’Donovan Rossa, who they defeated by the minimum of margins in the quarter-finals last year, in a Belfast derby at Corrigan Park.

On Saturday, the focus will switch to Páirc Éanna as Naomh Éanna look to upset the odds when they face off against 2023 Ulster Championship winners Cushendall. The Ruairi Óg side, who were crowned back-to-back Antrim Championship winners in 2023 and 2024, lost to St John’s in the semi-final twelve months ago and they’ll be intent on getting their hands back on that trophy.

Sunday sees Dunloy, four-in-a-row champions between 2019-2022, taking on Glenariffe on home turf. Glenariffe won the Intermediate Championship in 2025 but won’t have too much time to adapt to their new surroundings. Dunloy had an incredible year in 2025, winning the Antrim SFC championship, and most of their star men remain dual players and key figures in both codes.

The opening weekend finishes in Ballycastle on Sunday with the meeting of Ballycastle and Loughgiel. The Shamrock gained the upper hand in last year’s quarter-final meeting and went on to reach the decider, but lost out to St John’s.