By Michael McMullan

GLENARIFFE step into the Ulster arena against Liatroim on Saturday but their season’s major turn came all the way back in May.

Defeat and hurt can be the most valuable of sauces. Centre-forward Conor Patterson points to a 19-point home league defeat at the hands of Cushendun.

While they didn’t have a full had to pick from in inclement weather, he points to a real crux of their defeat.

“It was just an awful, awful performance from us,” he recalled at Monday’s Ulster Championship launch, ahead of their intermediate hurling clash with the Down outfit.

“We never lost another game after that until the present day. We thought to ourselves that the game after that we need to bounce back. We did and we never really looked back.”

A win over Cushendun in the championship group stage set them on their way to top spot in a competitive race and on their way to the title.

“It’s easy to argue that the Intermediate Championship in Antrim is harder to win than what the senior one is,” Patterson said.

“I suppose there are a lot of teams that are around the same ability and capability. Anybody on their day can win that championship. It’s as simple as that.”

Glenariffe have been boosted in recent seasons by a bolstered squad. Patterson can recall a quarter-final defeat in recent years when they’d 17 players to draw from. The current squad is double that.

“There’s been just a massive injection of youth,” he said of the difference.

“It’s a completely new team now. There are young fellas coming up and we have had people coming back from Australia.

“We’re always adding to the team. Thankfully, we’re not just adding numbers, but we’re adding good hurlers too, so, it’s good to see.”

From last season’s Ulster-winning minor team Niall Magee, Callum McIlwain and Orrin O’Connor have stepped into key roles on the senior team.

While numbers is an important factor, Patterson also feels the club’s coaching has been another factor in lifting the standards.

“The past managers we’ve had, they’ve done a great job in keeping the players that were there still as a group,” he said.

“Things were never going our way for a long, long time. I think it’s my 10th or 11th campaign. It feels like an eternity.

“Whenever you lose every year, it’s hard to get yourself going for the next year to be honest.

“You give your whole life to it. You give most of your year to it, ultimately, for nothing, so it was good to get the win this year.

“It’s the gem. We’re just delighted as a club. It really does mean everything to the hurling people in Glenariffe. We’re just glad that we can put a smile on everybody’s faces.”

Next up is Saturday in Loughgiel and the challenge of Liatroim who were Ulster champions in 2022.

“Antrim was always the milestone we wanted to get to at the start of this year,” Patterson said of the focus.

“I think anything beyond that we were counting it as a bonus. Since we’re here now and it’s upon us it’s definitely a bit different. We absolutely want to be winning this now.”