An extra-time goal from captain Tommy Gill guided Wicklow to their first ever Tommy Murphy Cup title at Croke Park this afternoon, as it took 92 drama-filled minutes to finally separate these Division Four rivals.
Having been six points in front at one stage, the Garden County had to battle back from the jaws of defeat to win their first national final at Headquarters since the 1969 All-Ireland home JFC decider.
Ironically, Kerry were the team they beat in that junior final – roll on nearly 40 years and one of Kerry's most famous sons, Mick O'Dwyer, is finishing off his first season as Wicklow manager with some long-awaited silverware.
Although his stand-in Arthur French directed operations today, O'Dwyer was fit enough to take his place on the sideline after recovering from a minor heart scare.
His presence alone acted as a motivational factor for Wicklow who used their two earlier appearances at Croke Park – they faced Louth twice there during the Leinster Championship – to their advantage.
For Antrim, this was their first outing at the Jones' Road venue since 1989 and it showed, particularly during the middle part of the first half.
Wicklow were forced into a late switch before the throw-in as wing-forward Paul Earls failed a fitness test and Ciaran Hyland took his place in the starting line-up.
Antrim lined out as expected with Justin Crozier, Aodhan Gallagher and Michael McCann coming into the side having missed last month's semi-final win over Clare.
Wicklow, who beat the Saffrons 4-09 to 1-10 in their opening National League game in February, shot three wides in the opening ten minutes as they made a nervy start.
Antrim were on the scoreboard within 50 seconds as team captain Ciaran Close got away from his marker to convert a point from an acute angle at the Canal End.
Goalkeeper Mervyn Travers, who previously played cross channel for Leeds United, had to come to Wicklow's rescue in the fourth minute when he saved superbly from Conor McGourty.
The opening stages were blighted by turnovers but once Wicklow settled and their defence tightened up, they quickly found scores. McGourty doubled Antrim's lead, fastening onto a through ball from McCann, but Wicklow netted just moments later.
The game was 15 minutes old when Derek Daly scooped up the ball near the end line, after a blocked effort from Gill, and danced past the challenge of Sean Kelly before rifling a fine right-footed shot inside Sean McGreevy's right post.
Close levelled briefly from a free before Paddy Dalton curled over for a white flag at the other end and then Wicklow broke through for a memorable second goal.
Tony Hannon's barnstorming run carved open the Antrim defence in the 22nd-minute, the ball was shipped on to Glynn who cut inside his man and planted a lovely shot to far left corner of the net to finish off a brilliant four-man move.
Wicklow moved six points clear at 2-03 to 0-03 when influential midfielder Thomas Walsh, whose stylish kick-out catches were a big highlight, set up Glynn for a point.
At this stage, Antrim were over-complicating things and failing to provide inside men McGourty and Close with some much-needed low ball into space. Walsh was hoovering up far too many balls in midfield but Jody Gormley's outfit did outscore their Leinster opponents by five points to two over the half's final ten minutes.
Wicklow hit a few bad wides although John McGrath and Walsh did add to their scoring tally. Antrim landed five points in a ten-minute spell, with Close taking his personal haul to 0-05 and Eoin O'Neill and McCann also got in on the act. The latter's injury-time free sent his side in at the break with a 2-05 to 0-08 deficit to overcome.
Wicklow continued to be wasteful in the second half as a good early attack petered out with Glynn dropping the ball short and Walsh shooting wide of the uprights.
By the 70-minute mark, O'Dwyer's men had posted 11 wides and they should really have had the game sewn up by then. Antrim stuck valiantly to their task and managed to get 19-year-old terror McGourty, who scored six goals in his previous three games, more and more into the tie.
Gallagher and Gill swapped initial points before the Wicklow skipper missed a glorious goal chance when teed up by Glynn. But the Rathnew clubman skewed the ball off his left foot and Antrim could breathe again.
Hannon, who scored some excellent frees, nudged Wicklow 2-07 to 0-09 ahead and was on hand again to reply to a McCann point. Glynn, who roamed around the half-forward line at will, got the better of Eoin O'Neill to send Wicklow five points clear and that is how it stayed until Antrim launched a late fightback on the back of a questionable 58th-minute penalty.
