Monahan to ref football final

Kildare man Mick Monahan has today been appointed to referee the Bank of Ireland All-Ireland SFC final between Kerry and Tyrone on September 25.

A Leinster club championship medal winner as a player with Raheens in 1982, Monahan will be taking charge of his first All-Ireland senior final having been on the inter-county panel for the past seven years.

He refereed the All-Ireland semi-final between Donegal and Armagh in 2003 and was also the man in the middle when Caltra of Galway beat Kerry's An Ghaeltacht in the 2004 AIB All-Ireland club final.

Maurice Deegan of Laois has been chosen to referee the ESB All-Ireland minor football final between Mayo and Down - which will act as the curtain raiser to the senior decider at Croke Park on September 25.

It will be the former Stradbally player's third All-Ireland final this year. Deegan already refereed the Intermediate Club final between Carbery Rangers and Pomeroy Plunkett's, as well as the meeting of Down and Galway in the Cadbury's All-Ireland Under-21 final.

The GAA, meanwhile, have confirmed that the Erin All-Ireland Under-21 hurling final between Galway and champions Kilkenny will be held in the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, on September 18.