All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final referees

In Gaelic football, the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, the deciding match of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship competition, is considered the highest honour for referees to be appointed to officiate.

The Sam Maguire Cup

The most recent final (2024) was refereed by Sean Hurson, with Brendan Cawley on standby; Paddy Neilan as linesman; Derek O'Mahoney on sideline; and two umpires from Ardboe and one each from Clonoe and Coalisland. The 2022 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final was also refereed by Hurson, with Neilan on standby; Barry Cassidy as linesman; Sean Laverty on sideline; and two umpires from Ardboe and one each from Clonoe and Moortown. The 2021 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final was refereed by Joe McQuillan, with David Gough on standby; Brendan Cawley as linesman; Ciaran Brannigan on sideline; and two umpires from Kill Shamrocks and one each from Drumalee and Killygarry.^[1] The 2019 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final was refereed by David Gough, with Conor Lane on standby; Barry Cassidy as linesman.

Selection

According to The Irish Times, the referee is often "centre stage" during All-Ireland SFC finals.^[2]

Men who referee a final that ends in a draw cannot also referee the replay. This rule was highlighted in 2019, when David Gough — thought by consensus to have had a good game — was replaced by Conor Lane for the replay. Colm O'Rourke in the Sunday Independent column, "The GAA's view that the referee of a drawn game cannot take the replay defies common sense and logic. Why disqualify a referee when he has done a good job? If the referee is not up to it then certainly he should be left off, but when there is almost universal agreement that he is the best referee in the country then give him all the big games and replays too. The players want the best referees".^[3]

Brian White was the first to benefit from the rule change when he got to referee the 2000 replay.^[4]

Referees are chosen by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) for their impartiality and their assessed performance scores over that championship season. A clue to the identity of the final referee may be found among those chosen to referee All-Ireland quarter-finals.^[5] In recent years, a referee who has overseen an All-Ireland SFC semi-final is never chosen for the final. However, he has tended to have refereed a quarter-final.^[5]

A referee who has officiated at one of the semi-finals is traditionally overlooked when deciding the referee for the same year's final.^[6]

When the decision is made, the identity of the referee chosen is revealed following the All-Ireland SFC semi-finals and ahead of the final. A period of media attention may ensue, sometimes even before the announcement has been made.^[5]

Traditions

On the day, the referee is introduced to the President of Ireland ahead of the game.^[7]

The referee receives a Celtic cross for each final he officiates.^[8]

Referees

Pre-1928

Harry Boland, 1914 referee

Year	Referee	Co.	Referee's club	Ref(s)
1887	John Cullinane	Tipperary		[9]
1889	T. O'Driscoll
1890	J. J. Kenny	Dublin
1891	T. J. Whelan	Laois
1892	Dan Fraher	Waterford
1893	T. Gilligan	Dublin
1894 (1st/2nd?)	R. T. Blake (Dick Blake)	Meath		[10]
1895	J. J. Kenny	Dublin
1896	Thomas Dooley	Cork
1897	Spencer Lyons	Limerick
1898	John McCarthy	Kilkenny
1899	L. Stanley	Louth
1900	T. H. Redmond
1901	John McCarthy	Kilkenny
1902	Thomas F. O'Sullivan	Kerry
1903	John McCarthy	Kilkenny
1904	John Fitzgerald	Cork
1905	M. F. Crowe	Dublin
1906	John Fitzgerald	Kildare
1907	John Fitzgerald	Kildare
1908	M Conroy	Dublin
1909	M. F. Crowe	Dublin
1910	w/o /scr.
1911	M. O'Brennan	Roscommon
1912	Tom Irwin
1913	M. F. Crowe	Dublin
1914 (1st/2nd)	Harry Boland	Dublin		[11]
1915	Pat Dunphy	Laois		[11]
1916	Pat Dunphy	Laois		[11]
1917	Pat Dunphy	Laois		[11]
1918	Pat Dunphy	Laois		[11]
1919	Pat Dunphy	Laois		[11]
1920	Willie Walsh	Waterford
1921	Willie Walsh	Waterford
1922	Pat Dunphy	Laois		[11]
1923	James Byrne	Wexford
1924	T. Shevlin	Roscommon
1925	?
1926 (1st/2nd?)	?
1927	T. Shevlin	Roscommon

