KCLR's Big Game Live

They got off the mark last weekend, now they had a chance to make it two wins in a row as Kilkenny welcome Dublin to UPMC Nowlan Park this weekend.

We were there to follow all the action for Mark Dowling's Under 20s in round 3 of the ONeills.com Leinster U20 hurling championship.

After a helter-skelter game against Kerry last week, Carlow were on home soil as they looked to continue their unbeaten start to this year’s Championship.

Laois were coming into the game with confidence having put 7-24 past Down last time out but a win for Carlow before the break would be massive in terms of their cup ambitions. 

Easter Sunday saw the club make history and collect the revered Provincial Towns Cup for the first time, at their third time of asking.

It was almost ten years since Tullow’s first crack at the jug, missing out in 2008 to Navan before missing out years later to Enniscorthy in 2012. From the outset in Athy it looked like there was only ever going to be one winner.

With KCLR’s Stephen Byrne on commentary and Tullow Rugby Club’s John Tobin stepping in on analysis, we were there for every phase of play on air and online. If you missed it, listen back to the game in full below.

Having shown off their championship credentials with a comprehensive win over Kildare last time out, Carlow was off to Tralee to take on Kerry in Round 2 of the Joe McDonagh Cup.

We were there with Brendan Hennessy, Terence Kelly, and the Scoreline sports team to bring you all the action on Sunday afternoon from 2 pm as Tom Mullally’s side looks to make it two wins on the bounce and really lay down a marker for this year’s championship.

Having had a few weeks to recuperate, Kilkenny headed to Clonmel this weekend to face Cork once more, this time with a league title at stake.

Seamus Kelly’s side came into the game in good form but we all know anything goes when these two sides meet. We were in the stands with the award-winning duo of Martin Quilty and Áine Farrell to bring you all the action, beginning from 3 pm as we feed into the tail end of Kilkenny’s U20 hurling clash with Galway before taking over to bring you all the action in full.

Having fallen to Wexford last weekend, Kilkenny’s Under 20 hurlers make the trip to Tullamore on Saturday to face Galway.

Their meeting in last season’s championship was one of the hurling highlights of the year and this weekend should prove no different.

Carlow’s senior footballers got stuck into the championship with a trip to Echelon Park, Aughrim, to take on Wicklow.

The sides met and played to a draw in the opening round of this year’s Allianz Football League Division 4, Carlow going on to a mixed run of results in the subsequent rounds while Wicklow went on to secure promotion and a place in Division 3 next season. That said, the championship is a different breed with the winner taking as the Leinster senior football championship gets underway.

It all came down to Easter Sunday in Cork for Kilkenny and Limerick with this year’s Allianz Hurling League Division 1 title on the line.

With Kilkenny having seen off Cork in the semi-finals and Limerick overcoming Tipperary, we were served up a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland senior hurling final as Derek Lyng faces his biggest test to date as Kilkenny senior hurling manager.

The Cats came through their league campaign relatively unscathed, with just a second-round defeat to Tipperary their only dropped points, allowing the maximum number of competitive games available before starting their championship run.

They’ve already met in the league this year and they did it again in the championship as Kildare headed to Netwatch Cullen Park to take on Carlow in the opening round of this year’s Joe McDonagh Cup.

We were there with Brendan Hennessy, Terence Kelly and the Scoreline sports team to bring you all the action live on our Carlow frequencies. 

With Kilkenny’s minors and seniors already out in league and championship action, this weekend seen the turn of the county’s Under 20s as they began their Leinster hurling championship for 2023.

Up first, it’s was a trip to Chadwick’s Wexford Park at 2 pm as defending provincial and All-Ireland champions Kilkenny took on Wexford in the opening round of this year’s new-look competition.