Limerick's Johnny Murphy to referee All-Ireland SHC final 

FINAL DUTIES: Referee Johnny Murphy. Pic: Laszlo Geczo, Inpho

Limerick’s Johnny Murphy is to take charge of his first All-Ireland senior hurling final on Sunday week.

The Ballylanders clubman, who also played for Glenroe, has been appointed to officiate the Clare v Cork decider having refereed the All-Ireland quarter-final between Clare and Wexford, the Clare v Tipperary Munster Round 5 game as well as the Wexford v Dublin and Dublin v Kilkenny Leinster Round 1 and 4 fixtures.

Limerick’s involvement in four of the last five All-Ireland finals has naturally prevented Murphy from being considered for the decider previously.

Murphy took charge of this year’s Clare v Kilkenny Division 1 final. Three years ago, he refereed the U20 All-Ireland decider having overlooked the 2018 All-Ireland minor final. 

In 2023, he was the man in the middle for the All-Ireland senior club showdown between Ballyhale Shamrocks and Dunloy Cúchulainns.

The 45-year-old’s first senior county final was in 2013 when Na Piarsaigh and Adare clashed, 13 years after his first official experience of refereeing.

Murphy played senior inter-county football for Limerick as well as intermediate hurling for the county and his father Seamus also refereed.

Murphy is the first Limerick man to officiate an All-Ireland SHC final since Pat O’Connor in 2003. O’Connor also refereed the 1999 and 2001 finals. Prior to O’Connor, Terence Murray supervised the 1987 and ’93 clashes.

Murphy’s most regular umpires have been Mike Meade, James Hickey, his brother Jimmy Barry Murphy and Kieran O’Callaghan.

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