Pat McEnaney

Pat McEnaney talks about his GAA playing days and life as a referee at the highest levels of the game. He grew up playing with the Corduff team with his brothers and when he was older in a team that was an amalgamation with the Carrickmacross side. His club had a good relationship with the Shercock team in Cavan and he also lined out with them. Pat also played soccer and went to a boarding school in Carlow, which exposed him to many different sports. Later in life he got involved in refereeing and rose rapidly through the ranks, refereeing at club, university and then inter-county level. In time he got to referee All-Ireland finals and was also appointed an International Rules referee, which brought him to Australia and gave him a taste of what life as a professional would be like. Pat reflects on the ups and downs of being a referee where one has to be a strong character in order to cope with being in the spotlight so much. He also outlines his approach to handling games and players, and offers his opinions on issues such as professionalism within the GAA and the prospects for female referees. A dedicated GAA man, Pat has enjoyed his experiences immensely and although the role of the referee can be perceived as being an isolated one he very much feels that he is part of the extended family network that is the Association.