THE GREAT AMERICAN writer Gay Talese put it best when he said: “Every journalist’s most intimate fear is to check the weekend schedule and see their initials beside the Sunday hurling match tracker.”
This writer’s job has been made all the easier, however, by the fact that a series of fixtures across Division 1A and 1B have been called off this afternoon due to the teeming rain.
In Division 1A, Cork-Tipp and Wexford-Kilkenny have fallen foul of the weather, while in Division 1B Waterford-Galway has also been postponed.
The latest we’re hearing is that there will be another pitch inspection at Parnell Park before a final call is made on Dublin v Laois in 1B.
We might end up with only Clare-Limerick and Carlow-Offaly, which is still better than this same weekend last year when the snow put paid to pretty much all of the sporting action.
Both Munster counties line out as listed in the match programme in Ennis.
There’s a bit of snow falling at Cusack Park, but it’s not sticking.
Dublin-Laois has survived a second inspection by the referee and will go ahead as planned, with throw-in at 2pm. We have three games!
We’re under way at Parnell Park, Cusack Park and Dr Cullen Park!
Latest scores:
Clare 0-2 Limerick 0-0
Laois 0-3 Dublin 0-1
Offaly 1-1 Carlow 0-1
GOAL FOR LIMERICK! Limerick 1-0 Clare 0-2: 10 on his back, and 10 out of 10 for Gearoid Hegarty who fires Limerick into the lead with a goal!
Limerick 1-1 Clare 0-2: Aaron Gillane fires over a free for the All-Ireland champions.
It’s now Offaly 1-2 Carlow 0-2 in Dr Cullen Park, while Dublin have drawn level with Laois at three points apiece.
Laois 0-4 Dublin 0-3: Willie Dunphy with the score for the visitors at Parnell.
Peter Duggan has fired over a free for Clare: they trail 1-1 to 0-3.
Laois now lead by two — 0-5 to 0-3. Mark Kavanagh with the score.
The snow is falling fairly heavily at Cusack Park, but the teams are warming into the contest. Difficult conditions for the free-takers.
Limerick 1-2 Clare 0-3: Aaron Gillane, who missed a free a moment ago, drops one over from long range to stretch Limerick’s lead in Ennis.
It’s now Laois 0-6 Dublin 0-3, while Carlow have drawn level with Offaly at 0-5 to the visitors’ 1-2.
It was Joe Bergin, by the way, who netted for Offaly in the fourth minute of their 1B clash with Carlow. About 17 or 18 minutes gone, now, in all three of the games.
Limerick 1-2 Clare 0-4: Diarmuid Ryan halves the deficit for the hosts.
Limerick 1-3 Clare 0-4: Kyle Hayes from play.
Limerick 1-3 Clare 0-5: Super strike by Peter Duggan from the dead ball.
Laois 0-7 Dublin 0-4: Mark Kavanagh keeps Laois three points in front with a free.
Offaly 1-3 Carlow 0-5: The visitors lead on 23 minutes.
Clare 0-6 Limerick 1-3: Into the old scoreboard end, Peter Duggan fires over a free. The sides are level at a snowy Cusack Park. A third free for Duggan; Clare finding it hard to find scores from play.
Carlow 0-6 Offaly 1-3: The hosts level it at Dr Cullen Park.
Offaly 1-4 Carlow 0-6: Carlow’s parity didn’t last long!
Just to give you an idea as to the conditions on display in Ennis…
It’s a terrible day in Ennis...not easy for our Cameramen and Women & certainly not going to be easy for the Hurlers of Clare and Limerick. Fair play to them. Big crowd gathering in Cusack Park. Match starts at2.& you can see Highlights @9.30 on RTÉ 2 @RTEgaa @LeagueSundayRTE pic.twitter.com/AqivCKFefo
— Marty Morrissey (@MartyM_RTE) March 3, 2019
Limerick 1-4 Clare 0-6: Colin Ryan drops over a 65′ and Limerick lead once more.
Limerick 1-5 Clare 0-6: A great score by Paddy O’Loughlin stretches Limerick’s lead to two points.
Limerick 1-6 Clare 0-6: Not sure who got it, truth be told, but Limerick now lead by three.
Sorry, it was Peter Casey who got that last score for Limerick.
In Division 1B, it’s Laois 0-7 Dublin 0-6, and Offaly 1-5 Carlow 0-6.
Limerick 1-7 Clare 0-6: Aaron Gillane with the free. Limerick by four.
Two minutes of added time at Cusack Park. One of them has already elapsed.
Gary Cooney on for Ian Galvin for The Banner just before the break.
Half-time: Limerick 1-7 Clare 0-6 — we go to the break in Ennis and there are four between them.
Half-time: Offaly 1-5 Carlow 0-6 at the interval at Dr Cullen Park.
Half-time: Laois 0-7 Dublin 0-6 — just the one between them in the capital.
By the way, you can follow Fintan O’Toole’s football match tracker here.
We’re nearly ready for our three second halves in Clare, Dublin and Carlow. All three games are finely poised.
