SATURDAY evening will see Group B kick-off in the Intermediate Championship when St Gall's host Glenarm and Tír na nÓg travel 20 miles north to Ballymena as they face Cloughmills.

The final group fixture of Matchday One will see Glenariff route themselves to fellow Antrim coast side Cushendun as they round off the weekend on Sunday evening.

Group B consists of a group of six with the top two qualifying for the final four where they will meet the winners and second placed side in Group A.

Division Two winners Glenariff Oisin enter this year's competition as heavy favourites after enjoying a fantastic league campaign which saw them crowned as champions with two games to spare.

GROUP B

GLENARIFF OISIN

This season Glenariff were crowned Division Two champions a few weeks back, ensuring their return to Antrim's top division next season. 

Glenariff would welcome a Championship crown to their trophy room after last year's heartbreak in the final when they were defeated at the hands of Carey Faugh's in their first ever final appearance.

Oisin's only defeat came in a shock hammering at home to Cushendun, the only blemish in an otherwise flawless season, but they will no doubt be spurred on to try and achieve the clubs first Intermediate Championship title this season.

FORMER CHAMPS: St Gall's last won the Intermediate Championship in 2018
3Gallery

FORMER CHAMPS: St Gall's last won the Intermediate Championship in 2018

ST GALL'S

Championship has been a tough time of year for the Milltown men over the last decade in both codes with the last piece of silverware coming eight years ago when St Gall's lifted both the Antrim and Ulster Intermediate titles falling short to Oranmore Maree in the semi-final of the 2018 Intermediate All-Ireland.

The Falls Road side finished mid-table in this season's league campaign and managed to bloody the noses of Cloughmills and Tír na nÓg in the spring, but defeats to Cushendun, Creggan and champions Glenariff will give St Gall's a target to aim for this summer as the quest for revenge in the group.

The West Belfast club side enjoyed a mixed-bag of a season after they were slow out of the traps in the early setting. But as the season went on St Gall's grew in strength and with the re-addition of some old faces back to the panel and injury woes lessening there is no telling what form they might be in, but they will certainly be contenders to finish in Group B's top two.

TÍR NA NÓG

The Randalstown men had a decent campaign where they avoided any real threat of the drop towards the business end of the season.

The proud dual club will be hoping they can etch their name onto the Intermediate title for only the second time, after their most recent success coming in 2020 during the pandemic.

Tír na nÓg did give Glenariff a scare in the early league fixtures when they came within two late scores from the Division Two winners to prevent them clinching an unlikely victory. 

They did secure a league victory over Group B competitors Creggan and Glenarm, but suffered losses to St Gall's, Cushendun and Cloughmills which is going to be tough for them to overturn this campaign.

GLENARM (Shane O'Neill's)

The men from Glenarm will be hoping to stir an upset in Group B after they finished in tenth spot after a difficult campaign for the harbour town which saw them end with the third worst score difference in the second tier.

The North Antrim side will be hoping to pick up only their second ever Intermediate title, with the previous being back at Casement Park when they beat St Enda's to lift the trophy in 1995.

Last season saw Glenarm right at the top of the second tier, pushing Carey Faughs all the way for the Division Two title, but after a poor season will be on the lower scale of expected success, they will no doubt be out to prove the doubters wrong as they seek silverware for the first time since their Junior Championship triumph in 2022.

CUSHENDUN

The Glensmen will be hoping to compete this season after last year's poor campaign saw the black and green side exit at the group stage after a poor run of losses including defeat to Tír na nÓg.

The North Antrim village will be expecting a strong championship performance after an impressive league campaign which saw them finish second only to the relentless Glenariff.

Cushendun did lay down a marker by hammering their title rivals by 19 points back in May proving they are far from invincible ahead of the 2025 Intermediate Championship.

This year could be the chance for Cushendun to break an almost two decade wait for championship glory, with the last title coming in 2007.

ST BRIGID'S CLOUGHMILLS

St Brigid's Cloughmills will be less than favourable to end their decade long drought without a championship title this season after a poor campaign which saw them just avoid the drop courtesy of Sarsfields.

They will hope that the spirit of the championship will them on to some success in a campaign which saw them celebrate just the three league victories over Tír na nÓg, Clooney Gaels and Sarsfield's.

As with every side in the championship expect the unexpected, but in this case it would take a huge upturn in form to over turn an otherwise tough championship group.

St Brigid's Cloughmills were always a strong contender in the Junior level
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St Brigid's Cloughmills were always a strong contender in the Junior level

GROUP PREVIEW

Having the extra team Group B bodes as the tougher of the pair in the Intermediate competition.

It is expected that the groups will no doubt be well matched with St Gall's and Cushendun the favourites to fight it out for that second placed spot especially if Glenariff continue their league form they should realistically be eyeing up a flawless championship group stage.

Glenarm and Tír na nÓg will be no slouches, and can definitely throw their weight around to stir the pot in this group.

GROUP B FIXTURES

Cloughmills v Tir na nOg - 26th July - Cloughmills

St Gall's v Glenarm - 26th July - Milltown

Cushendun v Glenariff Oisin - 27th July - Cushendun 

Tir na nOg v Cushendun - 10th August - Randalstown

Glenarm v Cloughmills - 10th August - Glenarm

Glenariff Oisin v St Gall's - 10th August - Glenariff

Cushendun v Glenarm - 22nd August - NEUTRAL

St Gall's v Cloughmills - 23rd August - NEUTRAL

Tir na nOg v Glenariff - 24th August - NEUTRAL

Cloughmills v Cushendun - 5th September - Cloughmills

Glenarm v Glenariff Oisin - 6th September - Glenarm

St Gall's v Tir na nOg - 7th September - Milltown

Cushendun v St Gall's - 20th September - Cushendun

Tir na nOg v Glenarm - 21st September - Randalstown

Glenariff Oisin v Cloughmills - 21st September - Glenariff

PREDICTED POSITION

1- Glenariff Oisin
2- St Gall's
3- Cushendun
4- Tír na nÓg
5- Cloughmills
6- Glenarm