Reigning Laois SHC champions Rathdowney-Errill played out a thrilling draw with Clough-Ballacolla.

The sun shone and the rain fell in intermittent waves but there was no sign of lightning striking twice in Portlaoise last night as Kilkenny made short work of an outclassed Laois side in this Bord Gáis Leinster U21 final.

The shock waves that followed Galway’s barely believable schooling of Kilkenny in last Sunday’s Leinster final will have an effect in many different ways over the coming months, and not just in the belief that suddenly more teams have a chance of winning the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

Laois ousted last years beaten All-Ireland finalists Dublin, while Wexford also advanced to a Leinster semi-final berth.