It was everything I hoped for and more: McAtamney

By Michael McMullan

HAVING not missed a Dunloy championship campaign since she was 16, Nicole McAtamney was lost for words when the final whistle sounded in Sunday’s county final.

Teenage star Éobha McAllister’s 11th point sealed victory over Cushendall, sparking the magical celebrations that ended a 23-year wait for glory.

Dunloy had already beaten champions Loughgiel in the group phase after running them close in the 2025 decider.

Cushendall then ended the Shamrocks’ run as champions in the semi-final but Dunloy prevailed on the big day and are now top of the tree in Antrim.

Bar a semi-final defeat to Ballycastle in 2023, Sunday was Dunloy’s fifth final in six years.

“In terms of coming close, last year stood by us massively,” said McAtamney (née O’Neill). “We’ve been knocking on the door for a long time.”

It was worth it. Sunday was the release valve, unpacking years of hope, reflection and hurt.

“It was everything I hoped for and more,” she said of the winning feeling.

“As a player, you visualise that for so long, hoped for it and dreamt of it.

“Whenever it actually happened, you try so hard to take it in and just appreciate what’s actually happening.

“There are no words. You just look to the person beside you, those closest to you. Everyone was grabbing you and hugging you.”

There were no shortage of tears either.

In a year Antrim landed the Ulster Senior and the All-Ireland Intermediate titles, as well as a league win over Cork, it was another success story.

“This is top of the list now,” McAtamney said.

“There are so many young girls in Dunloy that had never seen a group of senior team of girls win a title.”

Celebration time for Dunloy. Photo: Brendan McTaggart

In true Dunloy fashion, the winning team came into the village on Sunday night on the back of the iconic blue Creagh Concrete lorry, complete with the crackling of fireworks and wafting flare smoke.

“I couldn’t get over how many people showed up for us, at the final and then when we were driving into Dunloy,” said McAtamney

She referenced how female sport often attracts smaller crowds than their male counterparts. Not this time. Not in Dunloy.

“You didn’t feel it, at either the match or when we were coming into Dunloy. There wasn’t an inch of the road that wasn’t covered with people.”

McAtamney remembers being taken to watch Dunloy teams when she was growing up but has no recollection of the club’s last title in 2003. She feels the latest success will inspire a generation.

“If I was one of those girls, walking alongside that Creagh lorry, I know in my head I would never stop until I get what we have,” she added.

“I would never stop playing until I get the experience. Bronagh O’Kane (née Elliott) showed us her county medal before the final. After we won, she was so happy we got to experience what her team got.”

Bronagh is married to manager Gary and part of the management group. Her sister Oonagh McAllister is also involved.

Oonagh’s daughter Éobha lit up the final, adding to the array of medals won at school and county level this year.

“I am so lucky I am on her team and not playing against her,” McAtamney said of her county and club teammate. “I am so proud of her and she is such a joy to play with.

McAllister is usually entrusted with the close-range frees with McAtamney on the long-distance ones, until she picked up a knock in the first half.

“I can never remember not hitting the frees,” McAtamney said of her career.

“For the first long free, Éobha walked out, as calm as you like and took it, she has so much confidence.”

MY GIRL…Nicole McAtamney and her granny Eileen embrace after Sunday’s final

Sunday was a battle against a Cushendall team also on the upward trajectory, but this was Dunloy’s time.

“We had the belief from last year,” McAtamney said of the lessons learned. “We’ve been working so much over the last couple of years, even with sports psychologists.

“We have had a lot going on in the background to strengthen that and it definitely helped.

“It was probably the first final we were going into with so much belief.”

They were hit for four goals in the 2026 final. McAtamney references luck, mistakes and decisions all going against them. Below that, they knew they were close.

Having beaten Loughgiel added to the belief they could finish off the job. And they did.

One of McAtamney’s biggest fans is her Granny Eileen, who rarely misses any of her games and constantly drove her to keep chasing the elusive county medal.

“She was in my ear the whole time,” McAtamney jokes. “She’d be telling me ‘don’t stop till you get it, don’t stop till you get it’.

“Somebody got a video and a picture of me finding her after the final. Every time I look at it and watch it back, I just cry.

“I woke up the other morning to (sons) Joe and Dan chanting, ‘we are county champions, we are county champions’. The last few days have been just amazing.”

They’ll dust themselves down and get a look ahead to an Ulster final against whoever emerges from the other side.