Panel of 30 referees named for Championship as leading hurling refs could take charge of fewer games

15 referees are available for games in both hurling and football

Leading hurling referees could take charge of fewer Championship games this summer as a result of the GAA combining the Liam MacCarthy and Joe McDonagh Cup match official panels.

As many as 15 referees are available for games in either competition after referees chiefs chose to return to amalgamating the two lists previously done in 2019. 

Last year, a Liam MacCarthy Cup-only group was compiled, which saw the likes of 2020 All-Ireland SHC final referee Fergal Horgan take charge of four of the 18 games.

“We’ve joined the Joe McDonagh and Liam MacCarthy panels together so it gives extra possibilities for the appointments committee,” explained the GAA’s national match official manager Donal Smyth. 

“The reality is we still only have 27 games in those hurling competitions, 19 games in the Liam MacCarthy, and eight in the Joe McDonagh. We had nine referees for the Liam MacCarthy last year but we want to give more options this time around.”

Protocols for sliotars used in Championship games will remain the same. It has been the policy in Croke Park to request the preferred brand of sliotar from each team and use a combination of both during the game or one should both teams share the same choice.

A similar policy is applied at provincial level where teams use their own sliotars for the warm-ups but the balls used are supplied by the council on the day via match officials. It is believed Clare and Waterford will nominate a different brand to one another in Semple Stadium this Sunday.

“Say Galway are playing the Cummins ball and Kilkenny are playing O’Neills in Croke Park, we put a mixture of them in a bag and give them to the umpires at both ends,” explains Smyth. “It’s only those ones then that they can use.”

Smyth agrees the chances of a penalty shootout settling a Championship game are increasing. Although none were required in last year’s competition, the rise in scoring figures in Gaelic football would seem to militate against it and the All-Ireland finals are exempt from the winner on the day protocols this year, he can see it happening.

“A couple of games in Ulster definitely have the potential but in the second season of it, you would think the probability of it is going up because of the number of games being played.”

Football and hurling referees will convene in the coming days to discuss the new rules as well as the return to the regulation five substitutes from seven in the Allianz Leagues.

2021 CHAMPIONSHIP REFEREES – HURLING

Cathal McAllister (Cork) 

Club: Aghada 

Championship Matches 2020: 2 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Carlow v Kerry (21.11.2020) 

Fergal Horgan (Tipperary) 

Club: Knockavilla Kickhams 

Championship Matches 2020: 4 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Limerick v Waterford (13.12.2020) 

Johnny Murphy (Limerick) 

Club: Ballylanders

Championship Matches 2020: 2 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Galway v Tipperary (21.11.2020) 

Paud O’Dwyer (Carlow) 

Club: Palatine 

Championship Matches 2020: 2 

League Matches 2021: 3 

Last Championship Match: Clare v Waterford (21.11.2020) 

Seán Stack (Dublin)

Club: Parnells

Championship Matches 2020: 3 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Down v Offaly (14.11.2020)

Colm Lyons (Cork) 

Club: Nemo Rangers 

Championship Matches 2020: 2 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Limerick v Waterford (15.11.2020) 

James Owens (Wexford) 

Club: Askamore 

Championship Matches 2020: 2 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Galway v Limerick (29.11.2020) 

Liam Gordon (Galway) 

Club: Killimor 

Championship Matches 2020: 3 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Antrim v Kerry (13.12.2020) 

Rory McGann (Clare) 

Club: Newmarket 

Championship Matches 2020: 2 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Meath v Westmeath (21.11.2020)

Shane Hynes (Galway) 

Club: Oranmore/Maree 

Championship Matches 2020: 0 

League Matches 2021: 3 

Last Championship Match: Derry v Meath (8.6.2019) 

Colum Cunning (Antrim) 

Club: Cuchullains 

Championship Matches 2020: 2 

League Matches 2021: 4 

Last Championship Match: Derry v Offaly (7.11.2020) 