1928 to 1969: Introduction of the Sam Maguire Cup

Year	Referee	Co.	Referee's club	Ref(s)
1928	Tom Burke	Louth
1929	Tom Burke	Louth
1930	Jim Byrne	Wexford
1931	T. Keating	Tipp
1932	Martin O'Neill	Wexford
1933	Martin O'Neill	Wexford
1934	Sean McCarthy	Kerry
1935	Stephen Jordan	Galway
1936	Sean McCarthy	Kerry
1937 (1st/2nd?)	M. Hennessy	Dublin
1938 (1st)	P. Maguire	Cavan
1938 (2nd)	Peter Waters	Kildare
1939	J. Flaherty	Offaly
1940	Seamus Burke	Kildare
1941	Patrick McKenna	Limerick
1942	Sean Kennedy	Donegal
1943 (1st)	Patrick McKenna	Limerick
1943 (2nd)	P O Miotain	Wexford
1944	Paddy Mythen	Wexford
1945	John Dunne	Galway		[12]
1946 (1st)	Bill Delaney	Laois
1946 (2nd)	Paddy Mythen	Wexford
1947	M. O'Neill	Wexford
1948	M. J. Flaherty	Offaly
1949	D. Ryan	Kerry
1950	Simon Deignan	Cavan
1951	Bill Delaney	Laois
1952 (1st/2nd)	Sean Hayes	Tipperary
1953	Peter McDermott	Meath		[10]
1954	Simon Deignan	Cavan
1955	Willie Goodison	Wexford
1956	Peter McDermott	Meath		[10]
1957	Patsy Geraghty	Galway		[13]
1958	Simon Deignan	Cavan
1959	John Dowling	Offaly
1960	John Dowling	Offaly		[14]
1961	L. Maguire	Cavan
1962	Eamonn Moules	Wicklow		[15]
1963	Eamonn Moules	Wicklow		[15]
1964	Jimmy Hatton	Wicklow
1965	Mick Loftus	Mayo
1966	Jimmy Hatton	Wicklow
1967	John Moloney	Tipp
1968	Mick Loftus	Mayo
1969	John Moloney	Tipp

1970 to 2000

Year	Referee	Co.	Referee's club	Ref(s)
1970	P. Kelly	Dublin
1971	P. Kelly	Dublin
1972 (1st)	Fintan Tierney	Cavan; originally from Longford	Butlersbridge	[6][16]
1972 (2nd)	Paddy Devlin	Tyrone		[17]
1973	John Moloney	Tipp
1974	Paddy Devlin	Tyrone		[17]
1975	John Moloney	Tipp
1976	Paddy Collins	Westmeath
1977	John Moloney	Tipp
1978	Seamus Aldridge	Kildare
1979	Hugh Duggan	Armagh		[18]
1980	Seamus Murray	Monaghan		[19]
1981	Paddy Collins	Westmeath
1982	P. J. McGrath	Mayo	Kilmaine	[20]
1983	John Gough	Antrim		[21]
1984	Paddy Collins	Westmeath
1985	Paddy Kavanagh	Meath		[10]
1986	Jimmy Dennigan	Cork		[22][23]
1987	Pat Lane	Limerick	St Senan's	[24]
1988 (1st/2nd)	Tommy Sugrue	Kerry		[4]
1989	Paddy Collins	Westmeath
1990	Paddy Russell	Tipp		[25]
1991	Séamus Prior	Leitrim	Aughnasheelin	[26]
1992	Tommy Sugrue	Kerry		[27]
1993	Tommy Howard	Kildare
1994	Tommy Sugrue	Kerry		[28]