After a McCann point had cut the gap to four points, Wicklow net-minder Travers parried away a powerful shot from substitute Michael Magill as Antrim hunted for an elusive goal.
It came with 12 minutes of normal time remaining when referee Pat McGovern spotted a foul on Kevin Brady as he swung his boot to try and bulge the Wicklow net.
Television replays showed there was no foot block and there was no contact between Brady and the onrushing Wicklow player behind him. Harsh decision as it was, young McGourty held his nerve over the penalty kick, which he sent straight down the middle, much to Travers' frustration.
That strike left Antrim only 2-10 to 1-12 in arrears and Wicklow, who have never won a Championship match at Croke Park, looked to be floundering. The introduction of big Brendan Hasson into the fray proved a masterstroke on the Antrim management's part as he and a number of his colleagues swarmed midfield and played Walsh out of the game.
A superb McGourty point from the left levelled the sides in the 62nd-minute, but Hannon landed his third free of the afternoon to send Wicklow back in front.
In a tense finish, McGourty again pointed under pressure to square up the final, and while livewire Glynn drove over in injury-time, a McCann free in the dying seconds ensured extra-time with the sides level at 1-15 to 2-12.
Antrim had finished the 70 minutes looking the fitter, particularly as they had emptied their bench, and that trend continued in the first period of extra-time. Five minutes in, a pass from Magill set up McGourty for the lead point.
Glynn, whose father Tommy played for Wicklow in that 1969 junior final, replied. As bodies began to tire, Hannon missed the half's only other decent scoring chance, a free from an awkward angle.
The Saffrons took a 1-17 to 2-13 advantage early in the second period when the impressive Magill pointed off his favoured right foot and further poor shooting crept into Wicklow's game.
Glynn was blocked down, Hannon and Daly struck wides, James Loughery dived full-length to block down a goal-bound shot from Daly and with time running out, Gill contrived to miss a right-sided free for Wicklow's 17th wide in all.
But just when it looked liked it was Antrim's day, Wicklow worked the ball downfield and scored a decisive goal through diminutive plumber Gill.
With the Antrim full-back line marked absent, James Stafford suddenly found himself in possession close to the Ulster side's square, he drew a challenge from goalkeeper McGreevy and found the unmarked Gill who gleefully blasted the ball to an empty net.
The final whistle followed just seconds later, sending many of the Antrim players into tears and the Wicklow men into ecstasy.
It was an unforgettable final for many reasons, the best of the four Tommy Murphy Cup duels to date and a fitting tribute to the former Laois player this competition is named in memory of.
O'Dwyer will hope Wicklow can use their Tommy Murphy Cup run as a springboard for further development, as Louth, last year's winners, and Sligo, the 2004 finalists, have done so this summer.
The Kerry great said afterwards: 'It was a great display by the players. They ensured that we have fighting quality in this Wicklow team. I must compliment everyone involved, especially the players and everybody in the backroom staff who have helped me a lot this year. We're on the way up definitely.'
Wicklow: M Travers; B O'hAnnaidh, D Power, A Byrne; P Dalton (0-01), D O'hAnnaidh, L Glynn (1-04); J Stafford, T Walsh (0-01); J McGrath (0-02), D Jackman, C Hyland; T Gill (capt) (1-01, 0-01f), T Hannon (0-04, 3f), D Daly (1-00).
Subs used: J Slattery for Glynn (61-63 mins, blood sub), E Rossiter for Hyland (70+2).
Antrim: S McGreevy; P Close, P Doherty, J Loughery; S Kelly, E O'Neill (0-01), J Crozier; J Quinn, D Martin; A Gallagher (0-01), K Niblock, K Brady; C Close (capt) (0-05, 2f), M McCann (0-04, 2f), C McGourty (1-04, 1-00 pen).
Subs used: M Magill (0-02) for Martin (25 mins), G Bell for Kelly (29), B Hasson for Niblock (52), M Dougan for Quinn (59), M Rea for C Close (68).
Referee: Pat McGovern (Galway).
