By Michael McMullan

SATURDAY is another game at headquarters for Antrim defender Gerard Walsh, who first played there are a 17 year-old when Rossa win the All-Ireland Intermediate title.

He returned to play in county colours for both Joe McDonagh and Christy Ring Cup finals.

“I’m looking forward to it, but we’ll not get overly excited,” he said in a relaxed manner at Antrim’s press day.

He radiates calmness. Even the suggestion that the lower grades of hurling are fighting a losing battle for column inches and television coverage doesn’t bother him.

It’s all about playing and for the long-term health of Antrim hurling, remaining in Division One was a must.

“Ever since we got out of Division Two, year on year, it is always something you want to be achieving,” he said.

“We want to establish ourselves as a Division One team; we want to be picking points off those so-called bigger teams.”

Walsh doesn’t put the step up Antrim are trying to make to the top table down to one single attribute.

“I would say it’s the same as every sport imaginable and hurling is no different. As you go up into the higher leagues, people are looking after themselves a bit better outside of the sport.” He said.

Everything quickens up, players get stronger, there is a crispier swing of the hurl and teams are more tactically aware.

“It’s a bit of everything and overall, those small improvements create one massive improvement,” he said.

“We stayed up this year and it gives us the opportunity to go and do that next year, so we are happy enough.

“It boils down to simple things, a mistake here or there, a bit of misfortune like it was last year, a bit of fortune really, that’s all it is. It doesn’t take a lot to tip the scale.”

He points back to January 2018 and a 1-19 to 1-16 defeat at the hands of All-Ireland champions Galway in Salthill.

Walsh, one of eight players in action that day still on board, partnered Conor McKinley at midfield. A Conor McCann goal wasn’t enough to overcome a two-point interval deficit.

“We never really got back up there, but, now, it’s nice to be back competing against those teams week in, week out,” he said.

“I think Kilkenny only beat us by three points, Dublin by four and Waterford by two. We are up there competing, but the morale victories don’t stretch too far. You are stringing a load of decent performances together and getting no results.”

After securing their top-flight status for next season, Antrim overcame Offaly in the opening round of the Joe McDonagh in a Corrigan classic and haven’t looked back.

“We didn’t make life easy for ourselves,” he recalls, saying it’s easier to play in the pulsating games than to watch them.

“Johnty (Conor Johnston) pulled us out of a bit of a hole with a couple of goals. We showed great resilience. It was great to get the win and a good kick start to the Joe McDonagh.”