Year	Referee	Co.	Referee's club	Standby referee	Other linesman	Sideline official	Ref(s)
1995	Paddy Russell	Tipp					[29]
1996 (1st/2nd)	Pat McEnaney	Monaghan	Corduff		Paddy Russell[30]		[4]
1997	Brian White	Wexford	Cushinstown				[31]
1998	John Bannon	Longford	Legan Sarsfields				[32]
1999	Mick Curley	Galway					[33]
2000 (1st)	Pat McEnaney	Monaghan	Corduff
2000 (2nd)	Brian White	Wexford	Cushinstown				[4][31]

2001 to present

Marty Duffy, 2009 referee

Year	Referee	Co.	Referee's club	Standby referee	Other linesman	Sideline official	Ref(s)
2001	Michael Collins	Cork	Clonakilty				[34]
2002	John Bannon	Longford	Legan Sarsfields				[35]
2003	Brian White	Wexford	Cushinstown				[31]
2004	Pat McEnaney	Monaghan	Corduff				[36]
2005	Michael Monahan	Kildare	Raheens				[37]
2006	Brian Crowe	Cavan	Cavan Gaels				[6][38]
2007	David Coldrick	Meath	Blackhall Gaels				[10]
2008	Maurice Deegan	Laois	Stradbally
2009	Marty Duffy	Sligo	Kilgass				[39]
2010	David Coldrick	Meath	Blackhall Gaels	Gearoid O Conamha	Maurice Deegan	Syl Doyle	[40][41]
2011	Joe McQuillan	Cavan	Kill Shamrocks	David Coldrick	Pat McEnaney	Maurice Condon	[42][6]
2012	Maurice Deegan	Laois	Stradbally				[43]
2013	Joe McQuillan	Cavan	Kill Shamrocks	Cormac Reilly	Padraig O'Sullivan	Michael Duffy	[44]
2014	Eddie Kinsella	Laois	Courtwood	Marty Duffy	Pádraig Hughes	Rory Hickey	[45][46][47]
2015	David Coldrick	Meath	Blackhall Gaels	Joe McQuillan	Conor Lane	Derek Fahy	[48]
2016 (1st)	Conor Lane	Cork	Banteer			Maurice Deegan[49]
2016 (2nd)	Maurice Deegan	Laois	Stradbally	David Coldrick/Sean Hurson	David Coldrick/Sean Hurson		[50]
2017	Joe McQuillan	Cavan	Kill Shamrocks	Conor Lane	Padraig O'Sullivan	Niall Cullen	[51]
2018	Conor Lane	Cork	Banteer				[52]
2019 (1st)	David Gough	Meath	Slane	Conor Lane	Barry Cassidy	Sean Hurson	[53]
2019 (2nd)	Conor Lane	Cork	Banteer				[54]
2020	David Coldrick	Meath	Blackhall Gaels				[55]
2021	Joe McQuillan	Cavan	Kill Shamrocks	David Gough	Brendan Cawley	Ciaran Brannigan	[56]
2022	Sean Hurson	Tyrone	Galbally Parses	Paddy Neilan	Barry Cassidy	Sean Laverty	[57]
2023	David Gough	Meath	Slane	Martin McNally	James Molloy	Fergal Kelly	[58][59]
2024	Sean Hurson	Tyrone	Galbally Parses	Brendan Cawley	Paddy Neilan	Derek O'Mahoney	[60][61]

