Warm June rain greeted us as we exited Croke Park yesterday with smiles on the faces of the Royal supporters, in particular. Dublin pelleted over points for fun while both Kildare and Laois squandered some great goal chances. The centurion Cluxton culled the Lillies’ goal efforts and the quality of the forward play and score-taking was exceptional, at times, from all four participating teams.

Not a game to restore your faith in Leinster football.

Goalkeepers of the Year

A strange affair in Navan.

Dublin 1-25 Laois 0-10

It’s a good job Dublin don’t execute the perfect performance every time they play. For if they did, the umpires would be going to the UU (Umpire Union) looking for better T&C’s.

The two championship spankings Laois handed to Westmeath prior to last Saturday came in 1979 and 1991.

Laois 4-13 Westmeath 1-12

Laois 2-12 Limerick 0-9: Gary Walsh hit 1-6 and set up Paul Kingston for a 70th-minute goal as Laois got the John Sugrue reign off to the perfect start with a nine-point victory over Limerick.

Four goals in six minutes of devastation sent Longford packing and set Laois up for a Leinster quarter-final clash with bitter rivals Kildare.

Fermanagh 1-17 Laois 0-10: Fermanagh boosted their prospects of staying in Division 2, with Tomás Corrigan scoring a brilliant match-winning haul of 1-11 to push Laois further into relegation danger.

UCD 2-18 DCU 0-12: UCD finished strongly to claim the Ryan Cup, following victory over rivals DCU in last night’s HE SFL Division 1 Final at Parnell Park.

Laois 1-16 Antrim 2-15: Laois became the 2015 football championship’s first high profile casualty on Saturday when they failed to defend a nine-point lead against Antrim in their home venue of O’Moore Park, eventually crashing out thanks to the concession of a late goal to Antrim substitute Dermot McAleese.

Kildare 0-16 Laois 0-16: Tommy Moolick capped off a barnstorming performance off the bench with a wonderful injury-time point to rescue a draw for Kildare at the end of a thoroughly entertaining Leinster SFC clash with Laois at O’Connor Park.

If you were to listen to the naysayers, increasing education, dedication and professionalism has been the scourge of football.

Meath 0-13, Laois 0-13:

Laois 2-17, Roscommon 0-16: Tomás Ó Flatharta felt that there was a good performance coming from Laois, and they certainly impressed when recording their first victory of this year’s league campaign.

Laois 2-17, Roscommon 0-16:

Laois u21s 2-10 Dublin u21s 2-21: When the dust settles on the 2015 season, Dessie Farrell and his Dublin U21 footballers might well look back on this one as the one that crowned them.

Laois 4-12 Wexford 1-11

On Sunday, David Murphy beat Martin Coppinger by almost a bowl in the Denis McGarry Cup semi-final at Whitechurch, the feature score of a packed weekend that included four tournament finals and several cup ties.

Christy Mullins had a decisive win over James O’Donovan at Shannonvale.

One of the country’s leading nursing home groups, CareChoice, has been acquired by a leading UK investment firm in a multi-million euro deal. Emerald Investment Partners Ltd closed the €33m deal for the Cork-headquartered firm on Wednesday, market sources said.

Portlaoise 2-14 Arles-Killeen 0-9

Christy Mullins won the Noel Phair Cup final at Shannonvale where he beat both Gary Daly and John Creedon by well over a bowl.

Nursing home operator CareChoice recorded a 20% increase in profits to €2.63m in 2012, in spite of only a marginal increase in revenues.

TODAY

Portlaoise 2-08 Arles-Killeen 1-08

Senior Football titles were up for grabs in Armagh, Donegal, Kerry, Laois, Meath, Down, Limerick and Waterford this afternoon.

Two goals in the space of two minutes in the opening half proved decisive as Carlow went on to an eight-point victory over Wexford in their Leinster MFC losers’ section at Dr Cullen Park, Carlow, last night.

THE British Government has not grasped the thorny issue of the North’s violent past, one of the main drivers behind the peace process has said.

Protestant church leaders were warmly applauded into Derry’s nationalist Bogside today in a historic gesture they hope will help bridge the city’s traditional divide.

Protestant church leaders will today make a symbolic visit into the nationalist Bogside to meet with the families of the Bloody Sunday victims.

FOUR of the last five Cork county beef bull championships at Carbery Show have gone to Midleton breeder John O’Grady.

AN estimated 12,000 people flocked to The Beaches in Bantry for the annual agricultural show last Sunday.

A JUDGE yesterday rejected a garda request to curtail early-morning drinking and warned the gardaí he didn’t want to see the issue before him again for at least two years.

A CORK nursing home has won a national award for its quality care after beating the challenge of four other finalists.

CORK County Council has granted permission for a 96-berth marina in Kinsale and a controversial quarry in Carrigtwohill. However, objections have been made to An Board Pleanála about hundreds of houses earmarked for Bandon.

A 900-year-old grave of a mother and her daughter shows signs of an attempted Caesarean operation, scientists said yesterday.

A RISE in the number of cattle entries at shows so far this season continued at Clonakilty where 200 animals from the main breeds were entered for various classes.

BERNARD DUNNE’S amateur coach Peter Perry predicts an early end to the Dubliner’s sell-out homecoming fight at the National Stadium on Saturday (Live RTÉ Two).