Sunday results
National Hurling League
Division 1A: Kilkenny 1-19 Tipperary 2-25; Clare 0-23 Cork 6-20
Division 1B: Antrim 4-22 Laois 0-21; Westmeath 0-24 Waterford 7-34
Division 2: Kerry 1-23 Down 0-28
Division 3: Armagh 1-18 Mayo 3-21
National Football League
Division 3: Sligo 1-19 Clare 2-14
Thanks for joining us today, we will be back next weekend as the football action heats up. For more reaction and news from today’s matches, check irishtimes.com and tomorrow’s newspaper. Lovely hurling.
And here is Denis Walsh’s take on events in Ennis:
‘Every meaningful league game requires mutual consent, but none of that can be agreed in advance. Cork came to Ennis with motive and opportunity and proceeded with the murder that was on their minds. Clare weren’t braced for that kind of fight. Not yet.’
It was a great few days for Offaly - as their promotion to Division 1A has been confirmed. Here is how Division 1B played out this weekend.
[ Dublin win sees Offaly promoted while Westmeath sent packing to Division 2Opens in new window ]
Seán Moran’s report from Nowlan Park has landed:
‘You could argue that this was for the most part a rip-roaring contest. Liam Cahill’s entertaining young Tipperary side showcased its possibilities with some flowing movement, a couple of fine goals and unerring accuracy from Darragh McCarthy.
Kilkenny showed resilience in adversity before a crowd of 9,563 in bright spring sunshine but were beaten in the end. Of course, none of these things are what the match will be remembered for – the showing of four red cards in less than 10 minutes in the second half is what dominated the post-match discourse.’
[ Red haze descends on Kilkenny as Tipperary’s good season continuesOpens in new window ]
Here are the highlights of Cork’s goal-rush in Ennis.
It was a good day for Ulster hurling as Down gained promotion from Division 2 while Antrim avoided the drop from Division 1.
We will have match reports and more reaction from all the big games over the coming hours on irishtimes.com and also in tomorrow’s newspaper. Stay tuned, we’ll post the dispatches from Seán Moran and Denis Walsh as they arrive.
So, that was quite the day of action - but the plethora of red cards in Division 1A will be the big talking point.
Kilkenny finished with 12 players
Tipperary finished with 14 players
Clare finished with 13 players
Cork finished with 14 players
Rebels Rising......
FULL-TIME: Cork 6-20 Clare 0-23
Two injury-time red cards in Ennis, David Fitzgerald and Cormac O’Brien sent off. Clare finish with 13 men, Cork finish with 14.
Garbage time in Ennis as the sides swap points, 6-20 to 0-22. The game, as a contest, is long over.
As the game enters injury-time, Cork lead 6-19 to 0-21.
These counties will meet again in the Munster SHC in a few weeks, so it remains to be seen what impact - if any - this game will have in the long run.
Nice score by Ethan Twomey as they push out to lead 6-16 to 0-16 after 57 minutes.
Peter Duggan red card. Clare are down to 14 men. The Banner just want this game to be over.
Cork 6-15 Clare 0-15 after 54 minutes. Few would have predicted such a scoreline.
ANOTHER GOAL FOR CORK!! The Rebels now lead Clare 6-13 to 0-14. Brian Hayes with the strike. Miserable day for the Banner.
GOAL for Cork. Declan Dalton again. 5-13 to 0-14.
A couple of frees by Aidan McCarthy help Clare’s tally but the Banner are still well behind in Ennis, Cork 4-12 Clare 0-14.
It already looks like Clare will need goals here if they are to avoid defeat. Patrick Horgan with a free for Cork, 4-11 to 0-12.
GOAL for Cork. The Rebels start the second half with their fourth major of the afternoon. Brian Hayes makes it 4-10 to 0-11.
Here are the first-half highlights from Clare v Cork.
Half-time dispatch from Denis Walsh in Cusack Park:
‘A blistering first half in Cusack Park with Cork leading by 3-9 to 0-9 at the break and Clare lucky to be only nine points behind - despite the home team having played with the wind. Shane Barrett, Brian Hayes and Declan Dalton have scored Cork’s goals and the Clare defence has been torn to shreds.
‘It was a tempestuous first half too with a blizzard of off the ball flare-ups and general needle. Referee Liam Gordon has issued eight yellow cards so far with five for Clare and three for Cork. No sign of the temperature dropping.’
HALF-TIME: Cork 3-9 Clare 0-9
Cork 3-8 Clare 0-7 after 34 minutes in Ennis. Shane Barrett with a point for the visitors.
Liam Cahill’s reaction after that pretty wild game at Nowlan Park.
Declan Dalton’s goal for the Rebels in Ennis.
GOAL for Cork. The Rebels raise a third green flag inside the opening half hour. Brian Hayes with the strike, Cork 3-5 Clare 0-5.