Referees with more than one final

 Bold  = referee still active at inter-county level

Referee	Number of finals	Years
Pat Dunphy	6	1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1922[11]
John Moloney	5	1967, 1969, 1973, 1975, 1977
Paddy Collins	4	1976, 1981, 1984, 1989
Tommy Sugrue	4	1988 (draw), 1988 (replay) 1992, 1994
Pat McEnaney	4[62]	1996 (draw) 1996 (replay), 2000 (draw), 2004
David Coldrick	4	2007, 2010, 2015, 2020
Joe McQuillan	4	2011, 2013, 2017, 2021
Paddy Mythen	3	1943 (replay), 1944, 1946 (replay)
John McCarthy	3	1898, 1901, 1903
M. F. Crowe	3	1905, 1909, 1913
Brian White	3	1997, 2000 (replay), 2003[31]
Maurice Deegan	3	2008, 2012, 2016 (replay)
Conor Lane	3	2016 (draw), 2018, 2019 (replay)
Simon Deignan	3	1950, 1954, 1958
J. J. Kenny	2	1890, 1895
R. T. Blake	2	1894 (1st), 1894 (replay)
John Fitzgerald	2	1906, 1907, a man by the same name done the 1904 final but it says Cork and not Kildare?
Harry Boland	2?	1914 (draw), 1914 (replay)
Willie Walsh	2	1920, 1921
T. Shevlin	2	1924, 1927
Tom Burke	2	1928, 1929
Martin O'Neill	2	1932, 1933
Sean McCarthy	2	1934, 1936
M. Hennessy	2?	1937 (draw), 1937 (replay)
P. Maguire	2?	1938 (draw), 1938 (replay)
Patrick McKenna	2	1941, 1943 (draw)
Sean Hayes		1952 (draw), 1952 (replay)
John Dowling	2	1959, 1960
Eamonn Moules	2	1962,[15] 1963[15]
Mick Loftus	2	1965, 1968
P. Kelly	2	1970, 1971
Paddy Russell	2	1990, 1995
John Bannon	2	1998, 2002
David Gough	2	2019 (draw), 2023
Sean Hurson	2	2022, 2024

• James Byrne did 1923, a Jim Byrne did 1930?
• J Flaherty (Offaly) did 1939, then an MJ Flaherty (Offaly) did 1948?
• Pat Dunphy (1922) has the distinction of also taking charge of the 1922 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final in the same year.^[11]
• John Dowling (1960) has the distinction of also taking charge of the 1960 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final in the same year.
• Jimmy Hatton (1966) has the distinction of also taking charge of the 1966 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final in the same year.

