We were a team on a mission says Dunloy joint-manager Elliott

By Shaun Casey

FOUR years isn’t exactly a famine, but it’s a wait that was too long for the Dunloy hurlers, who are back in top in Antrim and joint manager Shane Elliott couldn’t be happier.

Dunloy went all the way to the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final in 2022, but lost out to Kilkenny kingpins Ballyhale Shamrocks and hadn’t tasted success in their own county since.

They reached the county final in 2024 and lost out to Cushendall, but they gained their revenge on Sunday, beating the same opposition with six to spare.

“It’s amazing when you win them, but I think when you go a year or two without them, you maybe just appreciate them a wee bit more,” said Elliott, who manages the team alongside Liam Richmond.

“We were in an All-Ireland final in 2022 and it’s a bit cliched, but people think that it’s going to happen like that every year but that’s just not the way it works. Championships aren’t easy won.”

So, after four trophyless years, what was the difference this time around?

“We knew at the start of this year that we had to do something and bring something we hadn’t brought in the last three or four years,” he added.

“We really set out, we were a team on a mission, there’s no doubt about it. You could tell that from an early stage of the year; we won the league for the first time in a while.

“There was a real focus with the boys and a real attitude, a real determination that we wanted to get the Antrim Championship back and thankfully they produced it on Sunday.”

Ending a drought brought its own celebrations and Elliott explained that the entire community was in partying mode following their triumph.

“The village is buzzing really. As a club, we’ve gone four years without a championship and that feels like a very long time.

“There was a real euphoria after the game, emotions were high and everybody was just relieved. Certainly, as a management team, we were relieved to get it back after the four years.

“There are massive expectations in this club, and we don’t like to go as long without success so there was a sense of relief but there were great emotions too. We had a great night in the village; there is a lovely buzz around the place and it just lifts everything.”

Conal Cunning was the star of the show up front, scoring 0-10 on the day while Ciaran Elliott rattled the back of the net in their 1-19 to 1-13 win.

“We were never comfortable but it was a game that I never felt we were going to lose either,” Elliott said.

“We had a real purple patch in the middle of the first half, and it felt like we were keeping Cushendall at arm’s length and we weren’t under massive threat of losing the game.

“Cushendall are a resilient bunch and are very hard to put away. They kept going and that kept things nervous until the very end.”