He is one of the most recognisable faces on the Antrim team and Neil McManus hung around longer than most of his colleagues to sign jerseys and stand for photos after Saturday’s All-Ireland SHC preliminary quarter-final loss to Cork at Corrigan Park.
Having recently turned 34, McManus was keen to savour every last second of the Liam MacCarthy Cup fixture, even though the Saffrons were beaten 3-27 to 2-19.
Antrim led 2-11 to 2-10 after a brilliant first half performance, but they left a host of chances behind them and Kieran Kingston’s side made them pay in the second half.
Read more: Antrim vs Cork: Darren Gleeson rues 'missed opportunity' as Rebels prevail
Next season, Antrim will compete in the Leinster round robin series and they’ll also have another Division One campaign to look forward to.
The thousands of fans who crammed into Corrigan Park on Saturday will be hoping that McManus sticks around for another season, but he insists now isn’t the time for those kinds of decisions.
“I don’t know… I don’t know,” was his reply when asked if he’d commit to another inter-county season.
Yet, the Cushendall ace was unequivocal in his belief that Darren Gleeson is the right man to continue as Antrim senior hurling manager.
Saturday’s defeat to the Rebels brought to an end Gleeson’s three-year term as Antrim boss, during which time he has guided the Ulster side to Joe McDonagh Cup titles in 2020 and 2022 while they retained their Division One status this season.
The Tipperary native plans to sit down with the Antrim executive in the coming weeks and is understood to be keen on extending his tenure.
“It’s really important that there’s no chopping and changing because I can see massive development,” said McManus.
“Like, whenever Niall O’Connor burst onto the scene this year, people said ‘where did he come from?’ He came from working his ass off for three years, you look at him and he’s a specimen, and that’s with Brendan Murphy (Antrim’s S&C coach) working with him continually, four times a week, for the last two years.
“It’s a massive commitment (for Gleeson), nobody underestimates that.
“But he’s passionate about it, he’s full of energy every night he arrives, so there’s never an excuse for us not to be.”
McManus echoed Gleeson’s sentiments about Antrim missing too many opportunities against Cork.
The home side led by a point at the break, but they also missed 10 scoring chances in the first half.
“You have to take them, and we didn’t take a really good opportunity,” said McManus.
“But we’re building. I’m significantly older than most of the rest of the players, there’s a great group, if that can be kept together, supported financially and in terms of the support you saw inside Corrigan Park today… there’s a big base in Antrim hurling, if we can continue to compete at the top level, the fans want a team to get behind.
“The people from the Glens, from south west Antrim, from the city, they’re waiting for a team to come along and that is the team there.
“We just need them to bear with us because they will progress. I may not be there for that bit, but they will progress. They’ll learn from today and they’ll be better next year because of it.”
McManus also stated that the GAA should be “embarrassed” following last week’s controversial launch of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling series in Tipperary.
Despite earning their place in the preliminary quarter-finals the previous weekend, representatives from Antrim and beaten Joe McDonagh Cup finalists Kerry were absent from the launch while players from the other six counties were in attendance.
“My club-mate, captain of our team Eoghan Campbell, should’ve been in that photograph along with Padraig Boyle of Kerry,” added McManus.
“That’s the long and the short of it. The GAA should be very embarrassed about that.”
Gleeson also addressed the issue following Saturday’s game, stating: “For the dignity of both counties and what they’re trying to do to push on to the next level, I think they should have been invited.
“I believe that’s a very straightforward case.”
Read more: GAA confirm All-Ireland SFC quarter-final details
Read more: Kieran Donaghy hails Rian O'Neill's return to form as Armagh surge past Donegal
Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox.
