CHRISTY RING

Laois and Westmeath will contest the Division 2A Allianz Hurling League final, with both taking wins today, while elsewhere Kerry had a slender one-point win over Derry.

Stephen Maher fired 1-7 as Laois claimed top-spot of the Allianz NHL Division 2A this afternoon, with first wins of the campaign for Wicklow and Westmeath.

The Derry, Laois and Kerry hurlers all got their Allianz NHL Division 2A campaigns off to winning starts this afternoon.

Ballyduff (Kerry) 2-13 Ballybrown (Limerick) 0-14 (Aet)

Ballyduff 1-15 Lixnaw 1-09

Sarsfields prevailed in a closely-fought Cork Club SHC final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh this afternoon, beating Bishopstown 1-15 to 1-13 to take the title for the third time in five years.

Ballyduff 1-14 Causeway 1-10

Three-in-a-row-seeking Ballyduff and their deadly rivals Kilmoyley advanced to the semi-finals of the Kerry SHC in contrasting fashion at Austin Park, Tralee.

Kerry secured their place in Allianz Hurling League Division 2A after this victory at Fitzgerald Stadium yesterday.

Carlow, Westmeath and Kerry all registered victories in Division 2A of the Hurling League over the weekend.

He bid farewell to the inter-county game in November 2000, three months after his Cork team had been defeated in the All-Ireland semi-final by Offaly.

“ALL for one and one for all,” the motto coined by Alexandre Dumas for his fictional Three Musketeers; it could instead have been coined for the very real hurling warriors of Effin.

LAOIS walloped their Kerry hosts in this meaningless Allianz National Hurling League Division Two game, played in brilliant sunshine at Austin Stack Park yesterday.

Kerry 1-15 Laois 4-15

CORK captain Shane O’Neill will complete his comeback from injury when he makes his first appearance of the year in Sunday’s trip to the south-east to face Wexford in Division 1 of the Allianz Hurling League.

TIPPERARY manager Declan Ryan has handed last year’s All-Ireland U21 medal winner John Coghlan his first senior start for Sunday’s Allianz Division 1 Hurling League tie against Galway in Pearse Stadium.

Kerry 2-23 Down 3-16

NEWLY promoted Kerry stepped up in class against Antrim yesterday in the opening round of Division 2 of the Allianz NHL at Austin Stack Park Tralee, and only faded against more experienced rivals in the final 15 minutes.

THE WATERFORD Crystal Cup hurling clash between Kerry and Cork IT, scheduled to be played at the Fitzgerald Stadium tomorrow, has had to be transferred to Tralee because of extensive water damage to the two main dressing rooms at the Killarney venue.

Wins for Cork and Waterford this afternoon will see the Munster giants clash next weekend in the Waterford Crystal Cup semi-finals.

Dublin have won promotion back to Division One of the National Hurling League - despite a lacklustre display in today's Division Two final.

Kerry manager Jerry Molyneaux has made two changes to his side for Sunday's NHL Division Two final against Dublin (Thurles, throw-in 1.30pm).

THE three-day National Ploughing Championships, which Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will open at Grangeford, Tullow, Co Carlow, tomorrow, will be worth approximately €20 million to the region’s economy.