While all the focus this afternoon was on Hastings Insurance MacHale Park and the historic rugby match taking place there – of which more anon – the county’s hurlers were in action over in Kildare in the NHL Division 3 final.

Their opponents were London, the only side to beat Liam Larkin’s team so far this year. Our lads turned the tables on them today at Manguard Park, winning by 0-14 to 1-8 to claim the divisional title. Along with the Exiles, their top two finish had already confirmed their promotion to Division 2 for next year.

Today’s final was a close affair throughout, with London holding a narrow advantage in the first half. The Exiles took a four-point lead into the break.

Five unanswered points from the Westerners – two from Liam Lavin, two from Shane Boland (one a free) and one from Cormac Phillips – turned the contest in their favour in the third quarter.

The sides then traded scores on two occasions, Shane Boland (one a free) got ours, before further points from Eoin Delaney, Shane Boland (a free) and Liam Larkin put a bit of daylight between the teams as the end of normal time beckoned.

London added one final point but our lads held out for a gritty three-point win. The victory caps a very positive NHL campaign for them and will send them into the Rackard Cup in fine spirits.

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The news wasn’t, sadly, as good from this afternoon’s LGFA Lidl National League match against Waterford. Liam McHale’s side needed to win this match in Kilmacthomas to have any hope of avoiding relegation from Division One but it wasn’t to be as the Déise women ran out convincing winners by 2-13 to 1-6.

The defeat ends a long tenure in Division One for Mayo but, as Cork and Galway – who were both relegated from the top tier last year – have shown this spring, a stint in Division Two can prove beneficial. This is also a young Mayo team and they’ll certainly bounce back from this setback.