THE life of an Antrim fan is never easy. A fair share (actually, a lot of people's fair share) of disappointments have pockmarked the journey for the Saffron faithful down the years, so Saturday's victory at Croke Park - as nerve-shredding as it turned out to be - tasted a little sweeter.

In 2020, when Antrim defeated Kerry to win the Joe McDonagh Cup in the mouth of Christmas, the fans were forced to watch from home due to Covid restrictions.

It almost felt cruel that life dealt that hand as for all those long dark journeys up the M1, here was a day to savour. The clubs couldn't run busses, the next generation couldn't be there to watch their heroes, grab a photo after and see an Antrim man lift a cup over the head at Croke Park.

And so the call went out this week from Antrim's players and management that this is your big chance to be there if you care and the supporters came out in numbers.

Setting off on the journey south, the road seemed a little quiet, but then, as it dawned on me that this wasn't 2020 and I just couldn't throw the car up on Jones' Road as there would be more people about today than just dog-walkers, I swung into Applegreen outside of Dundalk to get some Euro coins for the parking meter and pulling into the carpark, the place was awash with Antrim fans, taking a break from their journey to enjoy a food break in the Saturday sunshine.

The journey continued down and as I pass a bus just by the next Applegreen, a look in the rearview mirror tells me from the sign on the front of the bus that it is the 'Antrim Senior Hurling Team 2022' on their way.

Parking up and a stroll to the ground past some lost-looking souls standing outside the now shut-down Quinn's on Drumcondra Road and up into the high vantage point of the press section in the Hogan Stand.

The glorious day outside makes way to a swirling wind that immediately tells me that shorts were a bad idea, but hey ho.

As Antrim take to the field and the crowd swells, it's evident the call to arms from Darren Gleeson and his men to get behind the team has been heeded and for 25 minutes the fans were treated to a show as Antrim looked on it.

Clarkey's in for an early goal and Jimmy McNaughton another soon after. The low ball in is causing havoc and the touch and pace of Antrim is a joy to watch, McManus knocking over a beauty of a score and Keelan Molloy one himself then another after big Joe Maskey pings a ball across to him that could have threaded the eye of a needle.

Coby can't miss from the frees and the defence is owning Kerry, but then the Kingdom get a goal back from a penalty and eat into the lead but Antrim respond with a goal in stoppage time from Seaan and 10 points up at half-time - we're flying here.
We expect a big 10 minutes after the break and they chip into the lead, but then Coby finds the net and all is good again. We can enjoy this now. Maybe not.

Kerry would not go away, supersub Jordan Conway bangs home two goals and while Clarkey finds the net from a peno, it's squeaky bum time for the Antrim fans as Kerry come in waves. 

We've seen this movie before, but not today satan - this is Croke Park, not Parnell Park.

Dan McKernan takes a tumble, he wins a free and the Sarsfield's man has got away with one there hasn't he? Coby nails the free, still Kerry stay in it. McKernan and Niall McKenna clip points and Kerry respond then Sammy lands a beauty - that's it.

Even when Podge Boyle rattles the net to leave one in it, time is up. Is it joy? Relief? Shock that we've come out the right side of one of these games? Whatever it is, it's the result the Saffron Army has come to see and the players embrace family and friends, the camera phones are aloft and the young fans make a beeline for the front to get photos and high fives.

Those young fans and not so young fans will be back next week, watching their champions take on Cork. They'll be back next year when Kilkenny and Tipp visit in the League; when Galway and all the big guns in Leinster are the opposition; in the future when a new shiny Casement Park opens.

This is what days like Saturday really mean, the hurleys and sliotars may just replace the iPads and Playstations for a while, and who knows, it may be they who one day stand on the steps of the Hogan Stand.

Yes, being an Antrim fan is never easy and should come with a free dose of blood pressure tablets, but the many dark days make those like Saturday just all the sweeter.