When the draw was initially made for the Ulster Championship, there was little fuss or reaction to the news that Antrim had drawn the All-Ireland champions Armagh.
The Saffrons sit in Division Three and have not reached an Ulster Final since 2009, so coming up against the holders of the Sam Maguire is an understandably daunting task.
The good news is that Antrim have drawn home advantage, but with the Casement Park saga rumbling on, the game was obviously set for Corrigan Park, their temporary home.
This created a mini-saga of its own as the Ulster Council claimed that the venue was too small to hold the huge number of Armagh fans that would travel and also cited safety issues that needed to be addressed.
Manager Andy McEntee then declared protest, stating that the players would not play anywhere but Corrigan Park, and it looks as though that is what will happen as a resolution edges closer.
Speaking after Armagh’s draw against Mayo in the Athletic Grounds, Kieran McGeeney was sympathetic to Antrim’s situation.
“I agree with what they (Antrim) are saying. If it’s home venue, it’s home venue,” he said.
“The other side of it is that the Ulster Council will see that we could possibly get a 15,000 or 20,000 crowd. So, I don’t know what that would be worth – a quarter of a million? £300,000? That’s money for the Ulster Council without the McKenna Cup.
“That’s where it is. I think they circumvented that a few years ago from the Kildare thing (Newbridge or nowhere v Mayo), that the CCCC (Central Competitions Control Committee) can change that at any time if they feel that it doesn’t have the capacity for the crowd.”
Since Kildare refused to give up home advantage against Mayo back in 2018, a stipulation was added that the CCCC could change the venue if they felt they needed to.
Despite that loophole now being in black and white, McGeeney understood why Antrim would have been frustrated about all of the talk around changing the venue and making them give up home advantage.
“But I definitely feel for them,” he continued. “The rules don’t say that (that Antrim have a right to home venue) any more, but that is the way that we have been used to it. So, I do feel for them in that regard.
“Not that the GAA will listen to the stuff that I have to say… apart from what you’ll get your headlines from tonight.”
Nothing is set in stone just yet, but as things stand, the game could be played in Corrigan Park and will take place on Saturday, April 12.
Despite being the reigning All-Ireland champions, Armagh have not won a provincial title since 2008 and have lost the last two Finals in succession by penalty shoot-out.
McGeeney and his players will be determined to add that elusive Ulster medal to their trophy cabinets in 2025 but they will have to get through Antrim to do so – we just don’t know whereabouts yet.