Cork leading 2-5 to 0-5 after 24 minutes. The game hasn’t really ramped up yet.
Here’s Shane Barrett’s early goal for Cork.
Sluggish start by Clare in Ennis. Cork are dominating right now. After 20 minutes, Cork lead 2-4 to 0-4.
Westmeath heading for Division Two in the league and the large victory sets Waterford up for promotion to Division 1A.
FULL-TIME: Waterford 7-34 Westmeath 0-24
GOAL for Cork. Declan Dalton with Cork’s second goal as the Rebels strong start in Ennis continues. Just 13 minutes gone and Cork lead Clare 2-3 to 0-2.
Westmeath’s Mark Cunningham sent off in Mullingar. The home side just need this game to be over.
GOAL for Cork. Shane Barrett hits the game’s opening goal, Cork 1-1 Clare 0-1.
Waterford hammering Westmeath in Mullingar, the visitors lead 7-30 to 0-22 with six minutes remaining. Not a good day for Westmeath hurling.
Shane Barrett opens the scoring in Ennis but Aidan McCarthy replies for Clare. 0-1 apiece after six minutes.
Full-time highlights of Tipperary’s win over Kilkenny.
That’s a big win for the Sligo footballers over Clare at Markievicz Park. It’s a significant result for Tony McEntee’s side as they battle to avoid the drop from Division Three. Defeat is a blow for Clare’s promotion hopes.
FULL-TIME: Sligo 1-19 Clare 2-14
Okay, while we catch our breath after the drama from Nowlan Park, let’s look towards Clare v Cork for a moment. Here’s an update from Denis Walsh, who is at Cusack Park.
‘On a beautiful afternoon in Ennis a crowd in excess of 10,000 is expected for Clare and Cork’s first meeting since last July’s epic All-Ireland final. Clare are desperately in need of the points to stave off the threat of relegation while Cork seem to have their sights trained on a league final appearance. David McInerney’s return to the Clare team at wing-back is the only late change to the line-ups published during the week.’
Waterford 4-22 Westmeath 0-12 after 40 minutes in Mullingar.
Tipperary take all the points, but the conversation around this game will be dominated by the four second-half red cards and in particular Kilkenny playing much of the second half with just 12 men. Mad, mad second half. We’ll have all the reaction as we get it, including from our man Seán Moran who is at Nowlan Park.
FULL-TIME: Tipperary 2-25 Kilkenny 1-19
Points from Ronan Maher and Noel McGrath extend Tipperary’s lead in the closing minutes, 2-24 to 1-19.
In football, Sligo lead Clare 1-12 to 1-8 midway through the second half.
Tipperary have wrestled back control of the game after a crazy, madcap period during which four players were sent off. After 66 minutes, Tipp lead 2-22 to 1-17.
Mikey Carey’s red card.
Waterford in total control against Westmeath. They lead 4-20 to 0-11 approaching half-time.
FULL-TIME: Down 0-28 Kerry 1-23
Antrim stay up in Division 1A. Davy Fitzgerald’s side beat Laois, 4-22 to 0-21.
This is Alan Tynan’s sending off.
Tipperary 2-18 Kilkenny 1-16 after 57 minutes at Nowlan Park.
This is extraordinary. Four red cards, Kilkenny down to 12.
ANOTHER RED CARD FOR KILKENNY!!! They are down to 12 men. Jordan Molloy sent off now.
RED CARD for Mikey Carey. Kilkenny down to 13 men. Indiscipline costing the Cats here. It’s now 14 man Tipperary v 13 man Kilkenny. Tipp lead 2-17 to 1-15 after 50 minutes.
Tipperary lead 2-16 to 1-13 after 46 minutes. Kilkenny needed to keep calm heads after Tynan’s sending off and use the extra man to graft a way back into this game. Blanchfield’s red card scuppered a great opportunity.
RED CARD for David Blanchfield. Kilkenny had an extra man only for about two minutes. Only ten minutes gone in the second half.
RED CARD for Tipperary’s Alan Tynan for a high tackle. Tipp are down to 14 men. Replays suggest Tynan is unlucky to be sent off.
As an indicator of what the Kilkenny management made of the first half, Derek Lyng made three changes at the break. Richie Reid, Shane Murphy and John Donnelly have been introduced with Billy Drennan, Tommy Walsh and Peter McDonald making way.
The action is back underway at Nowlan Park, the sides have swapped a pair of points each, 2-15 to 1-12.
Waterford and Westmeath are tied on 0-4 apiece after ten minutes in Mullingar.
Antrim still leading in this relegation crunch fixture at Ballycastle. Davy Fitzgerald’s side are 2-19 to 0-13 ahead after 55 minutes.
