Despite disappointment in the final two games - for Carlow certainly had enough opportunities for victory in both - they had achieved their primary goal for the season by the middle of March, and Carlow football was on a high as they began preparing for the 1st Round of the Leinster Championship, where they would be reacquainted with Louth at O'Moore Park. Carlow would go on to have arguably their most successful Leinster Championship in six decades. They won back-to-back games in Leinster for the first time since 1996 (when they beat Wexford and Wicklow in a preliminary round group), and for only the second time since 1948. What's more, they won them well, dismantling Louth in Portlaoise on a scoreline of 2-17 to 0-12, before beating Kildare for the first time since 1953, 2-14 to 1-10.