All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final referees

According to The Irish Times, the referee is often "centre stage" during All-Ireland SFC finals.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/referees-can-end-up-being-centre-stage-in-all-ireland-finals-1.2356064|title=Referees can end up being centre stage in All-Ireland finals: Decisions can make key difference putting huge pressure on officials|newspaper=The Irish Times|first=Richard|last=Fitzpatrick|date=18 September 2015}}

Men who referee a final that ends in a draw cannot also referee the replay. This rule was highlighted in 2019, when David Gough — thought by consensus to have had a good game — was replaced by Conor Lane for the replay. Colm O'Rourke in the Sunday Independent column, "The GAA's view that the referee of a drawn game cannot take the replay defies common sense and logic. Why disqualify a referee when he has done a good job? If the referee is not up to it then certainly he should be left off, but when there is almost universal agreement that he is the best referee in the country then give him all the big games and replays too. The players want the best referees".{{cite news|first=Colm|last=O'Rourke|authorlink=Colm O'Rourke|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/colm-orourke-three-dublin-players-are-at-risk-as-jim-gavin-ponders-replay-changes-38477315.html|title=There will be fire in Dublin bellies like never before after below-par show|work=Sunday Independent|date=8 September 2019|accessdate=8 September 2019|page=8}} The original title (as published) was "Nothing more dangerous than a wounded lion", with the subheading the same as here.

Brian White was the first to benefit from the rule change when he got to referee the 2000 replay.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/switching-referees-helps-shelve-issues-in-all-ireland-final-replays-1.1943246|title=Switching referees helps shelve issues in All-Ireland final replays|newspaper=The Irish Times|first=Seán|last=Moran|date=27 September 2014}}

Referees are chosen by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) for their impartiality and their assessed performance scores over that championship season. A clue to the identity of the final referee may be found among those chosen to referee All-Ireland quarter-finals. In recent years, a referee who has overseen an All-Ireland SFC semi-final is never chosen for the final. However, he has tended to have refereed a quarter-final.{{cite news|first=Raf|last=Diallo|url=https://www.offtheball.com/sport/david-gough-debate-893545|title=The David Gough 'Ref-erendum'|date=13 August 2019|accessdate=13 August 2019|quote=To discuss the matter, … former inter-county referee Pat McEnaney joined us … said it's not the only instance when referee selection was a bone of contention. 'If we go back even to 2015 and Dublin vs Kerry, David Coldrick refereed it and there was quite a bit of talk about that one as well,' said McEnaney… McEnaney emphasised that Coldrick acquitted himself well in 2015 despite all the talk. He also discussed the process of selecting final referees, including how 2019 would progress… 'If you look at how they went about it this year, David Gough did a quarter-final. [You also had] Paddy Neilaan[sic], Joe McQuillan and David Coldrick as your four referees. So you'd fancy one of them to come from that quarter-final and to me it's looking like David Gough. Because if you even look at the appointments for the quarter-final actually, he refereed Dublin and Cork,' said McEnaney… 'And I think that was the game he went to his umpires and turned it around. From memory, I thought he was very good that day. It's probably based on that performance that he's possibly favourite for the All-Ireland final.'}}

A referee who has officiated at one of the semi-finals is traditionally overlooked when deciding the referee for the same year's final.

When the decision is made, the identity of the referee chosen is revealed following the All-Ireland SFC semi-finals and ahead of the final. A period of media attention may ensue, sometimes even before the announcement has been made.

On the day, the referee is introduced to the President of Ireland ahead of the game.{{cite news|url=https://www.hoganstand.com/article/index/77300|title=Cavan's all-ireland final referee|work=Hogan Stand|date=31 March 2007}}

The referee receives a Celtic cross for each final he officiates.{{cite news|url=https://www.laoistoday.ie/2018/09/05/maurice-deegan/|title=Maurice Deegan speaks about being the man in the middle and hopes of refereeing a possible fourth All-Ireland|first=Siun|last=Lennon|date=5 September 2018|quote=In last Thursday’s podcast he spoke about his hopes of earning a fourth Celtic Cross for being the man with the whistle in another All-Ireland final.}}

File:Harry Boland Portrait.jpg, 1914 referee]]

{{anchor|Eamonn Moules}}

{{anchor|Pat Lane}}

File:Marty Duffy during the 2013 NFL Final.jpg, 2009 referee]]

{{color box|FFFFDD|Bold}} = referee still active at inter-county level

• James Byrne did 1923, a Jim Byrne did 1930?
• J Flaherty (Offaly) did 1939, then an MJ Flaherty (Offaly) did 1948?
• Pat Dunphy (1922) has the distinction of also taking charge of the 1922 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final in the same year.
• John Dowling (1960) has the distinction of also taking charge of the 1960 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final in the same year.
• Jimmy Hatton (1966) has the distinction of also taking charge of the 1966 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final in the same year.

• FA Cup Final referees, the closest the English have

{{Reflist}}

{{All-Ireland Senior Football Championship}}