Are Slaughtneil Ulster hurling's greatest dynasty?

For more than a decade, Slaughtneil have turned dominance into a habit. Fourteen consecutive Derry Senior Hurling Championships, six Ulster titles and a remarkable presence at the top of the provincial game has established the club as the defining force of the modern era.

But where does Slaughtneil's extraordinary run sit in the wider history of Ulster club hurling?

Cushendall, Dunloy and Loughgiel have all built dynasties of their own, collecting provincial titles, national success and producing teams that defined their respective eras. Slaughtneil, however, have combined longevity with a level of consistency rarely seen at club level.

So, with their latest chapter still being written, the question is becoming harder to ignore: are Slaughtneil the greatest dynasty Ulster hurling has ever produced?

BBC Sport NI has a look at some of those who may stake a claim to rival them as the best.

Fourteen county titles in a row is nothing short of remarkable.

From 1965 to 2012 Slaughtneil won just six county titles, yet they haven't loosened their grip on the Father Collins Cup since.

They've now beaten Kevin Lynch's in eight of the last nine Derry finals, their latest win arguably one of their best.

Paul McCormack's side played the majority of the game with 14 men after Brendan Rogers' 25th minute red card.

But old hands like Cormac O'Doherty, Shane McGuigan and Paul McNeill stood tall amongst newer faces like Conor Coyle, Deaglan McNamee and Shea Cassidy.

The Robert Emmet's have also contested 10 of the last 12 Ulster finals, winning six of them while becoming the first club side from the Oak Leaf county to lift the title.

There's been titanic battles with sides like Cuala and Ballyhale Shamrocks to name a few in the last four of the All-Ireland series and the fact they haven't been able to reach the showpiece final is maybe a mark against them, but the longevity and volume of success is hard to argue with.

Loughgiel provide perhaps the most compelling argument that Ulster greatness cannot be judged solely by provincial titles.

They have won eight Ulster championships, but crucially, they have also twice gone all the way to claim the All-Ireland club title, in 1983 and 2012.

Their 2010–2013 period was particularly impressive, with four successive Ulster titles, culminating in the All-Ireland triumph in 2012.

That Liam Watson inspired All-Ireland final (he scored 3-7) win over Coolderry of Offaly is fresh in the memory of many and winning the biggest prize always carries extra-weight as they remain the only Ulster county to have won the All-Ireland senior club hurling title.

That gives Loughgiel something Slaughtneil have so far been unable to match; the ultimate national club hurling prize.

The Antrim club have won 11 Ulster Senior Club Hurling Championships, placing them among the most successful sides in the history of the competition.

Their most compelling period came around the turn of the millennium. Dunloy won four successive Ulster titles between 2000 and 2003, an extraordinary run.

They were not simply occasional provincial champions; for a period, they were the team everyone else had to overcome as they reached the All-Ireland final on two occasions, losing both.

Slaughtneil's modern dominance may be remarkable, but Dunloy have the greater provincial haul and a history of success stretching across decades, including the fact they reached the All-Ireland final twice.

Cushendall have perhaps the strongest historical argument against Slaughtneil. Their 12 Ulster titles are a record, and their success has been spread across several generations rather than concentrated in one period.

Their first provincial success came in 1981, and they have continued to compete at the top level into the modern era. That longevity matters: Cushendall didn't merely dominate one particular generation of Ulster hurling, but they repeatedly rebuilt and returned to the summit.

There is also the argument that a dynasty spanning more than four decades carries a different weight from even an extraordinary 14-year run.