FRIDAY evening will see the beginning of the Senior Hurling Championship when Loughiel Shamrocks host the Intermediate champions Carey Faughs.
On Saturday evening, Division One winners Rossa play host to Cushendall who set their sights on a third championship title in a row should they go all the way.
The format of the senior competition will see two groups of four teams. The teams are ranked in the group stage table by points gained, then scoring difference and then their head-to-head record.
The top three teams in each group qualify for the knock-out stage, with the winners of each group earning automatic entry to the semi-final stage.
Second and third enter a quarter-final with the teams in the opposite group and a winner of each will head for a semi-final spot.
Winners of the competition represent the county in the provincial competition later this year.
CHAMPIONS: Rossa ended a 30-year wait for the league title
ROSSA
The Shaws Road side will be hoping that their success in the league this past season will not be the only silverware that returns to the trophy room in Rossa Park after beating Loughiel in both fixtures this season and overcoming Cushendall up on the North Antrim coast.
Rossa will be hoping to add to their 15 Senior Championship titles in the hurling code and in a year of ending droughts, the last time a championship title came back to the Shaws Road was in 2004, a long wait that could be broken? Only time will tell for the saffron and blue men.
Despite their impressive league campaign, the bookmakers have them at a high 14/1 price to come away as champions.
STAR-MAN: Déaghlan Murphy will prove key for Rossa as they hope to clinch a double
LOUGHIEL SHAMROCKS
The hurling stronghold of Loughiel is a proud village which borders the famous Antrim Glens and in recent years have become a stalwart of the Saffron county's hurling game in both inter-county and club level, having been the only Ulster county to win the Hurling Club All-Ireland, having achieved it on twice (1983, 2012).
The Shamrocks hold the most final appearances in the Senior competition with 38 and by that admission the most championship titles with 20. However, the most recent title came almost a decade ago when they beat Cushendall in a cold windy day in Corrigan Park.
Loughiel enjoyed a strong league campaign where they earned eight wins but fell short of champions Rossa by a single point having lost twice to the West Belfast side during the campaign.
The North Antrim side sit at 6/1 in the bookmakers odds to regain their past glories.
DECADE OF HURT: Loughiel have went 9 seasons without winning the senior title
CUSHENDALL
The current holders have their sights set on a third title in a row for the Glens county having been worthy winners in the previous two editions of the competition beating Dunloy in 2024 and overcoming group opponents Loughiel in 2023 by a single point victory at Corrigan Park.
This season the Antrim coast side have had a less than impressive league campaign which saw them finish outside the top half of the table and dropping into 1B for the latter half of the season which saw them win six games in the final seven of the season as they looked to recapture form of last season.
The maroon men will be hopeful they can add to their 16 senior titles and recapture their championship form as they travel to Rossa in their opening game of the group and it could be make determine who will be favourites for the top spot in Group A.
The bookmakers hold Cushendall as second favourites for the competition with a 2/1 price.
HUNT FOR A THIRD: Cushendall eye three-in-a-row in Antrim's Senior Hurling competition
CAREY FAUGHS
This year's newcomers enter the competition with the least expectation, but nonetheless know they are more than capable of bloodying the noses of their opponents.
The Ballyvoy natives reigned supreme in last season's Intermediate competition when they clinched a record breaking fourth title after they defeated Glenariff Oisin's before clinching the provincial title when they overcame Derry natives Swatragh in the Ulster Final before losing at the hands of All-Ireland winners Watergrasshill.
Carey settled for a mid-table finish in Division Two this season with a modest five victories and two draws but they know their form must improve on their efforts in the league should they hope to cause an unlikely upset at the top table in Antrim hurling.
The odds of Carey Faughs going all the way are slim with bookmakers having their price set at an astronomical 90/1.
NEW BOYS: Carey enter the Senior competition after last year's Intermediate title win
Group Preview
Group One has the potential for some fantastic match-ups with the league winners and current holders set to face off in the group opener.
The wildcard of the novices of Carey Faughs throwing a spanner in the works alongside Antrim's most successful hurling outfit in the form of Loughiel Shamrocks this group has the potential for a topsy turvy campaign.
Group Standings
1 - Cushendall (direct entry to semi-final)
2 - Rossa (entry to quarter-final)
3 - Loughiel Shamrock's (entry to quarter-final)
4 - Carey Faugh's
