Hurling & Camogie

Antrim captain Conor McCann: Saffron hurlers have point to prove in 2021

Antrim hurling captain Conor McCann hoists the Joe McDonagh Cup aloft after victory over Kerry at Croke Park, Dublin. Picture by Seamus Loughran.
Antrim hurling captain Conor McCann hoists the Joe McDonagh Cup aloft after victory over Kerry at Croke Park, Dublin. Picture by Seamus Loughran. Antrim hurling captain Conor McCann hoists the Joe McDonagh Cup aloft after victory over Kerry at Croke Park, Dublin. Picture by Seamus Loughran.

ANTRIM senior hurling captain Conor McCann feels the Saffrons have a point to prove when they move up to compete in Division One of the Allianz Hurling League and the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the 2021 season.

Stung by criticism from RTÉ pundit Dónal Óg Cusack in the wake of their 0-22 to 1-17 win over Kerry in last month’s Joe McDonagh Cup decider at Croke Park, Antrim are determined to make their presence felt in the top tier.

Antrim went through the 2020 season unbeaten, annexing both the Division 2A title along with the McDonagh Cup.

Speaking on The Sunday Game, the former Cork goalkeeper stated that Antrim could “suffer a lot of beatings” in the Liam MacCarthy based on their performance in the final.

While McCann knows Antrim will face a massive step up in class for the forthcoming season, he sees no reason why the Saffrons can’t be competitive.

“Finals are for winning - it doesn’t matter if you win by a point and it is a terrible game,” said McCann.

“When you meet each other so many times as Antrim and Kerry have, you pick up on where their strengths and weaknesses are. We felt that Kerry set up quite defensively to stop our runners through the middle third.

''That maybe added to how the game panned out.

“People like Dónal Óg (Cusack) have their opinions and they can say all they want.

''We’ll go back up to Division One next year and into the Leinster championship and we know there is a huge step up, but we are quite positive that we’ll be able to handle ourselves.

“That’s our next aim and that’s where we need to get to now.

“Maybe proving people like that wrong is something that we can use as ammunition. He might not have meant it, but it could even help us a little.”

Antrim hurling captain Conor McCann (left) and Neil McManus with Sean Kelly (then Antrim PRO), after winning the league title
Antrim hurling captain Conor McCann (left) and Neil McManus with Sean Kelly (then Antrim PRO), after winning the league title Antrim hurling captain Conor McCann (left) and Neil McManus with Sean Kelly (then Antrim PRO), after winning the league title

McCann also addressed the controversy surrounding his victory speech after RTÉ cut away from the Creggan Kickhams clubman just as he was due to speak.

“I think the people at home were probably more annoyed, it was a bit of a kick in the teeth - apparently they cut it just as I lifted the microphone,” added McCann.

“I think it is something that is a running theme when it comes to coverage at that level. They didn’t even record it.

“I’m telling people it was the greatest speech of all time.”

On another occasion, McCann’s words would have been heard live by thousands of Antrim fans in a packed Croke Park on All-Ireland final day.

The Covid-19 pandemic meant the Antrim and Kerry players weren’t even permitted to stay on in Croke Park and watch the All-Ireland SHC final between Limerick and Waterford.

Yet, the outpouring of support from the Saffron faithful more than compensated for the surreal atmosphere at Croke Park.

McCann, who recently married his partner Shauna McGrogan, said the Antrim players were overwhelmed by the volume of well-wishes and the enormity of what it meant to the people of Antrim, in what had been an incredibly difficult year for many, wasn’t lost on the squad either.

“That was very evident online - just the amount of people watching the matches and sending us well-wishes,” said the Antrim skipper.

“It was as much as I’ve seen in any year. I know we don’t make finals every year, but there was more coverage and more build-up to the games we were playing in. A lot of the games were televised or streamed online.

“Obviously, we couldn’t have a big celebration afterwards, but we could see what it meant to people by the messages online and the players enjoyed that.

“There was a local GAA coach from from Randalstown, James McVeigh, who sadly passed away last week.

''He was a great GAA man and he was one of those who had sent me a message wishing us well in the final.

“It means everything to us and it is nice to do it for the fans, the coaches and the Gaels throughout Antrim.”

Antrim senior hurling manager Darren Gleeson.  Picture by Mal McCann.
Antrim senior hurling manager Darren Gleeson.  Picture by Mal McCann. Antrim senior hurling manager Darren Gleeson.  Picture by Mal McCann.