Mullingar Shamrocks

Founded 1953

Co. Westmeath

A referee's retrospective ...

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A Referee's Perspective ...

Our Under-Age Committee chairman Barry Kelly has had a most distinguished refereeing career that began at inter-county level in 1998. Barry's inter-county refereeing CV includes a Railway Cup Final (1999), All-Ireland Minor Final (2000), All-Ireland Club Final (2004), All-Ireland Under-21 Final (2004), Munster, Leinster and Ulster hurling finals and $ All-Ireland Senior Hurling Finals (2--6, 2008, 2012 and 2014). Here Barry gives us some thoughts on his career behind the whistle .

Refereeing was in some ways an inherited part of my sporting fabric. My dad John Kelly did a bit of refereeing in the 70s and 80s but it was as an umpire with Paddy Collins that first attracted my attention to his involvement as a match official. Paddy used to collect dad on the way to various league and championship matches in the 70s and on occasions I would travel with them. (I’m not sure whether dad’s fellow umpires Liam Davitt, Paddy Hannon and Noel Fitzgerald really appreciated a 7/8 year old taking up room in the car but I really enjoyed the journeys and the matches). I remember attending a Leinster football final in 1977 as a 7 year old and being left on my own in the stand when the officials went to get ready for the match. If it happened today dad would probably be arrested!!! Obviously times were different back then.

Fast forward about 15 years and I began to referee a few underage football matches in Westmeath. One memorable encounter was a drawn under 12 final between Bunbrosna and Maryland which featured many of the players from both clubs who would backbone their ascent to senior ranks in future years. The likes of Finian and Conor Newman played that day. The aforementioned Paddy Collins was at that match and he put my name forward to do a Leinster referees’ course. I was somewhat reluctant as it involved 4 nights in Portlaoise and I was commuting to my teaching job in St. Brendan’s Community School in Birr. Tommy Glennon from Tyrrellspass was Westmeath fixtures Secretary and he persuaded me to do the course. I intended to do football refereeing but there was a shortage of hurling referees in Leinster so I was advised to do the hurling exam. This was a stroke of luck as hurling is easier to referee than football and there were fewer referees to compete with.

One of the key pieces of advice on the course was to get a reliable set of umpires and I was blessed in this regard. I knew Michael ‘Cosy’ Coyle from his involvement with St. Oliver Plunkett's and he was an experienced umpire having worked with Des Maguire, Terry O’ Dowd and Paddy Casey. (Incidentally Cosy must hold a national record for umpiring at senior county finals as he’s done so on approx 25 occasions). Cosy came on board with me and he recommended Seamus ‘Sobby’ O’ Brien, Noel Nugent and Anthony Gavin as Plunkett's men who’d be interested. These four lads were fantastic umpires and brilliant company on the many days we travelled the length and breadth of the country. Umpires are the unheralded heroes of the refereeing world and I was so lucky to have these guys. Anthony Gavin retired in 2010 and Paddy Walsh from Clonkill stepped into his shoes. Sadly Noel Nugent passed away in June 2013 and I asked Paul Reville to join our team. Paddy and Paul are two great GAA men who love attending matches and again I was very fortunate to have their services.

I was asked onto the Inter county referees’ panel in 1997 and served 21 years before retiring in 2017. There were many memorable games and a couple of times where things were not very enjoyable. Overall though I found hurling refereeing at inter county level a fantastic experience. We were lucky to officiate in venues like Casement Park, Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Semple Stadium and Croke Park. There was great camaraderie among the referees and many of my contemporaries are amongst my closest friends. Older referees like Dickie Murphy, Willie Barrett and Paddy Russell were extremely helpful to the younger guys. Tipperary’s Eoin Kelly, Waterford’s Ken McGrath, Kilkenny’s Tommy Walsh and Galway’s Joe Canning were four sublime players who stood out in my experience. Patrick Doherty from The Downs via Delvin was in charge of the National referees from 2008 to 2019 and his leadership and expertise transformed refereeing. Stringent Fitness tests were introduced and monthly seminars helped to improve standards. I’m still refereeing at club level and still find it very enjoyable


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