Westmeath today bridged a 55 year gap by beating neighbours Offaly in a senior championship match. Michael Ennis popped over a late score to edge their opponents by a point (0-11 to 0-10) and set up a Leinster quarter-final clash with Dublin.
Paidi O'Se's team started well and had established a 0-5 to 0-2 by the 20th minute with Fergal Wilson and Dessie Dolan among the early scorers at a sun-kissed Croke Park.
Westmeath extended that lead to 0-7 to 0-3 at the break but Offaly settled early in the second period and soon reduced the deficit to a single point through Ciaran McManus and Neville and James Coughlan.
Despite losing Rory O'Connell to a red card midway through the half, Westmeath remained composed and responded once again by stretching their lead to four points.
But in a tit-for-tat affair McManus levelled matters with a fine effort from 50 metres with just minutes to play. Nevertheless, Westmeath were not to be upstaged and Ennis slotted over the winner from close range.
In the curtain raiser at headquarters, Meath opened their Leinster championship account with a sluggish victory (2-13 to 1-8) over Wicklow at Croke Park.
The Royal County was subdued until Wicklow were reduced to 14 men in the second half and they will need to up their game considerably ahead of the semi-final clash with either Laois or Carlow next month.
Meath looked on course for a runaway victory when leading 0-7 to 0-4 at half-time but Wicklow reemerged with renewed vigor and held a two point lead when Donal McGillicuddy palmed the ball home and Wayne O'Gorman and Tommy Gill slotted over two quick scores.
But when Ciaran Clancy was dismissed for a second yellow card after 44 minutes, both Daithí Regan, scorer of four points in the opening period, and Donal Curtis steadied the Meath ship with two goals to kill off the Wicklow challenge.
Roscommon and Sligo must meet again next week after drawing (1-10 to 0-13) in Dr Hyde Park today.
Frankie Dolan, scorer of six points, had a glorious opportunity to snatch a victory late on but he badly hooked his free wide of the Sligo posts from a pointable distance and angle.
Roscommon, who netted as early as the eight minute through Carl Mannion and who led by five points at the break, all but surrendered in the second period, scoring just two points from play and registering no score in the final 25 minutes.
The sides will replay in Sligo next Saturday evening for the right to face Leitrim in the Connacht semi-final.
Armagh gained sweet revenge on Monaghan with a 15 point (2-19 to 0-10) drubbing of Colm Coyle's side following their shock defeat to the same side last year.
The 2002 All-Ireland champions sauntered through the contest and dominated at every position on the Clones pitch. In truth, the contest was dead and buried once Steven McDonnell and Ronan Clarke goaled in the first half.
Armagh maintained the pressure in the second half and romped to a convincing victory with Oisin McConville contributing five points and McDonnell and McKeever four apiece.
Monaghan's misery was compounded 10 minutes from time when substitute John Paul Mone was sent off for a second bookable offence.
A leading bookmaking firm quoted Kerry at 1/66 to beat Clare at Cusack Park, Ennis today and although they ran out seven point winners, Jack O'Connor's men were far from impressive.
Clare worked hard for each other but will rue the number of wides they kicked and should really have made better use of the possession they were gifted at times.
Johnny Crowley found the back of the net after just four minutes and Mike Frank Russell was in decent shooting form as Kerry established the base for their 1-6 to 0-3 half-time lead.
Although David and Dennis Russell kept the home side's score ticking over, they were always too far adrift. Clare proceeded to make matters worse late on when, following a defensive goal mouth scramble, they gifted Kerry an own goal.
At Casement Park, Antrim made light work of Derry in the Ulster senior hurling championship to secure their ticket for the provincial final. Antrim will play the winners of New York and Down who clash in the Big Apple later tonight.