IT'S fair to say that 2020 wasn't all bad. As sport made a tentative return last summer, the clubs found themselves front and centre of the public gaze and they certainly didn't disappoint.
Arguments had been made for a number of years regarding a potential 'split season' between club and inter-county, with that effectively trialled by default last year due to the restrictions around the pandemic.
Such was its success, the GAA has now formally adopted the split season going forward, so from August, the floor is for the clubs to once again take the lead.
As restrictions continue and no definitive date as to when Gaelic Games will return, there remains a little uncertainty but on Monday, Antrim's clubs did get a glimpse as to what lies ahead with the draws made for the 2021 Hurling and Football Championships.
The round robin proved a huge success last season, so the format has been retained across all grades of both codes as it promises to be yet another thrilling year of action.
Dunloy overcame Loughgiel in the 2020 Antrim Senior Hurling Championship final
Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship 2021
The 2020 campaign proved to be a thrilling series of games that maintained the Antrim Senior Hurling Championship as of one the country's top competitions.
While Dunloy would retain their crown, the Cuchullains were forced to work for it as they scraped past a resurgent Rossa in the semi-final before putting neighbours Loughgiel to the sword in the final.
The defending champions have been drawn in Group Two alongside fellow seeds St John's who were left disappointed at the semi-final stage against last year, Cushendall who exited at the quarter-final stage and new faces in Tír na nÓg who claimed Intermediate honours last year.
In Group One, seeded teams Loughgiel and Rossa are joined by Ballycastle who will have felt hard done by they didn't reach the knockout stages in 2020, plus Naomh Éanna who made a promising start to top level hurling last term.
The format of 2020 has been retained this year, with the top team in each group advancing to the semi-finals, while second will play third from the corresponding groups in the quarter-final games.
Group One: Loughgiel, Rossa, Ballycastle, Naomh Éanna
Group Two: St John's, Dunloy, Cushendall, Tír na nÓg
Quarter-Finals
(A) 2nd G1 vs 3rd G2; (B) 2nd G2 vs 3rd G1
Semi-Finals
Winner G1 vs Winner B; Winner G2 vs Winner A
Andersonstown Social Club Antrim Intermediate Hurling Championship 2021
With 11 teams involved, there is a group of six and another of five with the teams aiming for a top two finish to claim a semi-final berth.
Group One is the larger of the two and will contain a St Gall's team that has dropped back down from Senior. The MIlltown Row club are joined by 2020 runners-up Clooney Gaels, Armoy, Carey, Glenariffe and West Belfast neighbours Gort na Móna.
St Paul's make a return to the second tier tanks to their Junior success last year and they are in the five-team Group Two alongside neighbours Sarsfield's, Cloughmills, Cushendun and Kickham's, Creggan.
Group One: Armoy, Clooney Gaels, Gort na Móna, Carey, St Gall's, Glenariffe
Group Two: Creggan, Sarsfield's, St Paul's, Cloughmills, Cushendun
Semi-Finals
Winner G1 vs Runner-Up G2; Winner G2 vs Runner-Up G1
St Paul's claimed the Junior Hurling Championship last year so will play at the Intermediate grade in 2021
Casement Social Club Antrim Junior Hurling Championship 2021
The Junior Hurling Championship retains the group stages this year but are different than last in that the Junior B competition will be played prior, unlike last year when eliminated teams dropped into the B Championship.
This means a return for the B winner s and for the first time, B runners-up who will help make up an eight-team competition that will see two groups of four with the top team reaching the final.
In Group One, last year's runners-up Rasharkin will be keen to go one better and they have been matched with city sides in Davitt's and Lámh Dhearg, plus the Junior B champions.
Group Two will see the Junior B runners-up face St Teresa's plus North Antrim clubs Glenravel and Glenarm.
Group One: Rasharkin, Davitt's, Lámh Dhearg, Junior B winners
Group Two: Glenravel, St Teresa's, Junior B runner-up, Glenarm
Semi-Finals
Winner G1 vs Runner-Up G2; Winner G2 vs Runner-Up G1
Antrim Junior B Hurling Championship 2021
The Junior B competition will see groups for the first time with a further Plate competition for the teams who fail to reach the final.
Six teams make up two groups of three with Ballymena and Ardoyne joined in Group One by St Brigid's who are making their return to adult hurling this year. Group Two will see recent winners Larne paired with St Agnes' and Loch Mór Dál gCais.
The winner of each section will play second place in the other at the semi-final stage, with the defeated team dropping into the Plate along with the teams who came third.
In a change, both Junior B finalists will advance into the Junior Hurling Championship group stages.
Group One: Ballymena, St Brigid's, Ardoyne
Group Two: Larne, St Agnes, Loch Mór Dál gCais
Semi-Finals
(A) Winner G1 vs Runner-Up G2; (B) Winner G2 vs Runner-Up G1
Plate Semi-Finals
3rd Group One vs Defeated A; 3rd Group Two vs Defeated B
Antrim Reserve Hurling Cup 2021
Nine teams will battle it out for the Reserve Hurling Cup and will make up two groups with the top two in each reaching the semi-finals.
Group One will have five teams and a city feel to it as St John's, St Gall's and Rossa are joined by Dunloy and Ballycastle.
Group Two will see North Antrim rivals Cushendall and Loughgiel joined by Down clubs Ballycran and Portaferry.
