The Mike Quirke era of Laois football began with a defeat in the opening round of the O’Byrne Cup against neighbours Offaly on Saturday.

Cork will spend the next two weekends in Croke Park after comfortably securing their place in the Super 8s with this emphatic 14-point dismissal of Laois.

Not a game to restore your faith in Leinster football.

In-form Westmeath claimed their second piece of silverware of the season as they finished strong to secure the Allianz NFL Division 3 title.

Both Mayo and Galway have championship debutants for Sunday’s Connacht SFC quarter-final clash in MacHale Park in Castlebar (4pm).

John Sugrue was understandably pleased but sensibly restrained after watching his Laois side make the best of a strong start to see off neighbours Carlow and claim Division 4 honours.

Laois 2-12 Limerick 0-9: Gary Walsh hit 1-6 and set up Paul Kingston for a 70th-minute goal as Laois got the John Sugrue reign off to the perfect start with a nine-point victory over Limerick.

Laois withstood a stubborn Wicklow fightback to claim a Round 1 All-Ireland Senior Football Qualifier win at a sunny Aughrim this evening.

Kildare have coasted through a Leinster football semi-final on the back of the most facile of victories over an utterly insipid Laois side in Tullamore this afternoon.

Four goals in six minutes of devastation sent Longford packing and set Laois up for a Leinster quarter-final clash with bitter rivals Kildare.

Tyrone chairperson Roisin Jordan has insisted the county executive is fully behind Mickey Harte and his team, and fully supportive of their efforts to win a first All-Ireland title since 2008.

UCC were given every chance to bring this Sigerson Cup semi-final to extra-time. They squandered the lot and so St Mary’s will contest their first decider in 24 years this afternoon.

Laois 1-16 Meath 2-13: A controversial late penalty saw Meath advance on Saturday night in Stradbally to the O’Byrne Cup semi-finals at the expense of hosts Laois.

Wicklow 1-8 Laois 2-17: Laois made it two wins from two in the O’Byrne Cup as they brushed aside Wicklow in Greystones last night.

Clare only led once in this qualifier, but they hit the front when it mattered most, landing a winner as the game slipped into stoppage time to crown a great weekend for the Banner County.

Laois 1-11 Armagh 1-10: In the end, like most recounts in a general election, there was no change.

Laois came out on top a real dogfight at O’Moore Park and advance to the second round of All-Ireland qualifiers, while Armagh’s disappointing season is over.

Fermanagh 1-17 Laois 0-10: Fermanagh boosted their prospects of staying in Division 2, with Tomás Corrigan scoring a brilliant match-winning haul of 1-11 to push Laois further into relegation danger.

Meanwhile substitute Cian O’Brien was the hero for Meath as his late equaliser rescued a draw.

Laois 1-16 Antrim 2-15: Laois became the 2015 football championship’s first high profile casualty on Saturday when they failed to defend a nine-point lead against Antrim in their home venue of O’Moore Park, eventually crashing out thanks to the concession of a late goal to Antrim substitute Dermot McAleese.

Kildare 3-18 Laois 1-11: Not even their own supporters held much hope of Kildare beating Laois given their injuries and a horrible league campaign but manager Jason Ryan insists he and his coaching staff retained faith in their methods despite some of the vitriol being aimed in their direction.

Kildare blitzed Laois in stunning fashion after half time to canter into a Leinster semi-final against Dublin.

Laois and Kildare couldn’t be separated and have to meet again next Saturday at O’Connor Park, Tullamore after this rip-roaring Leinster championship clash.

Laois gained the expected upper hand in this local derby against Carlow to set up another battle for domestic bragging rights against Kildare in the Leinster quarter-final.

Down 3-12 Laois 1-15: Down’s ability to find the net helped them clinch promotion back to Division One while Laois maintained their league status despite defeat in Pairc Esler yesterday.

Allianz FL Division 2

Galway 0-10 Laois 2-10

Meath 0-13, Laois 0-13:

Laois 2-17, Roscommon 0-16: Tomás Ó Flatharta felt that there was a good performance coming from Laois, and they certainly impressed when recording their first victory of this year’s league campaign.

Laois 2-17, Roscommon 0-16:

Sigerson Cup semi-final

Sigerson Cup: St Mary’s 0-11 DCU 1-11 (AET)

Allianz FL Division 2 Round 2: Laois 2-6 Cavan 0-17: Neither the absence of light in their dressing room nor the malfunctioning showers could affect the good humour amongst the Cavan contingent at O’Moore Park on Saturday night.

University of Ulster 0-10 DCU 3-10

Meath 1-14 DCU 1-14: Meath will have key attackers Stephen Bray and Mickey Newman available for their O’Byrne Cup clash with Dublin.

O’Byrne Cup

VFL Selection 27 (1-5-6) Ireland 100 (9-11-13)

Tipperary 3-17 Laois 4-9

Tipperary hurler Lar Corbett will make his first competitive start of the 2014 season in tomorrow evening’s do-or-die qualifier joust with Galway (throw-in 7pm).

Laois 1-19 Fermanagh 2-15

Laois 1-19 Fermanagh 2-15

An embarrassing oversight has prevented Waterford hurler Brian O’Sullivan from appealing a two-match ban. The forward picked up the suspension retrospectively following Waterford’s Munster SHC quarter-final defeat by Cork last Sunday week.

Laois 1-16 Down 2-10