Upset among up-and-coming officials as football championship referee panel cut

MAN IN THE MIDDLE: Referee Brendan Cawley with Donegal's Patrick McBrearty and Kerry's Gavin White before the 2026 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

The referees panel for the forthcoming All-Ireland senior football championship has been whittled down from 24 to 20 this year.

The national referee development committee met with the central referees appointment committee last Thursday to finalise the match officials who will take charge of games starting with the provincial openers on April 11 and 12.

Joe McQuillan and Derek O’Mahoney turned 50 and are no longer eligible to be part of the group, while Jerome Henry has stepped aside due to other commitments.

David Coldrick and Fergal Kelly are in their final seasons. Barry Cassidy, Liam Devenney and Conor Lane are due to finish up in 2027.

It is understood David Murnane of Cork and Galway’s James Molloy are not part of the list having been on it last season, while Cavan’s Conor Dourneen is included.

There are eight Ulster representatives in the group, six from Leinster and three from Connacht and Munster.

The cut in referees is not entirely surprising given there are less games in both the Sam Maguire and Tailteann Cups this season as a result of the new qualifier system replacing the group stages.

However, given seven referees will “retire” in the space of three years, there is some consternation among up-and-coming referees about a perceived lack of opportunity in the championship panel.

Sligo’s Barry Judge has refereed twice in Division 2 this year and Diarmuid Boylan (Monaghan), Jonathan Hayes (Limerick), Chris Maguire (Clare) and Christopher Ryan (Galway) have done so in Division 3, but none are in the 20-man panel.

Eyebrows have also been raised about some referees who continue to be appointed to high-profile games despite not fitness tests until the National League has begun.

A championship fitness examination is set to take place in the Connacht centre of excellence in Bekan, Co Mayo this Friday.

“Many within the group now feel that capability, performance, and commitment to training may be secondary to provincial or county-level politics at national panel level,” said one inter-county championship referee.

“These issues continue to raise significant questions among referees regarding fairness, development pathways, and the direction of refereeing structures nationally.”

2026 All-Ireland SFC referees championship panel

Barry Cassidy (Derry); Brendan Cawley (Kildare); David Coldrick (Meath); Niall Cullen (Fermanagh); Liam Devenney (Mayo); Conor Dourneen (Cavan); Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone); Paul Faloon (Down); Brendan Griffin (Kerry); David Gough (Meath); Seán Hurson (Tyrone); Fergal Kelly (Longford); Conor Lane (Cork); Seán Lonergan (Tipperary); Martin McNally (Monaghan); Seamus Mulhare (Laois); Thomas Murphy (Galway); Noel Mooney (Cavan); Paddy Neilan (Roscommon); Barry Tiernan (Dublin).