2020 – Cargin 1-22 Creggan 1-19

CARGIN went into the Antrim senior final as favourites as they were defending champions. However, they were bidding to win their third title in a row, which added pressure for Damian Cassidy’s squad as the club had never won three in a row before. The game was close throughout, and at half time the match was all square. Michael McCann and Tomás McCann were excellent for Cargin. Eunan McAteer was black carded for Creggan for hauling down Jamie Gribbin. The game went to extra time but then Ciaran Close’s goal gave Cargin the advantage and they were able to forge ahead from there to earn their historic victory.

2019 – Erin’s own Cargin 1-10, 3-16 (replay) Lamh Dhearg 0-13, 0-23 replay

THE 2019 season in Antrim was remarkable because of the amount of replays that happened during the season. Lamh Dhearg needed three games to beat Portglenone. Their second drawn game was due to go to penalties but chairperson Ciaran McCavana made it clear that in the dying light, it wasn’t the right way to complete the competition. So they went into the final, having played more games than Cargin to get there. Paddy Cunningham helped Lamh Dhearg to lead by 0-7 to 0-3 at half time. Yet Paul and Michael McCann led the charge in the second half and the latter’s goal helped them to lift the spirits, then Tomás McCann kicked the equaliser from a free. The game ended all square.

Perhaps it was no surprise then when the replay finished all square in full time. Goals from Tomás McCann and Micheal Magill put Cargin 2-4 to 0-9 ahead. Magill got another goal in the second half, but Paddy Cunningham and Conor Murray’s scores got the scores to take the game to extra time.

Lamh went ahead early in the first half of extra time, but Cargin regained the lead through Tomás McCann and Jamie Gribben.

2018 – Cargin 0-5 Creggan 0-4

CARGIN were on the warpath in 2018 after getting knocked out of the 2017 competition by St John’s in the replay. They battled their way back to the decider where they met their neighbours Creggan. The game was terribly cagey, with neither side interested in taking a chance during the match. Packed defences was the strategy that both teams deployed. Cargin were nervous about winning back their title, and losing to their neighbours. Creggan’s concern came from not having won the senior title since 1954. Michael McCann’s point gave Cargin the lead on 54 minutes and they held that until the finish.

2017 – Lamh Dhearg 0-15 St John’s 0-13

THERE hadn’t been a winner of the Senior Championship outside of St Gall’s and Cargin since 1998 when St John’s won it, until Lamh Dhearg came along in 2017. The club had made notice of their growing strength a few years previous when their minors won the Ulster Club title at St Paul’s. The 2017 decider pitted two Belfast teams against each other. The previous all Belfast final was in 2016 when St Gall’s beat St John’s. The 2017 final had an interesting sideline as Domhnall Nugent was playing for St John’s, against his brother Padraig who played for Lamh Dhearg. The game was close throughout. The game was tied eight times throughout the 60 minutes. The animosity in the match was highlighted in the three red cards that were shown during the match. At half time though, thanks to Paddy Cunningham, Lamh Dhearg led by a point, 0-8 to 0-7. Matthew Fitzpatrick had a fine game in the first half for the Johnnies. In the second half they led by two points as Conor Johnston and Paddy McBride found their range. But as the game wore on, Lamh Dhearg took control as Kevin Quinn and Paddy Cunningham hit the target.

2016 – Cargin 1-11 St Gall’s 0-6

2016 IS THE last time that St Gall’s appeared in the Antrim final. That’s notable as they are the club that eight titles in a row from 2007 to 2014. They had won five, from 2001 to 2005, till Cargin broke their run in 2006. Cargin had lost the 2013 and 2014 finals to St Gall’s, then beat Lamh Dhearg in the 2015 final. The win over St Gall’s in 2016 could be painted as a changing of the guard, as since 2015 Cargin have been the big team in the county. In 2016 the Cargin manager was John Brennan who had led them to glory in 2006. The manner of the win proved that the St Gall’s boys were on the wane while a young Cargin team were ready for bigger days.

2017… Lamh Dhearg were champions in 2017

FOUR TIME… Cargin won the Antrim championship five  times in the last six years.