Whistle blown on famous men in the middle

MOST of the top GAA inter-county referees have encountered a defining stage in their careers, where they either learned from the experience and availed of the opportunity to re-establish their reputations or slipped quietly into obscurity.

Most, like top football referee Pat McEnaney, who didn’t distinguish himself in the Mayo-Meath replay of the 1996 All-Ireland final, fit into the former category. Some like Seamus Aldridge - the man in the middle when Mikey Sheehy scored that famous goal in the 1978 final - never quite recovered.

Referees are not permitted to talk to the media after games, even to the extent of defending themselves in certain circumstances - except that nowadays Fr Seamus Gardiner acts as a spokesman after the major games.

Irish Examiner GAA writer Jim O’Sullivan has managed to get 17 referees to talk frankly about episodes in which they were involved, as well as review their careers and explain their philosophy.

An article on John Dowling, who died shortly before he was due to be interviewed, also appears in the book.

Jimmy Cooney, a member of the All-Ireland winning Galway hurling team of 1980 - and brother of Joe Cooney - was the central character in one of the most dramatic happenings in the GAA in modern times. Four years ago, a time-keeping error caused him to end the Clare-Offaly replay of the All-Ireland hurling semi-final prematurely. Offaly were only three points behind at the time and, in a spontaneous reaction, furious supporters occupied the field - forcing the abandonment of a game between Kerry and Kildare in the final of the All-Ireland ‘B’ U 21 hurling final.

The GAC, meeting overnight, ordered a refixture the following week, which Clare lost. The game was refereed by Dickie Murphy after Cooney, not surprisingly, declined to handle it.

For the first time Cooney tells the full story of the consequences of his action, for him personally and his family. In his own words, it was a nightmare.

Among the other referees interviewed are John Moloney, who will be remembered for the two goal decisions in the 1976 Munster final replay between Cork and Kerry, Tommy Sugrue, whose decision to award Meath a late free in the 1998 All-Ireland final forced Cork into a replay which they lost, Paddy Russell, who disallowed the point which would have given Tyrone a draw against Dublin in the 1995 decider, and Willie Barrett, the man in the middle for the explosive 1998 Munster hurling final replay between Waterford and Clare.

The feats of former GAA President Con Murphy and Meath legend Peter McDermott in simultaneously refereeing and playing at the highest level, sets them apart. , Con Murphy played in the 1948 Munster final, which Cork lost to Waterford, and refereed the All-Ireland final two months later.

Published by Sliabh Ban Publications in Dublin, the book will be officially launched in Croke Park on Tuesday and in the Silversprings Moran Hotel, Cork on Friday, November 22, by Munster Council chairman Christy Cooney.

The following referees are profiled in the book: Seamus Aldridge, Jimmy Cooney, John Dowling, John Moloney, Dickie Murphy, Pat McEnaney, Willie Barrett, Mick Curley, John Gough, Tommy Moran, Frank Murphy, Paddy Russell, Paddy Collins, Patsy Devlin, Mick Loftus, Con Murphy, Peter McDermott, Tommy Sugrue.