YOU can look for patterns and portents in order to predict the outcome of this blockbuster, but you may as well study all those recent photographs of the Northern Lights.
Is that a developing streak of maroon? Can I see more ribbons of green and gold? And how will any flashes of cards coloured yellow, black, or even red from the referee affect this contest?
How will the expected wild and windswept weather affect proceedings? Does it matter that the decider is back in Ballycastle, after three seasons in Corrigan Park?
If you were a particularly confident pundit, you could make a strong case for either of the teams:
Cushendall are the holders and comfortably beat Dunloy in the group stages this year;
But Dunloy have a wonderful final record, certainly in modern times, and definitely against the Ruairi Ogs.
You never know with hurling, but this could be the closest ever final encounter between Cushendall and Dunloy.
Rather remarkably, it’s only the seventh such meeting between these two clubs, who dominated Antrim hurling in the 90s and 2000s, winning 19 out of 20 (Rossa the only exception in 2004) – and they are the big two once more.
For the eighth year in a row the Volunteer Cup will go to one of these two clubs, with Dunloy having triumphed on five of those occasions.
They’ve also won five finals against Cushendall, but the tightest on the scoreboard was the one they lost, the first meeting, a quarter of a century ago.
Dunloy led by six points with four minutes to go in that 1999 game, only for a late blast of 2-2 from Cushendall to take the trophy, 3-14 to 3-12.
Since then, though, not only have Dunloy exacted revenge, they’ve done so by 10, 7, 6, 4, and 6 points as well, with the last three of those fairly recent: 2017, 2019, and 2022.
The Cuchullain’s are aiming to maintain that hoodoo over Cushendall and also in county finals in general.
Indeed, it’s so long since Dunloy lost an Antrim decider to any club that the game in question took place at Casement Park. That defeat a dozen years ago also happened to be against the reigning All-Ireland champions, Loughgiel.
The Shamrocks shocked Dunloy in last year’s semi-final, ending their hopes of an unprecedented five-in-a-row. That made Loughgiel the only outfit to inflict a knockout championship defeat on Dunloy in Antrim since… the Shamrocks themselves in the 2018 semi-final; before that the Cuchullain’s lost a 2016 quarter-final against Ballycastle.
It’s stretching the stat somewhat, obviously, due to the relative rarity of their meetings, but it’s actually a decade since Cushendall knocked Dunloy out in Antrim, winning by 2-10 to 0-11 in the 2014 semi-final.
Obviously of far greater relevance is that aforementioned group meeting this season, in round three. Although both sides knew they would progress whatever the outcome, it was far from ‘a dead rubber’, with the winners going straight to the semi-finals.
Dunloy’s progress with many dual players to last year’s Antrim football final appeared to tire them on the hurling front, contributing to that semi-final loss to Loughgiel, so they were desperate to reduce their packed schedule.
However, Cushendall proved too strong on home turf, winning a feisty and fiery encounter, which brought two red cards, by eight points, 1-24 to 0-19.
Although Dunloy’s footballers lost their quarter-final, the hurlers came through a last eight battle with Ballycastle.
They were certainly sharp in their semi-final, wreaking revenge on Loughgiel with a highly impressive 10-point win.
In contrast, Cushendall had to show all the incredible resilience for which they are famed against St John’s in the semi-final, only holding onto the crown after extra time.
Neil McManus remains a phenomenon, not only a regular and reliable source of scores (0-14 in that semi-final) but also a ceaseless worker all around the pitch. Teenage sensation Joseph McLaughlin adds stardust, with scoring threats also from the likes of Ryan McCambridge and Paddy McGill.
At the back, Cushendall have deserved Allstar nominee Paddy Burke and Eoghan Campbell in crucial central roles. They won’t have to face the luckless Conal Cunning but Dunloy have largely had to without him in this campaign anyway. He returned from a broken arm to score three points in the quarter-final, but then damaged an anterior cruciate ligament early on against Loughgiel.
Dunloy’s attack line still has the bigger names, including Antrim stars Keelan Molloy and Nigel and Seaan Elliott, whose pace and finishing power can be supplied by the evergreen Paul Shiels among others.
However, Cushendall’s forwards have been firing, with seven goals in four matches, compared to five in five for the Cuchullain’s. When they met in the group the ‘Dall defence denied them a goal and gave up only one serious such opportunity.
There is so much at stake here. In Antrim alone, Dunloy could move to second on the roll of honour, behind only Loughgiel, joining Ballycastle on 17 titles. Or Cushendall could move into joint third with the Cuchullain’s on 16.
Both sides, without ever taking theirs off Sunday’s showdown, will have thoughts in their heads about elusive national glory.
The winner, whoever that happens to be, certainly won’t take Ulster for granted after Slaughtneil’s successes in recent seasons but Cushendall were only pipped by a point from reaching the All-Ireland final earlier this year, while Dunloy were in the 2022/23 decider.
One of these great clubs will be Antrim’s standard-bearer yet again – but the only way you’ll know is by joining the throngs sure to pack Pairc Mac Uilin, watching online, or waiting to find out after the final whistle - which might follow extra time.
PATHS TO FINAL
Cushendall:
Group 2, round 1: Rossa 1-19 Cushendall 3-16
Group 2, round 2: St John’s 1-8 Cushendall 2-14
Group 2, round 3: Cushendall 1-24 Dunloy 0-19
Semi-final: Cushendall 1-27 St John’s 0-26 (aet)
Dunloy:
Group 2, round 1: Dunloy 0-24 St John’s 0-18
Group 2, round 2: Rossa 1-12 Dunloy 2-19
Group 2, round 3: Cushendall 1-24 Dunloy 0-19
Quarter-final: Dunloy 1-24 Ballycastle 1-18
Semi-final: Dunloy 2-15 Loughgiel 0-11
PREVIOUS FINAL MEETINGS:
2022: Dunloy 1-20 Cushendall 2-11
2019: Dunloy 3-16 Cushendall 2-15
2017: Dunloy 2-15 Cushendall 2-9
2009: Dunloy 3-14 Cushendall 1-13
2002: Dunloy 3-12 Cushendall 1-8
1999: Cushendall 3-14 Dunloy 3-12
