DUNLOY’S four-in-a-row manager Gregory O’Kane has aimed a broadside at the Ulster Council for its perceived failure to properly position the Ulster Club hurling Championship with the newly crowned Antrim champions waiting seven weeks to make a provincial appearance.
The Antrim champions have rite of passage to this year’s decider and await the winners of Slaughtneil and Portaferry, scheduled for Sunday November 20.
It is mooted this year’s provincial decider will take place two weeks after that semi-final fixture which would be the weekend of December 3rd and 4th.
Last season, Dunloy had to wait nine weeks between their county championship final win and semi-final meeting with Derry champions Slaughtneil.
“Again, is it an Ulster football Council? Or is it an Ulster Council?” said O’Kane after leading the Cuchullain’s to their fifth county title in six years.
“Shoehorn the hurling where nobody knows anything about it. If you’re doing it for hurling, let’s see it.”
The Portaferry hurlers will have a six-week gap between their county final win over Ballycran and their provincial semi-final with Slaughtneil.
The Derry champions claimed their 10th county title in a row towards the end of September while their dual players will take part in Sunday’s senior football final against holders Glen.
Dunloy also have an overlap of hurlers and footballers in their ranks, with the Cuchullain’s taking the intermediate football honours in Antrim last week. They now face Donegal champions Dungloe in an Ulster quarter-final on Saturday November 12 in Ahoghill.
Undoubtedly, the next step for the Dunloy hurlers is to leave their mark on the provincial stage. They’ve lost provincial ties to Slaughtneil in 2017, 2019 and 2021, with the 2020 series not played because of COVID.
“Every day we go out there’s a challenge put in front of us,” said O’Kane.
“And that’s what we need to do – we need to meet the challenge in front of us and deal with it and be the best that we can be. If we can do that then we’ll take our chance, and that’s all we’re trying to do.”