See also

• FA Cup Final referees, the closest the English have

References

1. "Joe McQuillan confirmed as referee for All-Ireland SFC final". The42.ie. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
2. Fitzpatrick, Richard (18 September 2015). "Referees can end up being centre stage in All-Ireland finals: Decisions can make key difference putting huge pressure on officials". The Irish Times.
3. O'Rourke, Colm (8 September 2019). "There will be fire in Dublin bellies like never before after below-par show". Sunday Independent. p. 8. Retrieved 8 September 2019. The original title (as published) was "Nothing more dangerous than a wounded lion", with the subheading the same as here.
4. Moran, Seán (27 September 2014). "Switching referees helps shelve issues in All-Ireland final replays". The Irish Times.
5. Diallo, Raf (13 August 2019). "The David Gough 'Ref-erendum'". Retrieved 13 August 2019. To discuss the matter, … former inter-county referee Pat McEnaney joined us … said it's not the only instance when referee selection was a bone of contention. 'If we go back even to 2015 and Dublin vs Kerry, David Coldrick refereed it and there was quite a bit of talk about that one as well,' said McEnaney… McEnaney emphasised that Coldrick acquitted himself well in 2015 despite all the talk. He also discussed the process of selecting final referees, including how 2019 would progress… 'If you look at how they went about it this year, David Gough did a quarter-final. [You also had] Paddy Neilaan[sic], Joe McQuillan and David Coldrick as your four referees. So you'd fancy one of them to come from that quarter-final and to me it's looking like David Gough. Because if you even look at the appointments for the quarter-final actually, he refereed Dublin and Cork,' said McEnaney… 'And I think that was the game he went to his umpires and turned it around. From memory, I thought he was very good that day. It's probably based on that performance that he's possibly favourite for the All-Ireland final.'
6. Fitzpatrick, Paul (31 August 2011). "No show like a Joe show as McQuillan gets All Ireland". The Anglo-Celt. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015.
7. "Cavan's all-ireland final referee". Hogan Stand. 31 March 2007.
8. Lennon, Siun (5 September 2018). "Maurice Deegan speaks about being the man in the middle and hopes of refereeing a possible fourth All-Ireland". In last Thursday's podcast he spoke about his hopes of earning a fourth Celtic Cross for being the man with the whistle in another All-Ireland final.
9. Quinn, Martin (31 March 2022). "'A man of the people remembered,' over 100 years since the passing of John Cullinan".
10. "Meath's All-Ireland winner". Hogan Stand. 30 November 2007. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022.
11. O'Connell, Cian (9 December 2016). "1916 All Ireland referees remembered". One hundred years ago Dunphy and Walsh took charge of the All Ireland Finals, while Boland, who reffed the 1914 Football decider and replay, was also remembered.
12. Duggan, Keith (18 July 2009). "One man's decades of dedication to the cause". The Irish Times. Tull (he never knew the origin of the nickname other than it had been passed through the family from his grandfather's time) did it all — he won two All-Irelands with Galway as a player in 1934 and (as captain) 1938; he was trainer — and more — to the championship-winning team of 1956 and to the deathless side that won All-Irelands in 1964, '65 and '66; he was still on the sideline when Galway lost three All-Irelands in succession in the 1970s; he was a referee (he whistled Jack Lynch's football All-Ireland in 1945); and he was an administrator with an impeccably conscientious and fussy streak, taking as much care about recording the minutes of obscure county meetings as he did with the famous pinstripe band on the socks the invincible mid-60s maroon team wore.
13. "The Late Patsy Geraghty". Hogan Stand. 21 July 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
14. "The sad loss of a GAA legend". Irish Independent. 11 February 2002.
15. Furlong, Brendan (17 November 2021). "Eamonn 'Fitch' Moules, referee of first televised All-Ireland football final, dies aged 97: Wicklowman also took charge of 1963 decider and a National League final in New York". The Irish Times.
16. "Death of former All-Ireland referee Fintan Tierney". Hogan Stand. 11 January 2008.
17. "An Galbhaile Cumann na Piarsaigh Clubman Sean Hurson to Referee 2022 All Ireland Football Final". tyronegaa.ie. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
18. Harrington, John (29 August 2019). "1979 Final referee Hugh Duggan still going strong".
19. "O Hehir criticised for Spillane comments". The Kerryman. 11 November 2010. Spillane went down injured before half-time and Seamus Murray, the Monaghan referee, was seen making several attempts to get Spillane off the turf.
20. "Death of 1982 All-Ireland football final referee". Hogan Stand. 22 March 2021.
21. O'Sullivan, Jim (16 November 2006). "Former official Gough says current ref standards are best ever". Irish Examiner.
22. "Dennigan, Jimmy". HoganStand.com. 3 January 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
23. "Sad farewell to GAA legend Jimmy". The Corkman. 10 January 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
24. Kinsella, Colm (10 January 2020). "Sadness at passing of Limerick All-Ireland final referee". Limerick Leader.
