Irish referees are making their mark

THE continued progress of Ireland’s referees at international level was emphasised this week

This follows the elevation of Hilda McDermott to the ladies’ international panel and the appointment of Alan Kelly to a major U-17 tournament in Egypt at the end of the month.

Ms McDermott is the first Irish lady to be accorded international status. She is now eligible to officiate at the top level of ladies’ international matches and also at the main club competition in Europe, the ladies’ equivalent of the Champions’ League.

She has been officiating in the Eircom League for the past three seasons as referee in the first division and as referee’s assistant in the premier division. Her father referees in the Dublin junior leagues.

Kelly is one of four European referees appointed to officiate at the Meridian Cup competition in Egypt from January 24 to February 2. The competition for U-17 teams is a regular part of the international calendar of matches and will be contested by four European and four African teams.

The competition will be decided over 16 matches and will take the form of an intercontinental contest on similar lines to golf’s Ryder Cup.

Each of the four European teams will play the four African teams on a round robin basis. “I’m delighted with this honour,” Kelly said. “It’s very much unexpected and very welcome.”

His appointment comes after a busy year during which he was referee at a semi-final of the European under-17 Championships, a European under-19 Championship qualifying match in Latvia, an U-21 match between

England and Italy and Intertoto Cup matches.

He is son of Pat Kelly, the Cork-based head of the FAI Referees’ Department, who said: “We have been working hard to reduce the age profile of our referees on the international panel and it is a process that will continue. This is welcome recognition of our work and a big encouragement to the young people who are striving to reach international standard.”

Ireland has three other referees on the international panel, all of them based in Dublin: Paul McKeon, Hugh Byrne and John Feighery.