As expected Clare opened their National League campaign under new manager Brian Lohan in impressive fashion as they eased to a comprehensive 16-point victory over Colm Bonnar’s Carlow in Ennis.

Tipperary duo Cian Darcy and Jake Morris did most of the damage for Gary Kirby’s side by scoring 0-15 of their 21 points.

Despite the best efforts of the outstanding Cian Darcy, University of Limerick suffered defeat at the hands of an impressive DCU side in a tense Fitzgibbon Cup Group A clash at St Clare’s.

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

All the GAA action is here.

There has been no wielding of the axe by the Clare management in the wake of last weekend’s 13-point hammering at the hands of Tipperary, with the team named for tomorrow’s game against Limerick showing just one change in personnel.

Carlow's first home game in this year's Leinster senior hurling championship may have made for a heartwarming tale but Kilkenny have never been ones for romance or fairytales.

Martin Kavanagh fired 11 points for Carlow, but he was unable to get them over the line for victory as Galway claimed the win in their Leinster SHC opener at Pearse Stadium.

Limerick’s Crescent Comprehensive’s walking wounded defied the odds to win the Kate Russell All-Ireland Schoolgirls’ Championships in Booterstown for the second time.

Crescent Comprehensive’s walking wounded defied the odds to win the Kate Russell All-Ireland Schoolgirls Championships in Booterstown for the second time.

Offaly’s two top forwards Joe Bergin and Shane Dooley hit a combined 4-4 as the Faithful County claimed their first Allianz Hurling League 1B points of the campaign with a deserved victory over Carlow in a game which started in a downpour and ended in a snowstorm at Netwatch Cullen Park.

OFFALY'S two top forwards Joe Bergin and Shane Dooley hit a combined 4-4 as the Faithful County claimed their first NHL Division 1B points of the campaign with a deserved seven-point victory over Carlow in a game which started in a downpour and ended in a snowstorm at Netwatch Cullen Park.

Connacht make their final away trip of a disappointing season when they face another searching evening in Glasgow against a Warriors side aiming to wrap up a home quarter-final in the PRO14.

Kilcormac-Killoughey will contest their third Leinster senior club hurling final in six seasons after they recorded a landslide win over Mount Leinster Rangers of Carlow yesterday afternoon, but a straight red card to county midfielder Cillian Kiely will be a huge blow to their chances of upsetting All-Ireland champions Cuala on Sunday week.

Carlow 5-23 - Antrim 4-15: Carlow boss Colm Bonnar admitted his players forgot about the title at stake, and the place in the All-Ireland qualifiers, and simply focused on finally beating Antrim.

Crisis-hit Offaly restored some pride with a battling, if uninspiring win over Carlow in the Leinster SHC Round Robin series at Tullamore.

Kilkenny 2-14 Carlow 2-12: They never actually trailed but Kilkenny still departed Netwatch Cullen Park wiping beads of sweat from their brow last night.

Leinster U21 HC semi-finals Kilkenny v Carlow, Netwatch Cullen Park (J Heffernan, Wexford), 7.30pm.

St Peter’s College (Wexford) 2-18 Borris Vocational College 0-15: SHEER persistence paid off for St. Peter’s as they secured a flattering nine-point win over a resilient Borris VC in this Leinster SHC ‘A’ semi-final at O’Kennedy Park, New Ross, Saturday.

NUI Galway 0-10 Roscommon 0-09: Roscommon manager John Evans felt NUI Galway showed more resolve as the Galway students edged a tempestuous affair at Ballyforan.

FBD Connacht League: Mayo 1-13 NUI Galway 1-11

Cork 2-12 Kilkenny 1-09

Kilkenny 4-12 Galway 3-07

Westmeath 3-19 Carlow 0-10

Kilkenny 1-15 Clare 0-04

Kilkenny claimed their first national title since 2008 when they proved much too strong for Clare in a disappointingly one-sided Irish Daily Star camogie league Division 1 final at Semple Stadium.

Garryowen 23 Old Belvedere 18

Kilkenny 2-12 Cork 2-11

Kilkenny 2-12 Cork 2-11

Michael Meehan looked back to his best for Galway as his four points helped the Tribesmen to a facile win 0-16 to 0-6 over NUI Galway at Tuam Stadium yesterday.

Donegal’s Leo McLoone spent a large part of last year out through injury, but the versatile Naomh Conaill clubman led from the front at Dangan yesterday as last year’s runners-up booked their place in the last four of the Sigerson Cup.

There were disgraceful scenes at the end of a Sigerson Cup match in Galway yesterday after a referee was accosted before a mob of angry players raced to his dressing room and tried to confront him.

Mayo retained their FBD Insurance Connacht League title with an easy win at MacHale Park, Castlebar last night.

JOHN MAUGHAN’S NUIG made it three wins from three in their bid to reach the FBD final.

IT was his 14th All-Ireland final but rarely has Kilkenny legend Michael Kavanagh performed as well in Croke Park as he did on Saturday evening and rarely has he felt as much satisfaction afterwards.

Kilkenny 3-11 Galway 0-17

Mayo 0-12 Galway 1-8

Midfielder Ronan McGarrity and forward Billy Joe Padden are back in the Mayo team for Sunday's Connacht SFC semi-final against Leitrim (Carrick-on-Shannon, throw-in 3.30pm).

Connacht and Ulster face off in the first of the M Donnelly inter-provincial football semi-finals at Castlebar (2.15pm) today.

Connacht have announced their football squad for their M Donnelly inter-provincial semi-final against Ulster on Sunday in Castlebar.

PHELIM MURPHY, one of the longest serving officials in GAA, is to retire as secretary of the Galway Hurling Board at the end of the year.