Female GAA referee Maggie Farrelly: I’m not trying to be a pioneer

History-making referee Maggie Farrelly says she is proof positive that the GAA is “moving with the times”.

The Cavan whistler became the first female referee to take charge of a men’s senior inter-county fixture when she took the whistle for Wednesday night’s McKenna Cup fixture between Fermanagh v St Mary’s in Garvaghy.

Adamant that gender has neither been a hindrance nor a help in her rise to prominence, Farrelly says the respect shown to her by players has ensured a “seamless” integration into top-level GAA officiating.