Shortly before the Leinster hurling championship began, Marty Kavanagh admitted that Carlow would be targeting the Dublin game in particular.

The distance from the headline to the small print was sketched out efficiently yesterday in Nowlan Park.

Anthony Daly penned a column in these pages at the weekend pondering how and why a Dublin team he himself once managed always seemed to “swerve” in Thurles.

Clare 3-18 Dublin 0-19

They started without over half of their All-Ireland winning team but victory still came easily for Tipperary at Croke Park where they streaked to a 16-point opening round Allianz Hurling League win.

Cork 1-26 Dublin 1-23: Firstly, the positives for Cork. Heaven knows there’s been enough of the other stuff this last while.

No disrespect to Wexford, but I always regard our win against Galway in the 2011 Leinster semi-final as Dublin’s first big victory, our first real championship breakthrough.

A gulf in class was clear at Croke Park where Dublin cruised through to a Leinster SHC semi-final showdown with holders and All-Ireland champions Kilkenny next month.

Kilkenny 0-23 Dublin 1-14: Kilkenny were too smooth for Dublin yesterday at home, running out victors by six points in a curious Division 1A contest.

THERE are times when you go into a big game as manager knowing the gun is to your head, when you can almost feel the cold steel pressed against your temple.

Dublin 4-17 Laois 0-19

After Dublin’s quarter-final win against Limerick, I laughed to myself when I saw some of the lazy journalism splurged across many of the papers.

Former All Star defender Liam Rushe has admitted he thought his days at full-forward had been written off as a "failed experiment".

Such a pity. Such a wasted opportunity. Twenty of the 65 motions to be debated at GAA Congress on Saturday week are changes to the playing rules as proposed by clubs. They won’t be afforded another such opportunity until 2020.

Allianz Hurling League Division 1A: Dublin 2-20 Tipperary 0-14: What a difference six months can make.

Laois 1-11 Dublin 2-18: Walsh Cup: Fourteen-man Dublin survived a second-half comeback from Laois to book a place in the Walsh Cup final at O’Moore Park yesterday.

Dublin and Galway advanced to next Saturday’s Bord na Móna Walsh Cup Final at Croke Park (5pm), following wins over Laois and Carlow respectively this afternoon.

LEINSTER SHC SEMI-FINAL:

Dublin are set to field an unchanged team when they meet Cork in tomorrow afternoon's All-Ireland SHC semi-final at Croke Park.

Having watched five hurling games this weekend — three live and two on TV, I have a lot of sympathy for referees in how they make a distinction between what’s a free and what’s legitimate.

Wexford 0-15 Dublin 3-19, Wexford Park

An odd game in Fraher Field yesterday, Dublin arriving with half an eye on their upcoming Division 1A relegation play-off, and Waterford wary of involvement in same.

The last time a competition ended like this, it must have been the OK Corral in 1881.

WHEN the Galway U21 hurling team bus approaches Semple Stadium for this evening’s Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland semi-final against Limerick, it will awaken plenty of memories for David Burke.

SUBSTITUTE Eamonn Dillon’s 37th-minute goal inspired Dublin to victory in this exciting Leinster U21 hurling championship final at Wexford Park last night.

Dublin 1-18 Wexford 0-11

DUBLIN will be straining to retain their Leinster U21 title in tonight’s Wexford Park decider but their hosts will be motivated by a desire to restore pride as much as thoughts of rare silverware.

Diarmuid Connolly's young brother Thomas will start for Dublin in tomorrow's Bord Gáis Energy Leinster U-21 Hurling Championship final at Wexford Park (throw-in 7.30pm).

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.

A CAMPAIGN which began on a low note in mid-April against Waterford has changed dramatically for the Clare minor hurlers.

Clare 0-20 Dublin 2-13

STUDENTS at a Limerick boys’ secondary school yesterday received bursaries to encourage them to pursue studies in the sciences.

THE €40 million redevelopment of Thomond Park is facing a long planning delay.

A LIMERICK boy who was the Munster rugby mascot for the recent big Heineken Cup game at Thomond Park, returns home from Spain today after surgery which may help him walk for the first time in his life.