Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Finals 2026

The Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship is the most prestigious club hurling competition in the county, founded in 1901 and fiercely contested ever since. The semi-finals bring the best four clubs left standing into a straight knockout, and the intensity that goes with that is real - these are local rivalries built over generations. If you have any interest in GAA hurling at club level, this is the kind of afternoon that reminds you why it matters. The standard is high, the crowds are knowledgeable, and every touch is contested. The game suits anyone who wants to see hurling played at pace, without the ceremony of big intercounty days.

What to expect

Eight clubs compete in the 2026 championship, split into two groups of four. The group winners go straight to the semi-finals; other places are decided by a knockout play-off. The clubs to watch are the established county powers: Loughgiel Shamrocks (20 titles, the county’s most decorated side), Dunloy (16 titles, champions in 2022), Ruairí Óg Cushendall (16 titles, 2024 champions), and St John’s Belfast, who took their eighth title in 2025 - their first in over 50 years. The semi-finals are played at Corrigan Park, a compact west Belfast ground on the Whiterock Road that has hosted GAA since it opened in 1926. It holds around 4,000 and has the tight, atmospheric feel of a proper club venue - no corporate distance between the crowd and the pitch. Tickets are sold through clubs and through inplayer.com/antrimgaa; check antrim.gaa.ie for confirmed dates and times as the schedule is set closer to the day.

Getting there

Corrigan Park sits on the Whiterock Road in west Belfast, a short distance from the city centre. By bus, Metro services from Belfast city centre serve the Falls Road and Whiterock area - check Translink for the correct route on the day. By car, the ground is accessible via the M1 or M2 into Belfast and then west through the city; sat nav for Whiterock Road, Belfast BT12 will bring you close. Street parking in the surrounding residential streets is the norm; allow extra time if travelling by car as the area can fill quickly around big fixtures.

While you’re in Belfast

Belfast city centre is twenty minutes from Corrigan Park and well worth the detour before or after the match. The Cathedral Quarter, St George’s Market, and the Titanic Quarter are all within easy reach on foot or by Metro. There is more to see in Belfast and across Co. Antrim.

Good to know

• Date: Sunday 6 September 2026 (exact time listed as “Various” - confirm at antrim.gaa.ie)
• Admission: paid entry; tickets available through clubs and at inplayer.com/antrimgaa
• Venue: Corrigan Park, Whiterock Road, Belfast BT12 - capacity approximately 4,000
• Check antrim.gaa.ie/fixtures/senior-hurling-championship-ko for confirmed fixtures and any venue changes
• The championship final is expected in late September or early October 2026