[2] The county team was the first in the province of Ulster to appear in an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) final, doing so in 1911 and repeating the feat again in 1912, but losing on both occasions.

Antrim's County Board decision to introduce a City League in 1908, one of the first in Gaelic history, was a more legitimate explanation.

[citation needed] The 1946 Antrim football team was regarded as one of the most exciting of the era, taking advantage of the newly reintroduced handpass.

Political violence meant that the county could not build on the under-21 team of 1969, one of the finest in Ulster history (Din Joe McGrogan — scorer of the goals that put Antrim in the final — was killed by a loyalist bomb).

Congregation of Christian Brothers member Laurence (Larry) Ennis (1933-2021) served as Antrim manager from 1979 until 1981, leading the team to a Dr McKenna Cup title, defeating Tyrone, Down and Armagh along the way.

[7] McGinley brought his former Tyrone teammate Stephen O'Neill in as part of his backroom team and Brendan Murphy was appointed as strength and conditioning coach.