Group One: Dunloy, St John's, Ballycastle, St Gall's, Rossa
Group Two: Ballycran, Cushendall, Loughgiel, Portaferry
Semi-Finals
Winner G1 vs Runner-Up G2; Winner G2 vs Runner-Up G1
Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship 2021
Cargin and Creggan played out a thrilling Antrim Senior Football Championship final last year
They were to prove a huge success so have been retained this year with 14 teams in contention, meaning there are two groups of four and two of three played on a home and away basis (the only competition that will see teams play each other twice at the group stages), with the top two in each reaching the quarter-finals.
Last year's semi-finalists were seeded with one in each of the four groups and the defending champions, Cargin find themselves in Group One alongside Moneyglass who claimed the Intermediate title last year, plus old rivals Rossa and St John's in what looks like a hugely competitive section.
A three-team Group Two will see Portglenone joined by St Brigid's and Ahoghill, with Group Three the other four-team section that is made up of Lámh Dhearg, Aghagallon, Aldergrove and Naomh Éanna.
Kickham's, Creggan missed out in last year's final after extra-time and they will play in the three-team Group Four against city neighbours St Gall's and Gort na Móna.
Group One: Cargin, Moneyglass, St John's, Rossa
Group Two: Portglenone, St Brigid's, Ahoghill
Group Three: Lámh Dhearg, Aghagallon, Aldergrove, Naomh Éanna
Group Four: Creggan, St Gall's, Gort na Móna
Quarter-Finals
A: Winner G1 vs Runner-Up G4
B: Winner G2 vs Runner-Up G3
C: Winner G3 vs Runner-Up G2
D: Winner G4 vs Runner-Up G1
Semi-Finals
Winner A vs Winner D; Winner B vs Winner C
Lámh Dhearg and Aghagallon will renew their rivalry this year
Antrim Intermediate Football Championship 2021
There are 11 teams in contention for the 2021 Intermediate Football Championship so this leaves one group of six and one group of five with the top two of each advancing into the semi-finals.
Last year's Junior champions Ardoyne were first out of the hat in the six-team Group One and they will be joined by Ballymena, Tír na nÓg, Glenravel and West Belfast sides St Teresa's and Davitt's.
Dunloy have been knocking on the door in this competition over the past number of years and they are in the five-team Group Two with St Patrick's, Lisburn, St Paul's, Sarsfield's and Glenavy.
Group One: Ardoyne, Ballymena, Tír na nÓg, St Teresa's, Glenravel, Davitt's
Group Two: Lisburn, Dunloy, St Paul's, Sarsfield's, Glenavy
Semi-Finals
Winner G1 vs Runner-Up G2; Winner G2 vs Runner-Up G1
Gymco Antrim Junior Football Championship 2021
There are new faces in the 2021 Antrim Junior Football Championship as the revived Greencastle, Wolfe Tones make their bow this year.
They will enjoy something of a North Belfast derby in Group One against Pearse's, with Antrim's St Comgall's, O'Donnell's and Laochra Loch Lao making up the five-team Group One.
It is also a five-team Group Two and this will contain a Rasharkin side keen to revive their fortunes but to reach the knockout stages they will have to negotiate a group that also contains St Malachy's, Ballycastle, St Agnes' and Éire Óg.
The top two teams in each group will reach the semi-finals.
Group One: St Comgall's, O'Donnell's, Laochra Loch Lao, Pearse's, Greencastle
Group Two: Rasharkin, St Malachy's, Ballycastle, St Agnes', Éire Óg
Semi-Finals
Winner G1 vs Runner-Up G2; Winner G2 vs Runner-Up G1
Ardoyne won the Junior Football Championship in 2020 so are up into Intermediate this year
Antrim Reserve Football Cup 2021
There are 12 teams set to ball it out in the latest instalment of the Reserve Football Cup and this means they are evenly spread into two groups of six with the top two in each making the knockout stage.
In Group One, Lámh Dhearg and Gort na Móna are joined by South-West clubs: Cargin, Creggan, Aghagallon and Portglenone. Group Two has a real city feel with Rossa, St Gall's, St John's, St Brigid's and Naomh Éanna joined by Ahoghill.
Group One: Cargin, Lámh Dhearg, Creggan, Aghagallon, Portglenone, Gort na Móna
Group Two: Rossa, St Gall's, St John's, St Brigid's, Naomh Éanna, Ahoghill
Semi-Finals
Winner G1 vs Runner-Up G2; Winner G2 vs Runner-Up G1
Antrim Reserve Football Shield 2021
The Reserve Football Shield is another of the competitions with an odd number of teams so therefore there is one group of six teams and another of five.
The lager is Group One and that contains St Paul's who are the only city side. The Shaw's Road club will be joined by St Comgall's., Glenavy, Aldergrove, Ballymena and Tír na nÓg from Randalstown.
Group Two also has just one city representative with Sarsfield's matched with Glenravel, Rasharkin, Moneyglass and Dunloy.
Group One: St Comgall's, Glenavy, Aldergrove, St Paul's, Ballymena, Tír na nÓg
Group Two: Glenravel, Sarsfield's, Rasharkin, Moneyglass, Dunloy
Semi-Finals
Winner G1 vs Runner-Up G2; Winner G2 vs Runner-Up G1
