THE gulf in class was alltoo-apparent at Dooradoyle yesterday when Garryowen ran in eight tries in beating bottom of the table County Carlow in a totally one sided AIB League encounter.

Whereas Garryowen look a good bet for a home semifinal for the second successive year, Carlow are doomed to life in Division Two next season. Furthermore, the Limerick side have gone back to the top of the table on points difference from Clontarf and now await the visit of UCD in their final game in two weeks time with confidence sky high.

Not that coach Paul Cunningham will get carried away with yesterday's performance given the spirited but distinctly limited opposition offered by Carlow.

They were on their way after only three minutes when hooker Pat Humphreys rounded off a smart handling movement in the left corner and Conor Kilroy added the points with a fine kick.

On 12 minutes, Humphreys dived over for his second after a rolling maul and again Kilroy found the target with his conversion. Almost from the kickoff, the richly talented Garryowen scrum-half Gerry Hurley took off on a mazy run from well inside his own half before eventually reaching the right hand corner without a hand laid on him.

And Garryowen's bonus point was safely in the bag on 18 minutes when out-half Conan Doyle placed a pin point cross kick in the path of impressive right winger Ciaran O'Boyle and he touched down with some ease. At that stage, Garryowen could have understandably sat back on their laurels and there certainly was a touch of complacency in the way they stood off and allowed winger Ross Jackson in for Carlow's try in the 25th minute and Grey Jacob converted.

However, Garryowen quickly re-established their supremacy. Kilroy counter attacked from far out, beat some tackles all too easily and sent Kevin Hartigan scorching through for try number five.

Garryowen were clearly looking for points as well as tries to boost their position in the table still further and when the opportunities were presented, Kilroy gratefully popped over a couple of close range penalties to put them 35-7 ahead at the break.

Carlow were a lot more energised in the opening stages of the second half and were able to put what looked like a fragile enough Garryowen defence under pressure. However, they gradually began to tire and went another seven points behind when Paul Neville, who was outstanding throughout in the Garryowen back row, crashed over for a try which Kilroy converted.

The Carlow cause wasn't helped when, first, their captain David Cox was yellow carded by referee John Carvill and as soon as he returned, prop Keith Corrigan made his way to the bin.

Substitute hooker Damian Varley bagged Garryowen's seventh which the prolific Kilroy and Hurley their eighth on the stroke of full time to complete the rout.

GARRYOWEN C Kilroy; Ciaran O'Boyle, K Hartigan, P Devlin, Cillian O'Boyle; C Doyle, G Hurley; E Kelly, P Humphreys, F Pala'amo, E Mackey, D Sheehan, P Neville, A Kavanagh, P Malone (c) Subs M Melbourne for Sheehan, 61 mins; N Hartigan for Pala'amo, 69 mins; A Finn for KIlroy, 71 mins; A O'Loughlin for Neville, 73 mins CO CARLOW W Murphy; R Barbour, T Bonnefoy, C Moore, R Jackson; G Jacobs, D Barron; P Brennan, W Kerr, K Corrigan, A Mihajlovic, D Carley, D Cox (c), S Hennessy, R Porter Subs A Galavan for Kerr, 45 mins; J Kavanagh for Barron, 62 mins; W Kavanagh for Cox, 67 mins Referee J Carvill (IRFU)