Offaly 5-27 Antrim 4-9

Galway footballers have suffered a massive blow with the news that Michael Meehan will not feature in this year’s championship.

FITZGIBBON CUP:

IT Carlow 1-14 St Patrick’s College 0-13

Offaly 1-13 Galway 1-14

Kilcormac-Killoughey 1-21 Birr 1-14

Birr 0-16 St Rynagh’s 1-07

Cork IT 4-15 Carlow IT 1-10

Brian Cody welcomed John Tennyson back for his first game in a Kilkenny jersey since the 2010 All-Ireland final as they annihilated Offaly in a challenge last evening to mark the official opening of Clara’s impressive new facilities.

“A good competitive workout,” was how opposing managers John Allen and Ollie Baker described last night’s senior hurling challenge to commemorate the Pallasgreen club’s 125th anniversary where Limerick built up enough of an advantage by the three-quarter mark to withstand Offaly’s late challenge.

There was irony aplenty at O’Connor Park, Tullamore yesterday as Aaron Cunningham, son of Offaly coach Alan, landed the decisive 70th minute winning point as Clare maintained their 100% record in Division 1B of the Allianz NHL.

The Tipperary senior hurling team to play Cork in the Allianz NHL Division 1A clash at Semple Stadium on Sunday shows four changes from the team which started in last weekend’s drawn game with Dublin.

Offaly manager Ollie Baker has named his side to face his native Clare in Sunday's Allianz Hurling League Division 1B encounter at O'Connor Park (throw-in 2.30pm).

Having let a nine point lead slip during a cruel loss to Wexford the previous week, Ollie Baker heaved a sigh of relief after his Offaly side survived a spirited Antrim revival in this Allianz League Division 1B encounter at O’Connor Park, Tullamore yesterday.

University of Limerick, boasting a number of senior county stars, proved too strong for IT Carlow in the second half of this Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final.

IT Carlow just prevailed in this Fitzgibbon Cup group tie at the IT grounds in Carlow yesterday after a competitive contest which featured a shootout between the respective centre-forwards – the home side’s TJ Reid and NUIG’s Niall Burke.

A magnificent 16-point haul by full-forward Joe Bergin helped Ollie Baker’s Offaly retain their grip on the Bord na Mona Walsh Shield following a hard-earned extra-time victory over the students of DIT at O’Connor Park, Tullamore yesterday.

It took them time to warm to the task, but a clinical second-half performance was enough to secure the expected victory for a fancied Carlow IT team in this Fitzgibbon Cup game against Dublin IT yesterday.

COOLDERRY manager Ken Hogan has urged everyone in Offaly to get behind new hurling supremo Ollie Baker after his side retained their title for the first time since 1962/’63 following a tension filled final in O’Connor Park, Tullamore yesterday.

PAUL MURPHY’S early season training regime was very different to that normally undertaken by Kilkenny hurlers.