Kildare, Christy Ring Cup champions in 2022, started their 2024 campaign with a comfortable 2-19 to 2-08 win over Sligo at Markievicz Park.
The hosts, who played two divisions below Kildare in the league, had the perfect start as Gerard O'Kelly Lynch found the net in the opening minutes, but a brace of goals from Cathal Dowling had the Lilywhites 2-03 to 1-00 ahead after just six minutes.
O'Kelly Lynch joined Dowling in raising a second green flag as his free found the net, but Kildare still led 2-13 to 2-04 at the turn.
The scoring slowed down in the second half - just 10 points shared between the pair - as Jack Sheridan and James Burke bother landed three points for Kildare while O'Kelly Lynch scored three more frees with Tomas Cawley grabbing the other score for the hosts.
Brendan Mulry and Paddy Fallon scored heavily as Roscommon's Nicky Rackard Cup campaign began with a 1-20 to 1-14 win over Louth at Dr Hyde Park.
Fallon and Mulry scored early points for the Rossies but Conor Murphy’s goal gave the Wee County an early lead.
Roscommon hit six points in a row though before a Darren Geoghegan free brought Louth’s second score.
Fallon continued to knock over the frees and that helped them into a 0-15 to 1-03 half-time lead.
Despite now operating against a strong breeze, Fallon opened the second-half scoring with another free before four Louth points in a row brought the visitors right back into it, trimming the gap to five points.
Roscommon weathered the storm though and pair of Mulry scores gave them breathing room and the same player hit a late goal to seal the win.
Donegal left Armagh with a solid 0-22 to 1-12 win to start their Nickey Rackard Cup campaign off on the right foot.
Alex O'Boyle, Armagh’s chief scorer this season, did nab an early goal to give them a fifth-minute lead, and Paul Gaffney pushed that advantage out to three points.
Donegal’s response was good though with Gerard Gilmore leading the scoring charge as they took a 0-13 to 1-07 lead into the changing rooms.
Armagh got the gap down to two points early in the second half, but a red card stalled their momentum and the visitors reeled off the final five points of the game to grab the win.
Longford were far too strong for Lancashire at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park as they had 18 points to spare in this Lory Meagher clash.
The sides had drawn in their Division 3B opener in February, and there were signs of a repeat as Longford led by just two points at the break, 0-10 to 0-08.
The away side were reduced to 14 men at the start of the second half though and Longford quickly turned the screw as Cian Darcy found the net.
When David Buckley goaled with 15 minutes to go the game was as good as over with the hosts enjoying a 16-point lead.
They topped that score up as they eased to an opening victory.
Fermanagh responded to their disappointing Division 3B final loss with a 0-19 to 1-09 Lory Meagher Cup win over Leitrim at Avant Money Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada.
The first half mostly went to plan for the Erne County as they held their opponents scoreless and hit nine points in the process, Tom Keenan and Caolan Duffy with two points each, but they lost Daniel Teague to a red card in the 20th minute.
Conor Hackett scored Leitrim's first point in the 37th minute and with Gavin O'Hagan prominent, they had reduced the gap to six points with 10 minutes remaining.
Brian Teehan grabbed a much-needed score for the visitors and although Stephen Goldrick goaled moments later for Leitrim, the Ulster side had enough of a buffer against the hosts, who also finished with 14 players following Michael O'Brien's last dismissal.
Cavan began their Lory Meagher Cup campaign with a 1-22 to 2-13 win over Division 3B champions Warwickshire at Kingspan Breffni.
With Sean Keating and Nicholas Kenny keeping the scoreboard ticking over, Cavan led 0-10 to 0-05 heading into the final five minutes of the first half before the visitors hit a scoring purple patch.
That included a late goal from Luke Hands, and suddenly Warwickshire led 1-10 to 0-10 at the break.
It was a short-lived advantage though as Keating hit the net in the first minute of the second half but a Jack Grealish goal had Warwickshire back in front by a point after 42 minutes and Jordan Conway quickly stretched the lead.
The Breffni County didn't panic though with free-taker Kenny, Keating and Liam O’Brien all on target to help them to a 1-22 to 2-13 win.
