Carlow were completely overwhelmed in the Christy Ring Cup final as their prized trip to Croke Park turned into a nightmare – a 5-13 to 1-07 defeat at the hands of a hungry Antrim side.
The Saffrons won a mismatch of a final, regaining their Liam McCarthy Cup status with some ease.
Goals from Joey Scullion (13 minutes), Johnny McIntosh (15) and Kieran Kelly (17) set up 3-07 to 0-02 interval lead for the Ulster men.
Carlow waited 27-and-a-half minutes before Damien Roberts opened their account.
The Barrowsiders, who hit 16 wides in all, grabbed a late penalty strike from goalkeeper Frank Foley, but the concession of second half goals to McIntosh (2-04) and Brian McFall (1-02) had ruled out any comeback.
Antrim, who managed to beat Galway in this year's Allianz National Hurling League, got off to a flying start with a flurry of goals racing them 3-06 to 0-00 clear.
McIntosh flung over three frees, and Paddy Richmond and Malachy Molloy ('65') were also on target before nippy wing-forward Scullion, who superbly timed his 50-yard run onto the breaking ball, flicked Antrim's opening goal over the head of Foley and into the net.
Mount Leinster clubman Foley was left with egg on his face just moments later when he allowed a long ball in from McIntosh squirm past him for a soft second goal. The 'keeper was rightly aggrieved as Paddy Richmond had cynically taken defender Tom Doyle out of play on the edge of the square as the ball came hurtling towards them.
It got worse for Eoin Garvey's men when a neat hand pass from Scullion played the hard-working Kelly into space and the Ballycastle forward made no mistake, smashing a third past Foley.
Carlow's wides tally was up to six by this stage as the occasion had them clearly rattled. Still, they matched the favourites for the remainder of the half – with Roberts and team captain Robbie Foley swapping points with Richmond and McFall – to cut the gap to 14 points by half-time.
McFall's 31st-minute effort, teed up by Kelly, should have been another Antrim goal but Foley did brilliantly to parry it over the bar.
Foley redeemed himself further when in the last minute of the half he blocked away a penalty from McFall, who sliced his shot badly.
Carlow, on the whole, raised the tempo for the second half – both Pat Coady (31) and Des Murphy (35), the veteran forwards playing in their last inter-county games, were central to this.
Coady, certainly one of the top free-takers in the country, landed a free and two '65's to help his side pare back the difference to 3-08 to 0-06 by the 53rd-minute.
The burly Murphy, making his 131st appearance, worked tirelessly under the high ball and was frustratingly robbed of a send-off goal when referee James McGrath called play back for Foley's late penalty.
Indeed Carlow hit four of the second half's opening five points with substitute Seanie McMahon, whose starting spot went to the poker-playing Brendan Lawler, firing over the best of the lot from a tight angle on the left.
But Antrim steadied themselves on 56 minutes when Barney McAuley dangled a ball deep into Carlow territory and McIntosh latched onto it to thump home goal number four off the ground.
A Coady free was then batted off the Antrim line before Foley notched his second point for a 4-08 to 0-07 score line.
Although there were admirable performances from Eoin Nolan, who kept Paddy Richmond in his pocket for the second half, and Shane Kavanagh, the Carlow defence disappointingly leaked a fifth major.
Kelly, McFall and substitute Paddy Magill angled over points before a strong 66th-minute run from Molloy ended with McFall netting.
Carlow did get their moment of glory when James McKeague fouled Murphy for the penalty, which Foley dispatched with aplomb, but the difference in standard was embarrassing at times.
Antrim: DD Quinn; B McAuley, J McKeague, J Campbell; M Molloy (0-02 (2 '65')), K McKeegan (capt), C Herron; C Cunning, M Scullion; J Scullion (1-00), K Kelly (1-01), M Dallas; J McIntosh (2-04 (4f)), P Richmond (0-02), B McFall (1-02).
Subs used: D McKillop for Dallas (half-time), P Magill (0-01) for Cunning (54), B Delargy (0-01) for J Scullion (62), J McKernan for Campbell, D Gamble for McAuley (both 66).
Carlow: F Foley (1-00 (1-00 pen)); E Nolan, T Doyle, A Gaule; E Coady, S Kavanagh, L Kenny; C Hughes, D Roberts (0-01); P Coady (0-03 (1f, 2 '65')), D Murphy, A Brennan; P Kehoe, R Foley (capt) (0-02), B Lawler.
Subs used: D Shaw for Kenny (19 mins), M Keating for Brennan (37), S McMahon (0-01) for Kehoe (48), J Waters for Hughes (51), B Delaney for Kavanagh (64-67, blood sub).
Referee: James McGrath (Westmeath)
