← All events
gaa · Saturday 15 August 2026 · Various 
Bathshack Antrim SHC Group 1 - St Johns v O'Donovan Rossa
At TBC · Belfast, Co. Antrim
At TBC · Belfast, Co. Antrim
The West Belfast hurling derby is one of those fixtures that needs no build-up. When St John’s and O’Donovan Rossa meet in the Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship, both clubs arrive carrying the weight of a rivalry that goes back generations on the Falls Road. This group stage clash in August 2026 is the kind of game that keeps the Antrim hurling season crackling - two senior clubs from the same stretch of the city, both with genuine ambitions for the title, playing for championship points and local bragging rights in one. If you have any interest in club hurling played at a serious level, this is worth your afternoon.
The Antrim Senior Hurling Championship runs on a group-of-four format. St John’s and Rossa are drawn together in Group 1 alongside Loughgiel and Ballycastle, meaning every game has direct bearing on who advances to the knockout rounds. St John’s, based at Corrigan Park in West Belfast, are one of the county’s most decorated clubs - Antrim champions multiple times since the 1930s, including a title-winning run that brought them an Ulster Club Championship in 1973. O’Donovan Rossa, founded in 1916 on the Falls Road, are a formidable rival with their own proud hurling tradition and a long list of championship appearances. Recent meetings between the sides have been tight and frequently decided in the closing minutes, with the 2025 group stages producing a particularly tense finish. Expect hard ground-level hurling, a vocal crowd from both parishes, and the kind of intensity that only a local derby delivers. Venue is to be confirmed on antrim.gaa.ie - both clubs’ home grounds are in West Belfast, and the game may be scheduled at a neutral ground.
Belfast is straightforward to reach by road from Dublin via the M1/A1 (roughly two hours), and from Derry via the A6. Cross-border Translink Enterprise rail services run between Dublin Connolly and Belfast Grand Central several times daily. Within Belfast, Corrigan Park is in West Belfast and accessible by city bus; if the venue shifts to a neutral ground, Antrim GAA will post details at antrim.gaa.ie closer to the date. Street parking is generally available around GAA grounds in the area, though it pays to arrive early for a derby.
A hurling match in the city is a fine excuse to spend time in one of Ireland’s most interesting places - the Cathedral Quarter, the Titanic Quarter, and the Black Mountain all sit within easy reach of West Belfast. There is more to see in Belfast and across Co. Antrim.
Heading to TBC in Belfast? Antrim has plenty more to see. Read the Belfast area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.