Carlow have the spirit, talent and drive to keep rising
A week is long time in politics and it certainly was for the Galway hurlers, too.
They showed ten changes from the side that lost to Tipperary the week previous and with that we witnessed a new energy and life to their performance that was epitomised by the brilliance of Gavin Lee at centre-back.
The most impressive thing for me about them was the response they showed in Nowlan Park - of all places - hitting Kilkenny for 1-06 without reply to go from eight down to one up.
That showed great resolve and grit and I'm sure it would have put a smile on Micheál O’Donoghue's face as he headed back west on Sunday night.
There is talent there, it’s just a matter of tapping into it now.
Elsewhere, we got what we have come to expect down in Páirc Uí Chaoimh from Limerick and Cork: 11 yellow cards - two for those on the sideline - lots of bite and intensity, jerseys ripped and this only a league game! It set things up for later in the year very nicely.
Tipp got the job done against a Wexford team who made a big improvement on their first outing against Cork. For Tipp it was mighty to see Seamus Kennedy back starting in the blue and gold; a great weekend all round for them with Thurles CBS becoming the third Tipp school in a row to win the famed Harty Cup, while Clonmel High School won the Munster B schools title. Nice business done for the Premier County.
But the story of the weekend for me was in Dr Cullen Park, where Carlow defeated Waterford for the first time in their history.
It was a deserved win for Carlow, who started well, absorbed the pressure thrown at them by Waterford and then went on to finish the game strongly. Chris Nolan was the hero with his haul of 2-03, but Carlow are not defined by any one player and that is what is