Brendan Cawley to referee All-Ireland SFC final, Kerry and Donegal to wear alternative jerseys

Kerry will wear blue and Donegal their predominantly white jersey on July 27.

Tue, 15 Jul, 2025 - 13:27

PJ Browne and John Fogarty

Brendan Cawley will take charge of an All-Ireland SFC final for the first time when Donegal play Kerry on July 27.

This season, the Kildare native was the man in the middle for Kerry's quarter-final victory over Armagh while he also took charge of Donegal's Ulster preliminary round win against Derry, their provincial final triumph against Armagh, and their league win against the Kingdom.

Last year, the Sarsfields man officiated Donegal's Ulster semi-final victory over Tyrone and their All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Galway. He was also a linesman and standby referee for the decider between Galway and Armagh.

Following Donegal's loss to Galway in the 2024 semi-final, Jim McGuinness expressed dissatisfaction with some calls made by Cawley.

“I don't make comments about referees and I try to stay away from it,” said McGuinness. “There were a number that we weren't happy with. In the first minute, Ryan McHugh was breaking through, had two men pulling at him and he was blown for over-carrying.

“I don't really want to go there; it is what it is. These games can be decided by one or two moments. We'll take it on the chin.”

The game will be Cawley's 30th senior championship game since his debut at this level six years ago. His umpires will be Dave Coady, Lee Moore (both from Ballykelly), Eoghan Fitzpatrick (Nurney) and Johnny Farrell (Rathangan) while his linesmen will be Monaghan’s Martin McNally and Meath’s David Coldrick. McNally will also be the standby referee. The sideline official will be Thomas Murphy from Galway while Wicklow's Garreth Whelan will be the Hawk-Eye official, and Antrim's Seán Laverty the time official.

Kildare GAA congratulated Cawley on his appointment.

"Anyone who knows Brendan, or has worked alongside him, will agree that this moment was always a matter of when, not if," they said in a statement.

"His dedication, consistency, and composure have long marked him out as one of the very best in the game, and it is fitting that he now takes charge of this prestigious fixture.

"A special word of congratulations must also go to his team of umpires, who have travelled the length and breadth of the country with him. Their commitment and support have been vital, and it’s only right that they share in this proud moment. It is also a very proud moment for Brendan’s family and friends."

Kerry and Donegal will wear their alternative strips for the final. The decision was made following consultation between Croke Park and referee Cawley.

In their 2014 decider, Kerry and Donegal wore their traditional kits of green and gold and yellow and green.

However, Kerry will wear their dark blue second jersey on July 27 while Donegal will don their predominantly white version as they did in February’s rescheduled Division 1 game in Fitzgerald Stadium.

It is the first time since the 2010 final that both teams will wear their alternative jerseys. That year, champions Cork played in a white version while Down wore a gold top.

For last Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final, Donegal and Meath were both set to wear different jerseys, Donegal in white and Meath in yellow. However, that call was reversed when referee Paul Faloon adjudged there was no colour clash between their jerseys.