John Keenan (Wicklow) 

Club: Aughrim 

Championship Matches 2020: 1 

League Matches 2021: 3 

Last Championship Match: Cork v Dublin (7.11.2020) 

Patrick Murphy (Carlow) 

Club: Ballinkillen 

Championship Matches 2020: 2 

League Matches 2021: 3 

Last Championship Match: Antrim v Kerry (14.11.2020) 

Seán Cleere (Kilkenny) 

Club: O’Loughlin Gaels 

Championship Matches 2020: 1 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Kerry v Westmeath (31.10.2020) 

Thomas Walsh (Waterford) 

Club: Modeligo 

Championship Matches 2020: 3 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Carlow v Westmeath (28.11.2020)

2021 CHAMPIONSHIP REFEREES - FOOTBALL

Barry Cassidy (Derry) 

Club: Bellaghy 

Championship Matches 2020: 2 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Cavan v Donegal (20.11.2020) 

Conor Lane (Cork)

Club: Banteer/Lyre

Championship Matches 2020: 2 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Kildare v Meath (15.11.2020) 

Derek O’Mahoney (Tipperary) 

Club: Ardfinnan 

Championship Matches 2020: 2 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Dublin v Meath (21.11.2020) 

Joe McQuillan (Cavan) 

Club: Kill Shamrocks

Championship Matches 2020: 1 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Donegal v Tyrone (1.11.2020)

Niall Cullen (Fermanagh) 

Club: Erne Gaels

Championship Matches 2020: 0 

League Matches 2021: 3 

Last Championship Match: Clare v Leitrim (22.6.2019) 

Brendan Cawley (Kildare) 

Club: Sarsfields 

Championship Matches 2020: 1 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Limerick v Waterford (31.10.2020) 

David Coldrick (Meath) 

Club: Blackhall Gaels 

Championship Matches 2020: 4 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Dublin v Mayo (19.12.2020) 

Fergal Kelly (Longford) 

Club: Ballymahon 

Championship Matches 2020: 1 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Carlow v Offaly (1.11.2020) 

Martin McNally (Monaghan) 

Club: Corduff 

Championship Matches 2020: 2 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Cavan v Down (15.11.2020)

Paul Faloon (Down) 

Club: Drumgath 

Championship Matches 2020: 2 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Antrim v Cavan (7.11.2020) 

Ciarán Branagan (Down) 

Club: Clonduff 

Championship Matches 2020: 4 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Cavan v Dublin (5.12.2020) 

David Gough (Meath) 

Club: Slane 

Championship Matches 2020: 2 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Mayo v Tipperary (6.12.2020) 

Jerome Henry (Mayo) 

Club: Castlebar Mitchels 

Championship Matches 2020: 0 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Derry v Laois (22.6.2019) 

Maurice Deegan (Laois) 

Club: Stradbally 

Championship Matches 2020: 3 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Cork v Tipperary (22.11.2020) 

Sean Hurson (Tyrone) 

Club: Galbally Pearses 

Championship Matches 2020: 3 

League Matches 2021: 2 

Last Championship Match: Galway v Mayo (15.11.2020)

A panel of 17 referees has been assembled to take charge of matches across the Christy Ring, Nickey Rackard and Lory Meagher Cup games in the coming weeks.

Christy Ring, Nickey Rackard, and Lory Meagher Cup referees: Alan Kelly (Galway), Brian Keon (Galway), Caymon Flynn (Westmeath), Kevin Brady (Louth), Thomas Gleeson (Dublin), Chris Mooney (Dublin), David Hughes (Kilkenny), Gearóid McGrath (Wexford), Richie Fitzsimons (Offaly), Shane Guinan (Offaly), Nathan Wall (Cork), Kevin Jordan (Tipperary), Michael Kennedy (Tipperary), James Clarke (Cavan), Colm McDonald (Antrim), Kevin Park (Antrim), Tarlach Conway (Derry).