The draws for the 2023 Antrim Club Championships took place at the Dunsilly Hotel on Wednesday night with hurling champions Dunloy kept apart from their North Antrim rivals.
The Cuchullain’s have dominated the Antrim Senior Hurling Championship in recent years and will be bidding for an unprecedented fifth successive title later this summer.
Dunloy have been drawn in Group One and will be strong favourites to progress straight through to the semi-finals and will face Rossa, St John’s and last season’s Intermediate winners Clooney Gaels in the group stage.
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Last year’s beaten finalists Cushendall are in Group Two along with Loughgiel, Ballycastle and St Enda’s.
The top team in each group will go through to the semi-finals with the second and third-placed teams entering the quarter-finals.
Like Dunloy, Cargin have been the top team in Antrim for quite some time and will be vying for a fifth football title in six seasons.
The Toome outfit needed extra-time before seeing off the challenge of Aghagallon in last year’s decider before claiming an overdue Ulster Club win over Glenties.
They were also competitive against subsequent All-Ireland finalists Glen in the provincial semi-final and Cargin remain the team to beat.
Ronan Devlin’s side have been drawn in Group One along with St John’s, Rossa and Randalstown.
Portglenone will be fancied to go close again after losing yet another close semi-final battle last term and they’ll have Ahoghill, Lámh Dhearg and St Enda’s to contend with in a tough-looking Group Two.
Group Three is one of the three-team groups and two from Creggan, St Gall’s and last year’s Intermediate champions Dunloy will progress to the last eight.
Last year’s beaten senior finalists Aghagallon, under new manager Pete McGrath, are in Group Four with St Brigid’s and Moneyglass.
Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship
Group One: Dunloy, Rossa, St John’s, Clooney Gaels
Group Two: Loughgiel, Cushendall, Ballycastle, St Enda’s
Andersonstown Social Club Antrim Intermediate Hurling Championship
Group One: Carey Faughs, Glenarm, Randalstown, St Gall’s, Cushendun
Group Two: Glenariffe, Glenravel, St Paul’s, Creggan, Sarsfield’s
Casement Social Club Antrim Junior Hurling Championship
Group One: Armoy, Lámh Dhearg, Rasharkin, Davitt’s
Group Two: Ballymena, Gort na Móna, Cloughmills, St Brigid’s
Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship
Group One: Cargin, St John’s, Rossa, Randalstown
Group Two: Portglenone, Ahoghill, Lámh Dhearg, St Enda’s
Group Three: Creggan, St Galll’s, Dunloy
Group Four : Aghagallon, St Brigid’s, Moneyglass.
OB Construction Antrim Intermediate Football Championship
Group One: Davitt’s, St Paul’s, Patrick Pearse’s, Glenravel
Group Two: St Teresa’s, Ardoyne, St Pat’s Lisburn
Group Three: St Comgall’s, Aldergrove, Ballymena
Group Four: Glenavy, Sarsfield’s, Gort na Móna
Graham Tarmac Antrim Junior Football Championship
Group One: O’Donnell’s, St Agnes’, Éire Óg, Laochra Loch Lao
Group Two : Mitchel’s, Rasharkin, Wolfe Tones, Ballycastle
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