Offaly, without having to puck a ball over the weekend, were promoted to Division 1A of the National Hurling League for 2026, while their neighbours Westmeath were unceremoniously relegated to Division 2 after a 31-point hammering by Waterford.
The other promotion and relegation slots are not yet decided, nor will they be for another two weeks.
Dublin kept up their slim hopes of promotion alive with a 2-29 to 3-17 win over Carlow on Saturday evening at Parnell Park. A high-scoring first half ended with the hosts 2-19 to 2-8 ahead, 10 of Niall O Ceallacháin’s charges making the scoresheet including goalscorers David Purcell and Brian Hayes, while Chris Nolan and Paddy Boland supplied the goals for Carlow.
Carlow reignited their challenge after the break by rifling over five of the first six points, but when Sean Brennan pulled off a great penalty save on Nolan in the 50th minute there was only going to be one winner thereafter despite Marty Kavanagh netting a consolation goal for the visitors.
Antrim had a resounding win over relegation-threatened Laois in Belfast on Sunday, Davy Fitzgerald’s troops putting aside illness concerns in the squad earlier in the week to win 4-22 to 0-21 in Corrigan Park.
James McNaughton topped the scoring with a whopping 2-11, 2-2 of which was from open play, with the home team setting the early tone to lead by 13 points at the break, 2-15 to 0-8, the goals coming from McNaughton and Conor Johnston.
Antrim goalkeeper Ryan Elliott was in top form as the O’Moore County tried to eat into the lead in the second half. The gap was down to nine points with six minutes to play, but McNaughton’s second goal sealed a comfortable win.
Also on Sunday, Waterford were never troubled by a weak Westmeath side, whose relegation has looked inevitable in recent weeks but was confirmed in Mullingar. The Déise won 7-34 to 0-24 to keep themselves very much in the hunt to join Offaly in the top-flight next year.
Goals in the 11th and 13th minutes by Kevin Mahony and Patrick Curran put wind-assisted Waterford firmly in control, opening up a 2-6 to 0-6 advantage. Two more goals followed before the break, both from the stick of Charlie Treen, putting the visitors 4-21 to 0-11 to the good for the break.
In truth, Seoirse Bulfin’s men never looked remotely like closing the gap, especially not when Dessie Hutchinson netted a fifth goal for Waterford in the 48th minute. The returning Austin Gleeson got am ovation on his introduction, while fellow sub Sean Walsh found the net twice before the final whistle.
