Roche blows full-time on career

TIPPERARY’S Seamus Roche has announced his retirement from intercounty refereeing.

The 2005 All-Ireland SHC decider was the highlight of Roche’s career and he recalled: “I had been on the line for the previous two years (2003 and 2004) but even still, it was a shock to get that (All-Ireland final) call. After doing a semi-final, I thought that I was out of the reckoning, and also considering some of the outcome from the semi-final. I thought I was out of the running so it was a nice call to get.”

In May 2004, Roche was the victim of an alleged assault following a local club match between Boherlahan-Dualla and Holycross at Semple Stadium. And last October, Roche was struck after the county senior hurling semi-final between Toomevara and Thurles Sarsfields. Roche, 41, was an intercounty referee since the late 1990s and also took charge of the 2005 Leinster SHC final, the 2007 Munster SHC final and the 2005 AIB All-Ireland club hurling final.