Coming from one of the few genuine dual counties in the GAA Antrim fans are no strangers to Croke Park, our hurlers in particular having featured at HQ on a fairly regular basis since the late 1980s. However heading down Jones' Road to see the saffron footballers was once a novelty, with a gap of almost 20 years separating the 1989 league quarter final appearance V Kerry, and the 2007 Tommy Murphy final.
Since '07 when the final V Wicklow was lost we turned the tables in '08 in the last ever TMC final and now, in 2010 we will be back again at Croke Park, and again chasing a national title, the Division 3 NFL, with Sligo in opposition. The big, big days seem to be inching closer and closer.
These days at matches I am typically accompanied by two sons (the youngest one hasn't qualified for a travel permit yet) and they are quite accustomed to (i) seeing Antrim in Croke Park and (ii) seeing Antrim in finals. In their few years supporting the saffrons next Saturday will be their 5th (fifth!!) 'final'. Eight and six 6 year olds don't make value judgements on the TMC and rightly so.
The occassion should be a big one, and let's hope that Antrim fans travel in numbers for the Division 3 final. Hopefully the GAA centrally will put a bit of a marketing push behind the finals weekend and we have an evening to remember. The hard work of this league has already been done and while it would be terrific to lift the trophy, the achievement of successive promotions is already huge. Two seasons ago the team stumbled at the end of a Div 4 campaign which had promised but didn't deliver. We have a come long way since then.
Next year's league will see Antrim playing Derry, Laois, Tyrone, Meath, Kildare, Sligo and Donegal. None of those teams are to be feared and many of them offer challenges to relish.
In May the serious business begins, before that one last league hurrah for 2010 and where better to have it than Pairc an Chrocaigh. It will be our visit to headquarters of 2010. First of many??
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