Lidl NFL round-up: Carlow off to winning start
Carlow made a winning start to their campaign as the 2026 Lidl National Football League got under way on Sunday with four games in Division 4.
The Barrowsiders, who were relegated last year after winning the Division 4 title two seasons ago, edged out Sligo by 1-07 to 1-04 at SETU Carlow.
They laid the foundation for victory in the opening half and a goal from Cliodhna Ní Shé helped them lead by 1-03 to 0-02 at the break.
Sligo rallied in the closing stages and a goal from Lauren Normanly cut the gap to three but Carlow held on to make a winning start to their campaign.
Second-half goals from Marie Byrne and Róisín Ennis drove Offaly to a 2-10 to 0-08 win over Wicklow at Bray Emmets.
Wicklow led by 0-05 to 0-04 at the break but the goals proved crucial as Offaly, also relegated last year, got their season up and running with a double-scores victory.
Six players found the net as Leitrim, one of the promotion favourites, ousted neighbours Longford by 6-17 to 2-10 at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park.
Leitrim, with goals from Vivienne Egan, Leah Fox and Kate Gormley, led by 3-05 to 1-06 at the interval and they pushed on from there, with Muireann Devaney, Aoife Gilmartin and Emma Guckian also finding the net.
Katie Crawford got the Longford goals in each half.
Derry only won one league match last season but they have matched that already when they repeated their 2025 win over Kilkenny, winning by 4-12 to 0-03 in Owenbeg.
A goal from Aine McAlister helped Derry lead by 1-07 to 0-00 at the break and further goals came after the restart from Kate Hargan, Clodagh Moore and Jeanette Slevin.
