Cathal Dunbar scored a goal in each half as a powerful second period from IT Carlow kept their dreams of a first Fitzgibbon Cup title alive as they reached the final with victory over Mary Immaculate at DCU Sportsgrounds.

Two goals within the opening three minutes of the second-half proved decisive as Dublin eased to victory over a disappointing Laois at Parnell Park.

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.

An experimental Dublin side got their Walsh Cup campaign off to a winning start with a comfortable eight-point win over Westmeath.

Eddie Brennan's Laois hurlers have pulled off the shock of the summer – and maybe many more besides - with an astonishing two-point defeat of Dublin in the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final.

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

Laois are through to the final of the Joe McDonagh Cup after comfortably overcoming Kerry this afternoon.

Laois took a huge step towards reaching the Joe McDonagh cup final yesterday when they outlasted Offaly in Tullamore, racking up 34 points despite shooting 17 wides over the course of the game.

Limerick posted a predictably straightforward victory in this Allianz Hurling League Division One quarter-final on Saturday evening.

It wasn't always pretty from Dublin at rain-drenched Parnell Park but Mattie Kenny's men dug deep to secure the win and top spot in Division 1B of the Allianz NHL.

A first-half blitz from Laois saw them claim a crucial Allianz Hurling League Division 1B win over Offaly on Saturday night.

Galway split their squad at the weekend, with half of them playing Ballygunner in a challenge match in Claregalway and the remainder brushing Laois aside in their opening game in Division 1B yesterday at Pearse Stadium.

A late flurry of scores from Laois masked the dominant nature of Offaly’s performance at

Two goals in little over two minutes midway through the second-half advanced UL to the Fitzgibbon Cup final.

Fitzgibbon Cup: IT Carlow 1-22 - Mary Immaculate, Limerick 0-22: Fourteen-man IT Carlow, coached by Kilkenny legend DJ Carey, laid down an impressive marker when taking the scalp of defending Fitzgibbon Cup champions Mary Immaculate of Limerick in a thrilling, full-blooded opening-round tie at the Heywood Community College in Laois yesterday.

Laois secured their third straight win in this Leinster SHC Round Robin qualifier and advance with confidence to face Wexford in the Leinster SHC quarter-final. 

Laois 3-25 Meath 2-13: Laois manager Eamonn Kelly admitted he couldn’t recall a better midfield display than Paddy Purcell’s in Navan.

Galway 3-31 Laois 1-11: Galway thrashed Laois by 36 points the last time these sides met in the league back in 2008, and for a good while yesterday it seemed they might even surpass that margin.

Mary I 3-24 IT Carlow 1-19: DJ Carey said that Mary I manager Jamie Wall is an inspirational figure who could enjoy a successful career in charge of county teams.

IT Carlow 2-20 UCC 1-20: IT Carlow manager DJ Carey has no clue what shape his bruised and battered team will be in for today’s Fitzgibbon Cup final, but says whatever happens they’re in bonus territory now.

IT Carlow 2-20 UCC 1-20 (AET): Stephen Maher hit 11 points as IT Carlow reached their first Fitzgibbon Cup final at the expense of UCC in Dangan.

IT Carlow 4-16

St Pat’s/Mater Dei 2-14 IT Carlow 4-17: IT Carlow claimed victory after a highly entertaining Fitzgibbon Cup clash with St Pat’s/Mater Dei in the Na Fianna’s club grounds in Dublin.

Laois 1-20 Westmeath 1-17: A second half goal from Cha Dwyer sparked a stirring Laois comeback as they ran out three-point winners over Westmeath in O’Moore Park.

Laois dug deep to book a Leinster SHC quarter-final berth as Group winners, thanks to a hard-earned three-point win in this all-Midlands battle in O’Moore Park, Portlaoise.

Laois 1-17 Carlow 1-14: Laois half-time substitute Ben Conroy made an instant impact at Netwatch Cullen Park yesterday, scoring 1-2 in the opening minutes of the second half as Seamus ‘Cheddar’ Plunkett’s side stormed into an eight-point lead which Carlow were unable to claw back, despite a brave late rally in this Leinster SHC Round Robin tie.

Allianz Hurling League Division 1B: Laois 0-23 Offaly 1-24: Offaly manager Brian Whelahan sent out a defiant message to his team’s detractors after their win over Laois in O’Moore Park on Saturday night.

Laois 4-18 Wexford 1-19: Walsh Cup:

Dublin 1-17 Laois 1-10

For the first time since 2009, Kerry will begin a championship match against Cork without Kieran Donaghy filling the number 14 shirt after he was left out of Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s side for Sunday’s Munster SFC final in Killarney (2pm).