Dunloy's Shiels: We're not silly, we know we're underdogs

Dunloy, standard bearers in Ulster hurling in the 90s and 2000s, are back in the All-Ireland series for the first time in over a decade after conquering their modern tormentors Slaughtneil at the fourth time of asking.

On Sunday, the class of 2022 get a crack at a wily St Thomas' side as they seek to emulate their teams of yesteryear and break into an All-Ireland final.

For the experienced Paul Shiels, the primary feeling after the Ulster final was "relief".

Having fallen to Slaughtneil in 2017, 2019 and 2021, the Antrim champions shed the baggage of recent defeats to triumph by two points, a seven-point haul from Conal Cunning and 1-01 from Nigel Elliott delivering them a first Ulster crown since 2009.

"We were starting to feel the pressure from ourselves and maybe the people within Antrim that we had won four county titles in a row and we hadn't made the breakthrough in Ulster," Sheils tells RTÉ Sport.

"So it was more of a relief than anything to be honest.

"We were sort of told when we won our first county title that we came a wee bit too early, but I would say in the provincial stage Slaughtneil were just that wee bit further down the road than we were.

"We had to cross swords with them three times really to try and get the measure of them, but you know they're a super side with some really quality hurlers. You know it took everything to try and beat them.

"They had sent us back to the drawing board three times, so we looked at everything: hurling, physicality.

"I would definitely say they helped drive our improvement because it's not easy losing a provincial final or semi-final, you have a long time to think about it."

The club, now joint-top in the roll of honour in Ulster, have gone close to the summit before.

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