The southwest and northeastern corners of Ireland were united in celebration Sunday afternoon in Bord na Móna O’Connor Park as Antrim struck two goals very deep into stoppage time to salvage an unlikely draw with Offaly in Tullamore.

Down boosted their promotion hopes with a convincing eight-point win over Offaly in Tullamore.

Offaly withheld a tremendous fightback from 13-man Louth to pick up their first Division 3 win of the season in a textbook game of two halves at the Gaelic Grounds in Drogheda.

Offaly and Longford continued their fierce rivalry of recent years with their latest instalment serving up a pulsating and entertaining draw in Tullamore.

Longford boss Padraic Davis has challenged those who question the need for pre-season competitions in an already crowded GAA calendar.

Offaly set up an O’Byrne Cup final clash with Longford next weekend, their victory sealed by two late points from substitute Cian Farrell.

Carlow 5-23 - Antrim 4-15: Carlow boss Colm Bonnar admitted his players forgot about the title at stake, and the place in the All-Ireland qualifiers, and simply focused on finally beating Antrim.

UUJ 1-7, Maynooth 4-23: A wonky Sat Nav and crazy five-hour bus journey didn’t upset the rhythm of Maynooth, who duly hammered University of Ulster to keep alive hopes of making the knockout stages of the Fitzgibbon Cup.

KERRY 2-16 ANTRIM 1-18: An hour after Saturday’s game had ended, the Kerry players were still lifting the roof of their Parnell Park dressing-room with song.

Allianz HL Division 1B relegation play-off

Allianz Football League leaders Cork have included all three O’Driscoll brothers for Sunday’s table-topping clash with Mayo.

Cistercian College, Roscrea 20 Newbridge College 19

Cistercian College, Roscrea 8 Newbridge College 8: Drama aplenty in Donnybrook yesterday in the Leinster Schools’ Cup semi-final , but no decision.

Allianz Hurling League Division 1B: Wexford 1-24 Antrim 2-20: Wexford were issued a timely reminder about their frailties as it took a last gasp point from substitute Harry Kehoe to deliver the narrowest of victories over Antrim in this Allianz NHL Division 1B clash at Wexford Park yesterday.

Jimmy Barry-Murphy has kept faith with the Cork side that bowed out of last year’s Championship by reinstating all but three of them for tomorrow’s Allianz League opener.

Limerick IT 1-21 UUJ 0-12:

Dublin 0-28 Antrim 2-12: Walsh Cup: They may need someone to lift the Walsh Cup very shortly though Ger Cunningham still isn’t sure exactly who his Dublin captain for 2015 will be. 

Antrim 1-17 London 2-7

Antrim 2-18 Carlow 1-17

Kilkenny continue the policy of rotation for tomorrow’s Allianz Hurling League Division 1 final in Semple Stadium (throw-in 3.30pm).

Antrim 1-18 Offaly 1-14

Laois 2-12 Antrim 0-21

Laois 2-21 Antrim 0-21

Limerick 3-26 Antrim 0-12

Newbridge College 14 Cistercian College Roscrea 3

Antrim 2-15 Wexford 1-16

Antrim 2-15 Wexford 1-16

Caolan Bailie scored 13 points as Down bridged a gap of 18 years to win the Ulster MHC title on Saturday.

Ireland’s U17 girls were not giving up their Euro dream last night despite suffering a crushing defeat to France in their opening UEFA Elite Stage qualifier in Oslo yesterday.

GALWAY’S minor hurlers blitzed Antrim with three goals in less than five minutes during the opening half of this lopsided All-Ireland quarter-final at Parnell Park on Saturday.

ALL BLACK fly-half Dan Carter has been ruled out of Perpignan’s European Cup game against Leicester on Saturday despite starting a six-month contract for the French side yesterday.

South Africa captain John Smit will lead a star-studded Barbarians side against Australia in Wednesday’s Olympic centenary clash at Wembley.

Teams for the 11th Heineken Cup final:

SALE SHARKS have slammed England’s medical staff after their Lions prop Andrew Sheridan was diagnosed with a prolapsed disc in his neck.

A DRAW was the fairest result in this Munster Colleges Junior A camogie decider at Feenagh on Saturday.

Cork 2-7 Tipperary 1-5

Australia 3-10-8 (56) Ireland 1-10-10 (46)

Ireland 31 Australia 7