There is also a small bit of big ball taking place today, with the Sligo footballers at home to Clare in a significant game in the promotion and relegation battles. After 30 minutes, Sligo lead 0-8 to 0-6.
Here are the highlights of the first half fin Nowlan Park.
Meanwhile, here is the Waterford team for their clash v Westmeath. Throw-in is at 2pm.
That was a positive 35 minutes of hurling by Tipperary. Kilkenny looked disjointed at times but that late goal has kept them in touch. You’d expect a big opener quarter from the Cats after the break.
HALF-TIME: Tipperary 2-13 Kilkenny 1-10
GOAL for Kilkenny. Respond they have - Gearóid Dunne raises a very important green flag for the Cats as they halt Tipp’s momentum, 2-12 to 1-10.
GOAL for Tipperary. Oisín O’Donoghue with the strike, he puts Tipp 2-11 to 0-10 ahead. Kilkenny need to stop the rot and respond here.
Here is Tipp’s goal as they lead Kilkenny 1-11 to 0-9 approaching half-time.
HALF-TIME: Antrim 2-15 Laois 0-8
HALF-TIME: Kerry 0-15 Down 0-13
HALF-TIME: Mayo 1-10 Armagh 1-9
Sam O’Farrell extends Tipperary’s advantage, 1-11 to 0-7. This is a good spell for the visitors.
GOAL for Tipperary. Craig Morgan smacks the ball beyond Eoin Murphy to give Tipp a 1-10 to 0-7 lead after 25 minutes.
A nicely worked score by Tipp, John McGrath making it 0-8 to 0-7. Good play by Darragh McCarthy again. This one is building a nice head of steam. Few strongly contested battles for possession.
Tipp still have their noses in front at Nowlan Park, they lead 0-7 to 0-5 after 16 minutes.
Antrim currently showing no ill effects.........of the sickness that hit the camp this week. The Saffrons lead 2-14 to 0-7 after half an hour. Conor Johnston with their second goal of the game.
Darragh McCarthy sends a free over from the middle of the field. Lovely strike. Tipperary 0-5 Kilkenny 0-3.
A monster of a score by David Blanchfield. Tipp 0-4 Kilkenny 0-3 after ten minutes.
Little early spurt by Tipperary as they lead 0-4 to 0-2 after nine minutes. TJ Reid just struck over a difficult free for Kilkenny with ease. We are fortunate the Ballyhale man continues to line out for the Cats. What a wonderful player.
Level pegging early on at Nowlan Park. The sides are level on 0-1 apiece after three minutes. Darragh McCarthy opened the scoring before TJ Reid replied with a converted free.
Antrim leading Laois 1-7 to 0-4 after 15 minutes. James McNaughton scored the goal for the Saffrons.
Derek Lyng speaking just ahead of throw-in at Nowlan Park.
Update from Seán Moran ahead of Kilkenny v Tipperary:
‘Beautiful afternoon and decent crowd in UPMC Nowlan Park for Kilkenny v Tipperary. Late changes for Kilkenny: DCU’s Fitzgibbon Cup final captain Pádraic Moylan comes in for selected full back Huw Lawlor and last year’s prolific under-20 player, Gearóid Dunne, replaces Eoin Cody. No changes for Tipp.’
Strong start by Antrim in Ballycastle. They lead 0-4 to no score after four minutes. Here is Antrim’s second point, it flu over the crossbar!!
Kilkenny, hurling country.........................
The Battle of the Bug is just about to throw-in at Ballycastle between Antrim and Laois. Earlier in the week, Davy Fitzgerald said several of his Antrim players had been struck down by a virus. The game starts at 1pm.
To get you in the mood for the latest Kilkenny-Tipp showdown, Malachy Clerkin took a look at the new batch of Premier County hurlers as they try lift the county back towards the top table.
We have dispatched Seán Moran to Nowlan Park today for the clash of Kilkenny and Tipperary while Denis Walsh is taking in a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland final as Clare host Cork at Cusack Park. We’ll have all the latest updates from our men on the ground throughout the day.
And despite not playing yesterday, it was a significant afternoon for the Offaly hurlers as results elsewhere confirmed their promotion to Division 1A.
There was also plenty of action yesterday, with Limerick laying down a marker in a very impressive victory over Galway at the Gaelic Grounds. Here is David Byrne’s match report.
Good afternoon and welcome to today’s live blog of all the Allianz League action taking place across the country. It’s Gordon Manning here, I’ll be with you throughout the day as hurling takes centre stage.
The big two encounters of the afternoon will see Cork travel to Ennis to face Clare at 3.15pm while before that Kilkenny host Tipperary at Nowlan Park, 1.15pm.
In Division 1B, Antrim play Laois in Ballycastle while Westmeath are at home to Waterford in Mullingar.
There is also a Division Three football match, with Sligo at home to Clare. The original fixture was postponed last month because of an unplayable pitch.