Greetings from a snowy Cusack Park. Fair play to both sets of players playing in those conditions. 👏👏. @ClareSenHurlers @LimerickCLG #GAA #AllianzLeagues #CLAvLIM #Hurling #Limerick pic.twitter.com/S76cnaPSZ8
— Michael Cooke (@MikeCooke92) March 3, 2019
GOAL FOR CLARE! Limerick 1-7 Clare 1-6: Shane Golden with a brilliant solo goal! He leaves a few defenders in his wake and lashes it past Nicky Quaid with a superb finish!
Clare 1-7 Limerick 1-7: The crowd erupts again as Podge Collins levels proceedings. Two pucks of a ball and Limerick’s four-point lead is no more!
Limerick 1-8 Clare 1-7: A Gillane free edges Limerick back into the lead.
It’s a wet one in Netwatch Cullen Park today but that won’t stop us #CarlowRising 🇬🇳 @itcarlow 🇬🇳 pic.twitter.com/GU3dlBshL2
— Carlow GAA (@Carlow_GAA) March 3, 2019
Limerick 1-9 Clare 1-7: Gillane again from the dead ball.
PENALTY FOR LIMERICK! Aaron Gillane is pulled back and the visitors have a massive chance to extend their lead to five!
Aaron Gillane is drying his hands, anyway. Is he going to take it?
PENALTY SAVE FOR CLARE! Limerick 1-10 Clare 1-7: Super stop by Donal Tuohy who denies Gillane with his third penalty save of the league campaign! Incredible!
In the end, the sliotar comes back out to Peter Casey who ensures Limerick take something from it, at least.
Limerick by three, but that could be a massive moment for Clare.
In Division 1B, Eddie Brennan’s Laois lead 0-9 to 0-8 in their must-win clash with the Dubs. Offaly are up 1-6 to 0-7 on Carlow.
Offaly extend their lead to three — 1-7 to 0-7 in Carlow.
Limerick 1-11 Clare 1-7: Peter Casey — what a display! He fires one over off his right-hand side. Limerick by four. Casey’s third point from play!
GOAL FOR OFFALY! Offaly 2-7 Carlow 0-7: Shane Dooley doubles Offaly’s lead at Dr Cullen Park!
Dublin 0-10 Laois 0-10: Oisin O’Rourke with the leveller for the Dubs at Parnell.
Limerick 1-11 Clare 1-8: Duggan keeps The Banner in touch with another free.
GOAL FOR OFFALY! AND GOAL AGAIN! Offaly 4-7 Carlow 0-8: It’s all going off at Dr Cullen Park!
Joe Bergin and Shane Dooley have each added their second goals, and both arrived after a Carlow penalty was put over the bar.
Stick a fork in this one!
Limerick 1-11 Clare 1-9: Diarmuid Ryan from play, and there are just two between them again.
Limerick 1-11 Clare 1-10: Duggan halves the gap. Game on, Ger!
Red card! Laois are down to 14 men at Parnell Park — a second yellow for Cha Dwyer.
They lead 0-11 to 0-10.
GOAL FOR CLARE! Clare 2-10 Limerick 1-11: A GOAL FOR PETER DUGGAN! Collins to Golden to Duggan, back of the net! Clare lead by two!
GOAL CARLOW! Offaly 4-7 Carlow 1-10: Seamus Murphy nets for the hosts! A six-point deficit with six minutes plus added time to go. Did I write off Carlow too early?
Clare 2-10 Limerick 1-12: Gillane again with a free. Point between them!
Clare 2-11 Limerick 1-12: Duggan with the free. Clare by two!
Clare 2-11 Limerick 1-13: Gillane free — Limerick close the gap to one with stoppage time to come!
Five minutes of additional time at Cusack Park!
Dublin 0-12 Laois 0-11: Two scores by Danny Sutcliffe and Dublin lead at Parnell Park against 14-man Laois!
Dublin 0-13 Laois 0-11: Sean Moran with the free for the hosts!
Clare 2-11 Limerick 1-13: By God, ’tis all kicking off at Cusack. A bit of an altercation, there, between John Kiely and a Clare kitman. It’s all happening on the sideline as well as the field.
Four minutes of additional time has elapsed, but there might be an extra couple after some extra stoppages!
Free-in for Limerick!!!
Limerick 1-14 Clare 2-11: AARON GILLANE LEVELS IT AT THE DEATH!
Ohhhh, what a finish. We’re still playing! The referee looks at his watch…
Result: Clare 2-11 Limerick 1-14
A superb game of hurling in Ennis finishes all square. Serious effort by both sets of players in dreadful conditions. The spoils are shared, and that’s probably the right result.
Result: Offaly 4-8 Carlow 1-10
These two will meet again in the relegation play-off!
Result: Dublin 0-13 Laois 0-11
By way of Offaly’s win over Carlow, Laois are into the league quarter-finals!
So a big win for Offaly sends Laois through to the last eight, while Clare and Limerick proved inseparable in the end in Ennis.
Thanks for joining us, and keep an eye on The42 for reaction from this afternoon’s encounters.