FRIDAY evening sees the first throw-in of Group A in the Intermediate Hurling Championship as Sarsfields welcome last year's Junior Championship winners Rasharkin to the Bear Pit whilst St Paul's face a tough away trip to Clooney Gaels.
Group A will no doubt be a fairly intense one, with the five teams competing for the top two spots and direct entry into the semi-final stage in the autumn.
League campaigns were a mixed batch for this bunch, with Sarsfield's suffering relegation to the third tier, meanwhile there were mid-table finishes for St Paul's and St Mary's Rasharkin who competed in Division Three this season.
Sure what else would ya be at!
I’ll be sharing my previews for both @AontroimGAA Hurling and Football Championship groups this weekend.#AntrimGAA #GAA pic.twitter.com/2KvutrdBr9— Maghnus Dunne (@mags6788) July 18, 2025
Eleven teams will compete for the last four in this season's competition with six teams up for elimination from the group stage.
Group A consists of five teams with a BYE in effect for the team not playing on a particular matchday.
GROUP A
SARSFIELD'S
The Stewartstown Road men have had their poorest season in memory after an abysmal league campaign saw the side relegated to the third tier after finishing dead bottom in Division Two, only managing a single victory in the campaign.
That win did happen to come against fellow Group A side and high-flyers Clooney Gaels after Sarsfield's gave them a six-point beating in Ahoghill.
The Bear Pit faithful will be hoping for a better showing now that the squad can see some freshness return after all the eggs were put in the football basket when the dual club clinched the second tier in Antrim's Football Division.
Sarsfields will be hoping to rectify a poor league campaign
RASHARKIN
St Mary's enjoyed a successful Championship campaign last season when they clinched the third tier competition after they defeated Armoy in the Junior Championship final.
Rasharkin won the competition for a fourth time, but were defeated in the Ulster Junior Championship after being blown apart by East Cavan Gaels where they were beaten by 13 scores at the quarter-final stage.
This season they finished in the bottom half of Division Three and look a shadow of the side that won the Junior trophy last season, but Championship often breathes life even into the most lifeless of sides.
ST PAUL'S
Last year the Shaws Road side struggled in the Championship when they faltered in the group stage managing just five wins during their league campaign slumping to an 11th place finish in Division Two.
St Paul's have been far from impressive with the small ball having only one previous appearance in the final back in 2012 when Cloughmills defeated the West Belfast side to clinch their first Intermediate Championship title.
The red and white hoops did manage wins against Sarsfields in their league campaign but defeats to Creggan and Clooney Gaels might throw a seed of revenge into the offing for St Paul's as they look to get that Championship fever.
St Paul's will be hoping they can improve on last year's Championship performance
CREGGAN
Creggan have been one of the most consistent teams at this level with the men from South Antrim winning two titles in the last decade, with the pair coming in 2015 and 2023 respectively, and being runner-ups in 2018 and 2021.
The Randalstown based side enjoyed another strong campaign in the league when they finished fourth spot in Division Two when they won eight games including wins against Group A sides St Paul's and Sarsfield's but suffered a defeat to Clooney back in April.
The dual club normally have their sights set on Senior Football but in recent years have shown their strength in both codes.
CLOONEY GAELS
The men from Ahoghill will be hoping to add to their previous two titles in the Intermediate Hurling Championship, with the last coming back in 2022 when they romped the competition and defeated Cushendun in the final.
Clooney finished third in this seasons Division Two campaign, with key scalps of St Paul's, and Creggan giving them confidence ahead of their rematches with the pair.
The North Antrim side did suffer a defeat at the hands of bottom side Sarsfield's, and revenge will certainly be on the minds of the Ahoghill.
GROUP PREVIEW
The group has the potential to offer some tasty ties, with the West Belfast derby between St Paul's and Sarsfield's on Matchday Two being a huge contest which could decide the fate of the Belfast sides in Group A.
Clooney and Creggan will both be aiming to top the group but will no doubt be under fierce competition from the other three battling for Championship success.
GROUP A FIXTURES:
Sarsfields v Rasharkin - 25th July - Bear Pit
Clooney Gaels v St Paul's - 25th July - Clooney Gaels
Rasharkin v Creggan - 8th August - Rasharkin
St Paul's v Sarsfields - 8th August - St Paul's
Creggan v Clooney Gaels - 23rd August - NEUTRAL
St Paul's v Rasharkin - 23rd August - NEUTRAL
Clooney Gaels v Sarsfields - 5th September - Clooney Gaels
Creggan v St Paul's - 6th September - Creggan
Sarsfield's v Creggan - 20th September - Bear Pit
Rasharkin v Clooney Gaels - 21st September - Raskarkin
