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Antrim Hockey Club

Antrim Hockey Club
Antrim HC Logo.png
Founded 1894
Colors Blue and white
Chairman Paul Whiteside (2007-2008)
Manager Andy Gleghorne (Secretary; 2007-2008)
Home ground Moylena,
Nursery Park,
Muckamore,
County Antrim,
Northern Ireland
Conference Ulster Branch of the IHA
Official Website antrimhockey.hitssports

Antrim Hockey Club is a hockey club based at Muckamore Cricket Club, Muckamore. Home fixtures are played on the sand-filled artificial surface at the Marks Arena a local-council owned pitch at the Antrim Forum in Antrim town. The club was founded in 1894 and was one of the founding members of the Ulster Hockey Union. Antrim Hockey Club's first eleven play in the Premier League of the Ulster Senior League.

After World War II, the playing pitches were located in the Castle Grounds, Antrim.

In 1970, another pitch was acquired at the Lough Neagh shore on ground owned by the then club president. Also in 1973 a new gravel pitch became available when the Antrim Forum opened.

In 1972, the club agreed an alliance with Antrim Rugby Football Club. An old stable in the Castle Grounds was converted into a clubhouse and premises developed at Allen Park. Changing accommodation with three hockey pitches, two grass and one gravel, along with three rugby pitches were constructed and first used in 1979. The Ireland-v-Scotland international was played on the grass pitch in 1980. The building of a clubhouse was completed in 1985.

In 1991, Antrim Borough Council constructed a new sand-filled artificial turf pitch at Antrim Forum. The club annual general meeting in June of that year decided that all five of the club teams would play as much as possible on the new pitch. Later at a special meeting in April 1995 the majority of those present decided to terminate the relationship with the Rugby Club. Since then, meetings and after-match socialising now take place at Muckamore Cricket Club.

Antrim was a major force in the early years of the Ulster Hockey Union. The Ulster Senior League and Kirk Cup were both regularly won by Antrim. The club was one of the original members and the first-ever winners of the Ulster Senior League.

Antrim have never won the Irish Senior Cup. They lost their first final to Limerick PYMA by 2 goals to 1 on 31 March 1928. Despite a protest against one of the umpires the result stood. In 1954, the first team lost another Irish Senior Cup Final to Dublin YMCA.


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