John Fogarty: Action needed as refereeing shortage mirrors decline of priesthood

John Fogarty on the shortage of referees in the GAA, the subjectivity of the All-Stars, and the awkward marriage of hurling and floodlights

Ref Jerome Henry is escorted off the field as Mountbellew/Moylough’s Michael Daly attempts to remonstrate after the AIB Connacht SFC semi-final at Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon. Picture: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

The GAA can’t say they weren’t told. An anticipated nationwide recruitment drive for referees and suggestions the age limit of 50 will be lifted at inter-county level indicates they are prepared to do something but the hope is it won’t be too late.

The warning signs have been blinking from their units for the best part of a decade at this stage. In 2013, Tipperary had to cancel a young referees course due to poor uptake. Former Leinster secretary Michael Delaney spoke at the time of how “it is alarming to see how difficult it is to come up with sufficient match officials, particularly in hurling, to cover our programme of games”. Around the same time, then Tyrone chairman Ciarán MacLaughlin said clubs “need to change this or be faced with games being called off”.