Carlow manager Luke Dempsey has handed five players their first Championship starts, while Thomas Walsh returns to the line-up for this Sunday's Leinster SFC opener against Wicklow at O'Moore Park, Portlaoise.

THOMAS WALSH will be the centre of attention in Portlaoise this Sunday when he lines out for Carlow in a championship encounter for the first time since 2006 – and against the county with whom he played for the past three seasons.

Louth 1-13 Carlow 1-11

St Malachy's Castlewellan 0-15 Ashbourne CS 0-7

Carlow 0-12 Meath 1-17

Carlow 4-09 Wicklow 0-12

Wexford accounted for Carlow with sufficient ease at Croke Park this afternoon as three first-half goals helped Pat Roe's men into the Leinster SFC semi-finals.

Carlow manager Liam Hayes has named three newcomers for Sunday's Leinster SFC quarter-final against Wexford at Croke Park.

Leinster football manager Luke Dempsey has defended his decision to omit Offaly and Ireland International Rules star Ciaran McManus from his squad for Saturday's inter-provincial football final against Ulster in Paris.

Munster take on Leinster in the second of the M Donnelly inter-provincial football semi-finals at Portlaoise (3pm) today.

LEINSTER'S footballers take on Munster in Portlaoise tomorrow (3pm) looking to debunk the myth that the eastern province has fallen off the pace in the modern era of the Railway Cup.

MUNSTER have included seven of Kerry’s All-Ireland SFC winning team for their Interpro semi-final against Leinster at Portlaoise tomorrow (3pm).

Beaten provincial finalists Laois have four players in the Leinster squad for Sunday's M Donnelly inter-provincial semi-final against Munster in Portlaoise.

Carlow 4-15 Longford 1-16

Carlow 0-07 Longford 0-07

Westmeath 0-16 Carlow 2-8

In form Carlow have been forced to leave a couple of vacancies in their football line-up ahead of Sunday's O'Byrne Cup semi-final tie with Westmeath.

Ulster 2-13 Leinster 0-16 aet

Leinster football boss Luke Dempsey has included little-known Carlow forward Simon Rea in his team to face Ulster in the Railway Cup opener this weekend.

Mallow2-13 St Vincent’s2-9

PETER CANAVAN makes his first NFL start of the season for Tyrone in Sunday’s Ulster derby against All-Ireland champions Armagh at Omagh.

Stuart Paul from Tandragee shot a super 67 on the Dunluce course today to be