Champions Shannon all but guaranteed themselves a home semi-final as they ran in eight tries against a hapless Buccaneers, winning 56-3 on their first ever league visit to Moher Road.
Although Justin Meagher gained parity for the Pirates with an 18th-minute penalty, it was all Shannon from then on as Eoin Cahill, Tony Buckley, Brian Tuohy (2), David O'Donovan, David Quinlan, substitute Tom Cregan and veteran Andrew Thompson all got in on the scoring act.
Cahill and Buckley powered over before the break to set up a 17-3 half-time lead.
On the restart, Ireland Sevens star Tuohy cut through from a turnover to confirm Mick Galwey's side's dominance and with O'Donovan crossing and Cregan converting for a 31-3 advantage, Buccs were well and truly gone.
They lost fit-again second row David Kelly - back from injury for the first time since January - to a needless yellow card as man-of-the-match Quinlan, Tuohy, Cregan - who also kicked seven points - and Thompson tallied up Shannon's highest score of the campaign.
Elsewhere, Galwegians picked up their fourth win of the AIB League campaign - 14-13 over Blackrock - as a second half penalty try proved the deciding factor at Stradbrook.
Connacht prop Peter Bracken - who is leaving to join NEC Harlequins in the summer - had muscled over on 39 minutes for John Cleary to convert, and set up the westerners for a 7-3 half-time lead.
At Castle Avenue, Leinster star Felipe Contepomi was brought in to help steer Lansdowne out of the relegation mire today and he did just that as they pulled off a heartening 19-7 win over play-off chasers Clontarf at Castle Avenue.
The Argentinian international converted first half tries from flanker Niall Ronan and Ireland Under-21 centre Greg Stafford as Andy Doyle's men went 14-0 up at the interval.
'Tarf were off-the-boil and although Donovan Rossi got in for a late try - converted by Dave McAllister - Contepomi's Leinster colleague Ben Gissing's yellow card had already dented their chances.
Lansdowne's Johnny Murphy had put the visitors 19-0 up and was left aggrieved in injury time as his potential bonus point try was ruled out for a foot in touch.
Doyle's charges are still bottom, but now just two points behind Carlow and Trinity ahead of next weekend's final round.
Belfast Harlequins meanwhile, came from behind at Temple Hill to guarantee themselves a place in next month's play-offs, thanks to a 27-23 win over Cork Con.
Early tries from Conrad Sullivan and fly-half Darragh Lyons had Con motoring at 14-8 up after 20 minutes. But a John Anderson effort - who also kicked seven points in the absence of injured fly-half Ian Humphreys (shoulder) - put 'Quins 15-14 up at the break.
Gavin McLaughlin had earlier touched down for 'Quins in the first half and their superior pack was to prove the difference on the restart.
Number 8 Chris McCarey and Matt Mustchin - who leaves Ulster for Glasgow at the end of the season - got in on the scoring act in the final quarter as DC Gillespie's men racked up their ninth win of the season.
Fly-half Richie Murphy was again Carlow's man-of-the-match as the midlanders picked up the points - 20-10 - against fellow strugglers Dublin University at Oak Park.
Having edged the penalty duel with Trinity's Simon Mitchell two-to-one in the first half, Murphy converted both Ross Jackson and Brendan Curran's second half tries.
At a windy Belfield, Garryowen got a crucial bonus point to keep them in the hunt for a home semi-final as they edged UCD 26-20.
It was all UCD in the first half as Simon Crawford and Darren McKenna stretched over the visitors' line, thanks to the dominance of the College forward unit.
Fly-half Eoghan Hickey was as accurate as ever as he kicked a monster drop goal and converted McKenna's 35th-minute effort for a 15-5 half-time lead.
However, UCD could only muster a Michael Fanning score in the second half as Garryowen gradually moved up the gears with a howling wind seeing scrum-half Gerry Purcell pummel the touchlines.
Hurley got in for a try on the restart - adding to number 8 Paul Neville's first-half effort. Ciaran Gallagher and Ross Callaghan also picked and drove over in the closing quarter as the Limerick men maintained second spot – just two points behind Shannon.
