GAA National Referees' Awards Banquet 2014
GAA National Referees' Awards Banquet 2014
The GAA National Referees' Awards banquet took place at Croke Park on Saturday night, with a number of referees honoured for their services to Gaelic Games.
The event takes place every two years, and this year's event saw a new award created in honour of the late Shane Hourigan, an inter-county hurling referee who tragically lost his life in a car accident in January this year.
Click here to read more about the late Shane Hourigan and the award named in his memory.
The award, named the Shane Hourigan Memorial Award, is for the Young Referee of the Year and the inaugural winner was Tipperary native Fergal Horgan.
Two referees were inducted into the Hall of Fame on the night - PJ McGrath (Mayo), referee of the famous 1982 All-Ireland SFC Final between Kerry and Offaly and Neil Duggan (Limerick), who refereed the 1983 All-Ireland Hurling Final between Kilkenny and Cork.
A number of referees retiring were honoured on the night (see list below), while those who refereed All-Ireland Finals this year in the various grades and competitions were also honoured (see list below).
LIST OF AWARDS
Shane Hourigan Memorial Award for Young Referee of the Year
Fergal Horgan (Tipperary)
Hall of Fame
PJ McGrath (Mayo)Neil Duggan (Limerick)
Retiring Referees
Anthony Stapleton (Laois)Brian O'Shea (Dublin)Con Reynolds (Down)Damien Brazil (Offaly)David Copps (Cork)Declan Magee (Down)Fergus Smith (Meath)Garrett Duffy (Antrim)Jason O'Mahony (Limerick)Joe Curley (Meath)John Sexton (Cork)Martin Higgins (Fermanagh)Michael Meade (Limerick)Michael O'Connor (Limerick)Pat Casey (Waterford)Patrick Fox (Westmeath)Paul Kneel (Louth)Ray Matthews (Antrim)Robert O'Donnell (Donegal)Seán Whelan (Wexford)Syl Doyle (Wexford)
National Final/All-Ireland Final Referees
Alan Kelly (Galway) - Intermediate Hurling 2014 (Cork v Wexford), Allianz H. League D1B 2014 (Limerick v Dublin)Anthony Nolan (Wicklow) - Intermediate Club F. 2014 (Kiltane v Truagh)Anthony Stapleton (Laois) - Inter-Provincial H. 2013 (Munster v Connacht)Barry Cassidy (Derry) - U21 F. 2014 (Dublin v Roscommon)
Brendan Sweeney (Cavan) - Allianz H. League D3B 2013 (Longford v Sligo)Ciaran Branagan (Down) - Junior Club F. 2013 (Ballinasloe v Kenmare Shamrocks), Allianz F. League D4 2013 (Limerick v Offaly)Colm Lyons (Cork) - Under 21 H. 2013 (Antrim v Clare)Cormac Reilly (Meath) - Allianz F. League D1 2014 (Dublin v Derry)
David Gough (Meath) - Under 21 F. 2013 (Cork v Galway), Allianz F. League D2 2014 (Donegal v Monaghan)David Hughes (Carlow) - Minor B H. 2014 (Meath v Kerry)Declan O'Driscoll (Limerick) - Nicky Rackard 2014 (Fingal v Tyrone)Derek O'Mahoney (Tipperary) - Inter-Provincial F. 2014 (Connacht v Ulster)
Garret Duffy (Antrim) - Junior Club H. 2013 (Fullen Gaels v Thomastown), Allianz H. League D2B 2013 (Meath v London)Gary McCormack (Dublin) - Junior F. 2013 (Kildare v Cork)Gearoid McGrath (Dublin) - Allianz H. League D3A 2014 (Roscommon v Donegal)James Clarke (Cavan) - Lory Meagher Cup 2014 (Fermanagh v Longford), Allianz H. League D3B 2014 (Tyrone v Leitrim), Minor C H. 2013 (Mayo v Monaghan)
James Owens (Wexford) - Allianz H. League D1 2014 (Tipperary v Kilkenny)John Keane (Galway) - Minor C H. 2014 (Mayo v Monaghan), Allianz H. League D2B 2014 (Down v Wicklow)John Keenan (Wicklow) - Junior Club H. Replay 2014 (Ballysaggart v Creggan Kickhams)John Sexton (Cork) - Senior Club H. 2013 (Kilcormac/Killoughey v St. Thomas)
Justin Heffernan (Wexford) - Minor B H. 2013 (Meath v Kerry)Liam McAuley (Antrim) - Lory Meagher Cup 2013 (Longford v Warwickshire)Martin McNally (Monaghan) - Junior Club F. 2014 (Fuerty v Two Mile House)Marty Duffy (Sligo) - Allianz F. League D1 2013 (Dublin v Tyrone)
Maurice Deegan (Laois) - Sigerson Cup 2013 (DIT v UCC)Owen Elliott (Antrim) - U21 B H. 2014 (Kildare v Roscommon)Pádraig Hughes (Armagh) - Senior Club F. 2013 (Ballymun Kickhams v St. Brigid's)Patrick Murphy (Carlow) - Nicky Rackard Cup 2013 (Donegal v Roscommon)
Seán Cleere (Kilkenny) - Christy Ring Cup 2014 (Kerry v Kildare)Seán Hurson (Tyrone) - Allianz F. League D3 2014 (Cavan v Roscommon)Tony Carroll (Offaly) - Intermediate H. 2013 (Kilkenny v Tipperary)Fergal Horgan (Tipperary) - Minor H. 2014 (Limerick v Kilkenny), Intermediate Club H. 2014 (Rower-Inistioge v Kilnadeema-Leitrim),Allianz H. League D2A 2014 (Kerry v Carlow), U21 B H. 2013 (Kildare v Kerry)
Cathal McAllister (Cork) - Minor H. 2013 (Galway v Waterford), U21 H. 2014 (Clare v Wexford)Conor Lane (Cork) - Minor F. 2013 (Mayo v Tyrone), Allianz F. League D2 2013 (Derry v Westmeath)Fergal Kelly (Longford) - Minor F. 2014 (Kerry v Donegal), Intermediate Club F. 2013 (Cookstown Fr. Rocks v Finuge)Brian Gavin (Offaly) - Senior H. Replay 2014 (Kilkenny v Tipperary), Senior H. 2013 (Clare v Cork)
Barry Kelly (Westmeath) - Senior H. 2014 (Kilkenny v Tipperary), Senior Club H. 2014 (Mt. Leinster Rangers v Portumna), Allianz H. League D1 2013 (Kilkenny v Tipperary), Fitzgibbon Cup 2013 (UCC v Mary I)James McGrath (Westmeath) - Senior H. Replay 2013 (Cork v Clare), Fitzgibbon Cup 2014 (WIT v CIT)Joe McQuillan (Cavan) - Senior F. 2013 (Dublin v Mayo), Sigerson Cup 2014 (UUJ v UCC)Eddie Kinsella (Laois) - Senior F. 2014 (Donegal v Kerry), Senior Club F. 2014 (Castlebar Mitchells v St. Vincent's)