UCD manager Conor O’Shea said his side will bring “something different” to their Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final against UCC next week, but they were forced to fight hard for the win they needed against GMIT to progress from Group D.

UCD manager Conor O’Shea said his side will bring ‘something different’ to their Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final against UCC next week, but they were forced to fight hard for the win they needed against GMIT to progress from Group D.

Longford boss Padraic Davis has challenged those who question the need for pre-season competitions in an already crowded GAA calendar.

Conahy Shamrocks won their second All Ireland junior hurling club championship title today at Croke Park.

The eagerly awaited meeting of Tralee CBS and Hamilton High School Bandon in the quarter-final of Corn Uí Mhuirí turned into a damp squib as the Green overpowered the Hammies to emerge 18-point winners.

IT Carlow made a winning start to their Fitzgibbon Cup campaign as they defeated UCD by seven points in their Group D clash at Billings Park.

Offaly set up an O’Byrne Cup final clash with Longford next weekend, their victory sealed by two late points from substitute Cian Farrell.

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.

Four first-half goals proved crucial to Conahy Shamrocks' victory over Ballygarrett in Saturday's AIB Leinster Club JHC final in Enniscorthy.

After a titanic battle, St Brendan's College Killarney just edged out rivals Tralee CBS to top Group D of the Corn Uí Mhuirí at Connolly Park this afternoon.

Laois edged out neighbours Offaly in a highly entertaining Midlands derby to seal their place in Round 4 of the All-Ireland Qualifiers.

Cian Lynch, Declan Hannon, Gearoid Hegarty, and Graeme Mulcahy have been restored to the Limerick team for tomorrow’s Munster hurling final.

Kevin Egan When the qualifier draw is made this morning, it will be Offaly — the only remaining county in today’s draw that will play their league football outside the top two divisions next spring — that will be seen as the plum draw for most of the other seven.

Offaly safely negotiated a potentially tricky first round qualifier tie at Bord na Móna O’Connor Park in Tullamore this afternoon, where they had the brilliance of Bernard Allen to thank for the ten-point winning margin they enjoyed against London.

Bryan McMahon saved Meath's blushes with a late goal to turn a potential disaster into a battling Leinster SFC win for the hosts in Navan.

John Heslin held his nerve to kick an equalising point from a free in the fourth minute of injury time and send this local derby to a replay in Mullingar next Saturday.

Niamh O’Dea’s super-show steered Clare into a first TG4 All-Ireland ladies intermediate football final since 2009.

Maria Delahunty’s free, with 33 seconds left on the clock, salvaged a draw for Waterford in a terrific Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 3 final against Tipperary in Clane this afternoon.

St Kieran’s College (Kilkenny) 1-15 Ardscoil Rís (Limerick) 1-13: The terms of engagement may have been changed for this latest joust, but the students draped in black and white still prevailed.

Westmeath 1-9 Offaly 0-9: Westmeath maintained their Division 3 status for another week at least with this hard-earned three-point victory over Offaly in Cusack Park, Mullingar.

Offaly 0-15 Clare 1-11: Offaly added their name to the shortlist of Division 3 promotion candidates yesterday when they overcame the concession of a late Eoin Cleary goal to snatch the last score of an entertaining contest against Clare at O’Connor Park.

Cistercian College Roscrea 24 Clongowes Wood College 18: Cistercian College Roscrea’s quest for a second successive Leinster Schools Senior Cup triumph remains on course, after Brian Diffley’s 61st-minute try helped them to edge a compelling semi-final showdown with Clongowes Wood College, at Donnybrook yesterday.

Kerins O’Rahillys 2-15 East Kerry 2-9: Underdogs Kerins O’Rahillys caused a major upset capturing their first Kerry County U21 Football Championship title in a high-octane final at Castleisland last night.

Kildare 1-15 Offaly 1-13

Waterford 1-7 Offaly 1-20: This we expected. Tom McGlinchey’s letter, read out at last Monday night’s County Board meeting, had us forewarned.

Colin Walshe replaces Drew Wylie in the only change to the Monaghan side for Sunday’s Ulster SFC semi-final with Fermanagh in Kingspan Breffni Park (4pm). Walshe came on as a sub in the win over Cavan in the quarter-final, scoring a point.

Longford 0-16 Offaly 0-13: In a streaky game where both sides thrived on confidence, ultimately Offaly’s lack of self-belief cost them when they saw the finishing line.

Longford’s survival instincts served them well as they came from seven points adrift to oust Offaly in a keenly contested Leinster SFC clash at O’Connor Park in Tullamore.

Tyrone goalkeeper Niall Morgan has failed to overcome a groin injury and will sit out their Ulster football championship preliminary round clash away to Donegal on Sunday.

Offaly had way too much firepower for Longford and it was their more clinical finishing of better chances created that earned them the new Division 4 silverware.

Offaly 1-13 Antrim 1-07: “We do things the hard way here by the looks of things.” That was the verdict of Offaly manager Pat Flanagan after the Faithful County secured their promotion out of Division 4 with a win over Antrim at O’Connor Park yesterday afternoon.

Offaly 2-13 Leitrim 1-16

Longford 1-12 Waterford 1-10

Kildare 3-12 Offaly 0-9

Sigerson Cup Quarter-Final: IT Carlow 0-11 UL 0-10: IT Carlow withstood a barrage of injury-time UL attacks and, indeed, a half-hour stoppage in proceedings to secure a first Sigerson Cup semi-final appearance.

London 1-2 Offaly 0-9: Allianz Football League Division 4: New Offaly manager Pat Flanagan expects the Faithful County to embark on a promotion-winning campaign after holding off a spirited London revival at Ruislip to claim a perfect league start in Allianz NFL Division 4.