Carlow claim third Joe McDonagh Cup win while Kerry cruise into Christy Ring Cup final

May 09, 2026

Kerry struck eight goals against Wicklow in Tralee to seal a place in the Christy Ring Cup final ©INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan

Carlow made it three wins from three in Joe McDonagh Cup this afternoon by handing Down their first defeat of the competition on a 3-17 to 2-17 scoreline in Ballycran.

Martin Kavanagh’s goal just before half-time saw the visitors go in with a 1-9 to 0-5 advantage and Jame Doyle would add the Barrowsiders’ second goal six minutes into the second-half.

Down battled back and goals from Donal Hughes and Pearse Og McCrickard would see them hitting the front with 15 minutes to go, but Carlow were able to produce a strong finish that saw a Paddy Boland goal backed up by three Kavanagh frees down the home stretch.

In Mullingar, Laois secured their second win of the campaign by dealing Westmeath an emphatic 5-28 to 2-19 defeat on their own home turf.

Tomás Keyes, Aaron Dunphy (1-10) and Stephen ‘Picky’ Maher netted the O’Moore men’s goals in the first-half as they cruised to a 3-14 to 1-9 interval lead, with Peter Murphy pulling back a goal for the hosts in injury-time.

Ben Conroy hammered in the visitors’ fourth goal on 47 minutes as they went on to increase their lead to 19 before Adam Bate and Gearoid Lynch traded goals in the added minutes.

Meanwhile, Kerry stamped their ticket for the Christy Ring Cup final with an 8-25 to 0-17 hammering of Wicklow in Tralee.

Michael Slattery and Kevin Goulding (2) netted first-half goals as the home side led by 3-12 to 0-7 at the break and the second-half would see Slattery (2), Goulding and Luke Rochford (2) all raising green flags in their team’s emphatic victory.

In Trim, late goals from Rian Collins and Eamon Cassidy saw Derry come back against hosts Meath in a 3-15 to 3-15 draw.

After the first-half finished 1-9 apiece, goals by Damien Healy and Tom Shine looked to get over the line until the visitors hit the front with a late brace of majors but Shine’s score at the death ensured that the points would be shared.

The late game in Letterkenny saw Roscommon earning their first point of the campaign by holding Donegal to a 1-14 to 0-17 draw.

Cian Murray’s 23rd minute goal helped the Rossies to hold a 1-5 to 0-7 lead at the halfway stage at O’Donnell Park and they’d be up by three with 10 minutes to go ahead of scores from Gerry Gilmore, Declan Coulter and Liam McKinney bringing the home side level.

Paddy Fallon’s free put Roscommon back in front ahead of back-to-back scores from McKinney (one free) sailing over at the other end, meaning it’d take Keelan Ryan’s point deep in injury-time to salvage a draw for Brian Hanley’s men.

In the Nickey Rackard Cup, Ciaran McKevley’s goal midway through the second-half proved the difference as Louth defeated Armagh (3-19 to 3-16) at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, while Tyrone were comfortable in a 3-21 to 2-13 win over neighbours Fermanagh in Garvaghey and Mayo won the all-Connacht clash between themselves and Sligo in Castlebar where Ryan Duffy and Cormac Phillips bagged the hosts’ goals in a 2-22 to 1-21 victory

Longford came from eight points down to defeat neighbours Cavan at Kingspan Breffni, where it finished 3-18 to 1-15, while James McNabola’s goal proved key for Leitrim in a 1-18 to 2-12 win against Warwickshire in Carrick-on-Shannon where the hosts booked their final berth and, in Inniskeen, Monaghan were 0-28 to 1-13 winners over Lancashire.


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