25. Russell, Adrian (16 September 2020). "The Double 30 years on: 'When Paddy Russell blew the whistle, the roar was ferocious'". Irish Examiner.
26. "1991 All Ireland SFC Final Down v Meath — Referee Seamus Prior". 29 May 2020.
27. "'I always treated every game and every player equally'". Independent.ie. 16 September 2017. Tommy Sugrue pictured at his home in Tralee with the referee jersey he wore on All-Ireland Final day in 1988.
28. "'I always treated every game and every player equally'". Independent.ie. 16 September 2017. Tommy Sugrue pictured at his home in Tralee with the referee jersey he wore on All-Ireland Final day in 1988.
29. Sweeney, Peter (6 January 2019). "Leitrim player sent off, plays on and gives vital pass". RTÉ.
30. "1996 Sunday Game Mayo v Meath brawl analysis". The Sunday Game. 1996. Pat Spillane: "Paddy Russell had watched two incidents... and the poor man had a bad year last year from us".
31. Cummiskey, Gavin (11 September 2003). "White to referee final". The Irish Times. It will be White's third final as he was also the man in the middle for the 1997 final between Kerry and Mayo and the 2000 replay between Galway and Kerry.
32. "JOHN BANNON Longford football referee". Sunday Independent. 20 August 2006.
33. Keys, Colm (4 February 2005). "Curley to join referee exodus". Irish Independent.
34. "GAA: Collins to referee football final". Irish Examiner. 11 September 2001.
35. "JOHN BANNON Longford football referee". Sunday Independent. 20 August 2006.
36. Keys, Colm (8 August 2009). "Thirteen years after infamous Mayo-Meath melee the shockwaves have not yet settled". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. Retrieved 8 August 2009. ... McHale was a selector when they lost the 2004 All-Ireland heavily to the Kingdom. McEnaney reffed…
37. Foley, Cliona (24 January 2007). "All-Ireland referee Monahan opts out of". Irish Independent.
38. Moran, Seán (2 September 2006). "Cavan's Brian Crowe will referee the All-Ireland football final between Kerry and Mayo in a fortnight's time". The Irish Times.
39. "Sligoman Duffy to ref football final". RTÉ. 1 September 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
40. Breheny, Martin (2 September 2010). "Coldrick to join elite group of referees after landing final". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
41. "Coldrick to referee All-Ireland final". RTÉ. 1 September 2010. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
42. "McQuillan to referee football final". RTÉ. 30 August 2011. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
43. "Maurice Deegan to referee Mayo v Donegal All-Ireland final". RTÉ. 4 September 2012. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
44. "Joe McQuillan to referee All-Ireland final between Dublin and Mayo". RTÉ. 10 September 2013. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
45. "Laois whistler Eddie Kinsella to ref Kerry-Donegal final". RTÉ. 8 September 2012. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
46. "GAA: Eddie Kinsella to referee the All-Ireland SFC final between Kerry and Donegal". Sky Sports. 8 September 2012. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
47. "Eddie Kinsella to referee Kerry and Donegal in the All-Ireland senior football final". TheScore.ie. 8 September 2012. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
48. "Coldrick to referee All-Ireland football final". Hogan Stand. 8 September 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
49. Donoghue, Eamon (31 August 2016). "Cork referee assigned All-Ireland football final". The Irish Times.
50. "Maurice Deegan to ref Dublin v Mayo replay". RTÉ. 20 September 2016.
51. "Joe McQuillan to referee All-Ireland SFC final". Hogan Stand. 4 September 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
52. Donoghue, Eamon (20 August 2018). "Conor Lane confirmed as football final referee". The Irish Times.
53. McGoldrick, Sean (14 August 2019). "Meath's David Gough confirmed as All-Ireland final referee with family members in as umpires". Irish Independent. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
54. "Cork's Conor Lane to referee All-Ireland final replay as ticket prices reduced". TheJournal.ie. September 2, 2019.
55. "Coldrick chosen to referee All-Ireland SFC final". Hogan Stand. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
56. Breheny, Martin (8 September 2021). "Pressure is on referee Joe McQuillan to steer Mayo-Tyrone All-Ireland final through various battles of will". Irish Independent. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
57. "Tyrone's Seán Hurson to referee All-Ireland football final: First senior final for the Galbally Pearses man as he takes charge of Galway vs Kerry at Croke Park". The Irish Times. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
58. "David Gough to referee 2023 All-Ireland SFC final". GAA.ie. 20 July 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
59. "David Gough appointed ref for Dublin-Kerry All-Ireland final". RTÉ News. 20 July 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
60. Keys, Colm. "'I haven't seen a free given for that since' – Padraic Joyce on controversial call by All-Ireland final referee". Independent.ie.
61. "Sean Hurson named referee for All-Ireland SFC football final". RTÉ. 18 July 2024.
62. Keys, Colm. "David Gough's Dublin links no barrier to being final ref — says Pat McEnaney". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media.