Dublin Senior Hurlers Open 2026 with a win over Carlow

DUBLIN 0-23 

CARLOW 0-17

Dublin delivered a dominant third-quarter display when getting the better of Carlow by six points in Round 1 of the Dioralyte Walsh Cup at a sunny SETU Campus in Carlow on Sunday afternoon.

There was little to separate the teams in the first-half with six Diarmaid Ó Dúlaing scores helping build a narrow 0-13 to 0-11 advantage for Niall Ó Ceallacháin’s side by the turnaround.

A string of five unanswered points upon the restart effectively settled the issue with the lively Ó Dúlaing finishing the contest with eleven points to his name, five of which coming from open play.  

The hosts made the brighter start as they pushed two points clear by the 3rd minute following successive scores from Marty Kavanagh (free) and Conor Kehoe. 

Dublin were showing signs of rustiness in their shooting but a fine Ó Dúlaing point opened their account in the 4th minute before the Commercials player levelled matters through a placed ball soon after. 

Carlow’s Jon Nolan and David Purcell traded points before the visitors opened up a two-point lead thanks to another Ó Dúlaing score and a Conor Donohoe strike from deep. 

That buffer was maintained throughout the first quarter as David Purcell and James Madden added to the away tally while Donagh Murphy, Kavanagh and Fiachra Fitzpatrick all replied at the opposite end for a more economical home side. 

The free-taking of Kavanagh ensured that Carlow gained tangible reward for their pressurewith the evenness of the encounter reflected in the sides being level on no less than six occasions in the opening half. 

David Purcell could well have netted but dragged wide of the target but the Kilmacud Crokes player remained the pick of the forwards as he restored parity in the 26th minute. 

The visitors finished the half on the front foot as David Keogh and Ó Dúlaing (free) popped over scores to edge their team two points clear at half-time.

With Conor Groarke impressing in defence, Dublin resumed in a dominant manner through a trio of Ó Dúlaing scores and further points by Dara Purcell and substitute Liam Mostyn. 

It took their opponents fourteen minutes to open their second-half account courtesy of Paddy Boland but they enjoyed a purple patch of sorts early in the final quarter thanks to a brace of Kavanagh frees and another placed ball from Kehoe. 

With their lead reduced to four points by the 51st minute, Dublin required a sublime Ó Dúlaing score to get back on track as the saw out the game in relative comfort through late points by Conor Burke and Seán Gallagher.    

Scorers – Dublin: D Ó Dúlaing 0-11 (6f); David Purcell 0-3; Dara Purcell 0-2; C Donohoe, J Madden, O Gaffney, D Keogh, L Mostyn, C Burke, S Gallagher 0-1 apiece. Carlow: M Kavanagh 0-8 (8f); C Kehoe (1f), D Murphy 0-2 each; J Nolan, F Fitzpatrick, P Boland, J Treacy, K McDonald 0-1 apiece.

Dublin: S Brennan; A Dunphy, P Smyth, C Groarke; C Burke, D Lucey, C Murray; C Ó Riain, D Keogh; C Donohoe, Dara Purcell, J Madden; O Gaffney, David Purcell, D Ó Dúlaing. Subs: J Bellew for Smyth (half-time), R Hayes for Gaffney (half-time), S Gallagher for Ó Riain (half-time), L Mostyn for David Purcell (half-time), D Power for Madden (41), J Flanagan for Dara Purcell (45), C Kennedy for Dunphy (45), T Brennan for Donohoe (49), E McSherry for Murray (57). 

Carlow: B Tracey; N Bolger, D Wall, C Fitzpatrick; P O’Shea, E Kealy, E English; C Beck, F Fitzpatrick; M Kavanagh, J Nolan, C Kehoe; J Treacy, JM Nolan, D Murphy. Subs: K McDonald for Bolger (half-time), P Boland for JM Nolan (half-time), F O’Toole for English (41), J Doyle for Beck (41), R Murphy for D Murphy (49), C Kavanagh for M Kavanagh (50), T O’Neill for J Nolan (58), J Wall for Kealy (62). 

Referee: Matthew Redmond (Kildare).