It may have been a senior development squad team on duty, but the New Year began as the old one finished for Kilkenny — a victory, albeit a hard-earned one.

LAOIS began life under Cork legend Teddy McCarthy with a battling extra-time victory over DIT in Rathdowney on Saturday.

DUBLIN recovered from a sloppy opening to prevail by 13 points over a limited Offaly in their one-sided Leinster Under-21 hurling championship semi-final at a sun-kissed Parnell Park last night.