Hurling round-up: Down and Carlow secure second Joe McDonagh Cup wins

April 25, 2026

Down's Daithi Sands ©INPHO/Grace Halton

Down made it back-to-back wins in the Joe McDonagh Cup this afternoon by seeing off London (2-23 to 2-17) in Ballycran.

After a superb late win over neighbours Antrim last weekend, Ronan Sheehan’s side hit the ground running in this one by netting a Daithi Sands goal in the opening minute and the points of Donal Hughes and Pearse Og McCrickard would help them move towards a 1-13 to 0-11 lead at the break.

Cathal Coleman netted the Mourne men’s second goal midway through the second-half, leaving the Exiles with it all to do in the closing stages as goals from Jack Morrissey (free) and Sean Glynn ended up being consolation for them.

In Mullingar, Carlow made their goals count in a 4-20 to 1-23 victory over Westmeath to make it two wins from two.

Conor Kehoe and Killian Doyle traded early goals ahead of the hosts moving three clear before Martin Kavanagh found their net 10 minutes before half-time.

The sides would go in at the break all square (2-10 to 1-13) and the second-half saw majors from Chris Nolan and James Doyle proving key for the Barrowsiders.

Meanwhile, Laois got off the mark in their Joe McDonagh Cup campaign by inflicting a 2-23 to 0-22 defeat on Antrim in Portlaoise.

Cillian Dunne opened the hosts’ account with a goal inside two minutes and, while they’d trail 0-15 to 1-11 at half-time, the O’Moore men got five points from Stephen Maher to move in front ahead of David Dooley, James Keyes and Mark Dowling all shooting points before Dunne grabbed his second goal down the home stretch.

In the Christy Ring Cup, Kerry made it three wins from three in emphatic fashion as they handed Roscommon a 4-22 to 1-18 defeat at Dr Hyde Park, where Padraig Boyle netted a hat-trick for the winners, while Derry picked up their second win at the expense of neighbours Donegal.

The Oak Leafers edged a one-point lead at half-time at Celtic Park prior to second-half goals from Deaghlan Foley and Rian Collins putting them on the path towards a 2-23 to 1-16 victory.

Tyrone got their third win in the Nickey Rackard Cup by coming from behind against Louth in Darver where it finished 1-22 to 2-14.

Goals from Sean Conneely and Conor Murphy had the home side up by seven points inside the opening six minutes, but the Red Hands battled back and got a goal through Sean Paul McKernan before the points of Aidy Kelly, Michael Little and Kiefer Morgan helped them to lead by 1-14 to 2-9 at the interval.

Little would finish with 0-8, while Kelly and Ciaran Magill combined for that tally as the visitors won out by five points in the end.


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