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Hurling

hurling

Conor McKinley enjoying the journey

Conor McKinley

Conor McKinley

By John Harrington

This is Conor McKinley’s ninth season hurling for Antrim and in that time he’s experienced more sore defeats than glorious victories.

The commitment has never felt like a chore, though. He regards hurling for Antrim as a privilege, and is as determined now to bring glory to the county as he was when he first pulled on the saffron jersey.

“I know it's a cliche, but the tough days make the good days better,” said McKinley. “I think any day you're hurling for your county, especially Antrim, it's a great day whether you're beat or you win or draw.

“You're lucky to be there. You're pulling on the jersey and you're representing your club, your county, your family, and your friends.

“I can't see any bad days when you're doing that. Yeah, there's been more disappointing defeats than wins, but, again, but it's all a learning curve. Those days teach you more than the winning days.”

It’s no surprise to hear McKinley speak passionately about Antrim hurling, because it’s a culture he’s been steeped in from a young age.

He’s a son of former Antrim hurler Dominic ‘Woody’ McKinley who is now a joint-manager of the current team, and for both of them hurling is as much a way of life as it is a sport.

“I remember as a boy going into the changing rooms with my father in Casement and meeting all the players and just looking up at them,” said McKinley.

“They were your heroes at that time. There's never a minute that goes past when you're not talking about hurling in the house, and there can be a few frosty conversations too! The mother has to go out of the house some days!

“Yeah, you're steeped in it and you're lucky to be brought up like that. It's great to have him on the line now too. I suppose hurling is in our veins."

Galway v Antrim - Allianz Hurling League Division 1B Round 1

Galway v Antrim - Allianz Hurling League Division 1B Round 1

The McKinley’s are typical of the Antrim hurling tribe. They might be isolated from the traditional power-base of the game further south, but they’re not less dedicated to the sport.

And as long as that culture remains so vibrant, then the county will always have the potential to compete at the highest level.

“Yeah, exactly,” said McKinley. “Especially in Belfast and North Antrim there's people who are as hurling mad as they are anywhere down south.

“That will always be there, you only have to look at how strong the club rivalry is. It's about transferring that onto the county stage.

“That's what we're trying to do. We're trying to leave the jersey in a better place than what we got it.”

McKinley believes the current group of players under the joint management of his father and Terence ‘Sambo’ McNaughton are well on the day to doing that.

Antrim might have been relegated from Division 1B of the League this year, but McKinley is adamant it was a positive campaign regardless thanks to an impressive win over Offaly and narrow defeats to All-Ireland champions Galway and Dublin.

They’re viewing the upcoming Joe McDonagh Cup campaign as a chance to prove that Antrim hurling is on the up again, starting with Saturday’s opening round clash with Meath.

“All six teams will fancy themselves,” said McKinley. “For me, they're all 50-50 games. We know each other inside out and it's a great format.

“As opposed to three or four Championship matches you're guaranteed five matches and it's not as if you're targeting teams here and there. Every team will fancy their chances against the other, that's the great thing about it.

“It's five competitive games and the top two goes through and you're running out on Leinster Final day in Croke Park prior to that match.

“Every team has the incentive of getting into the Liam MacCarthy. That's why we're all here and hurling. No disrespect to Joe McDonagh or Christy Ring, but where you want to be is the top tier, and this is a great platform for us all to get there.”