Kilkenny continued their pursuit for Allianz League honours with a commanding victory over a brave Laois side in Nowlan Park.

Great fun. Great, messy, imprecise fun, with a draw a fair result.

The yawning chasm in class between these neighbours was fully in evidence as Kilkenny thrashed Colm Bonnar’s by 21 points in a NHL Division 1B mismatch before an attendance of 3,000.

There are six changes to the Cork side for this evening’s Allianz HL Division 1 Group A clash with Tipperary at Páirc Uí Chaoimh (7pm).

You won’t be astonished to learn that here was not one of those matches where the scoreline failed to tell the whole story.

IT Carlow made a winning start to their Fitzgibbon Cup campaign as they defeated UCD by seven points in their Group D clash at Billings Park.

Cian Lynch, Declan Hannon, Gearoid Hegarty, and Graeme Mulcahy have been restored to the Limerick team for tomorrow’s Munster hurling final.

There has been no wielding of the axe by the Clare management in the wake of last weekend’s 13-point hammering at the hands of Tipperary, with the team named for tomorrow’s game against Limerick showing just one change in personnel.

Carlow's first home game in this year's Leinster senior hurling championship may have made for a heartwarming tale but Kilkenny have never been ones for romance or fairytales.

Brian Cody’s 21st championship campaign got off to a winning start thanks to an inspirational display by captain TJ Reid.

UCD were indebted to a brace of late frees from Ronan Hayes as they recued a share of the spoils with NUIG after their entertaining Fitzgibbon Cup Group A encounter at David Billings Park.

A determined performance from Limerick saw them crowned All-Ireland U21 hurling champions for the second time in three years.

Limerick U21 hurling boss Pat Donnelly believes the county should be in a position to challenge for a senior All- Ireland by 2020.

Kilkenny 0-21 Dublin 0-16: The pain of 2016 was well and truly forgotten about as the Kilkenny under-21 hurlers started their 2017 campaign in winning style.

LIMERICK IT 1-20

UCC 1-8, UCD 1-5: If UCC go on to win the 2017 Fitzgibbon Cup, they may return to this game as a reference point.

Ballyhale Shamrocks 1-12 O’Loughlin Gaels 0-19: Threequarters way through at Nowlan Park yesterday the 9,130 attendance at last began to stir. The first half had been tepid.

Two first-half Andrew Gaffney goals in Templemore secured Kilkenny CBS’s passage to the Masita All-Ireland Colleges Senior A hurling championship final.

Kilkenny CBS 2-13 St Kieran’s College 0-13