David Coldrick

Coldrick began refereeing in 1994.

Coldrick refereed the 2004 Meath SFC final and 2007 Meath SFC final replay.{{cite news|url=https://www.hoganstand.com/article/index/89391|title=Meath's All-Ireland winner|work=Hogan Stand|date=30 November 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811235423/https://www.hoganstand.com/article/index/89391|archive-date=11 August 2022}}

Coldrick refereed the 2005 Munster SFC final.

He refereed the 2007 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final between Cork and Kerry at Croke Park. He was the fourth Meathman to referee an All-Ireland final, following Dick Blake (1894, Dublin v Cork, drawn game and replay), Peter McDermott (1953, Kerry v Armagh, & 1956, Galway v Cork) and Paddy Kavanagh (1985, Dublin v Kerry). Coldrick later became part of a select group to referee more than one All-Ireland final when he took charge of the 2010 All-Ireland SFC final between Cork and Down.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/coldrick-to-join-elite-group-of-referees-after-landing-final-26677326.html|title=Coldrick to join elite group of referees after landing final|newspaper=Irish Independent|first=Martin|last=Breheny|authorlink=Martin Breheny|date=2 September 2010|access-date=2 September 2010}}{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2010/0901/referee.html?gaa|title=Coldrick to referee All-Ireland final|publisher=RTÉ|date=1 September 2010|access-date=1 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315213909/http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/football/2010/0901/270055-referee/|archive-date=15 March 2015}}

In 2013, he toured counties, such as Meath, Longford and Louth, to explain the new black card to referees.{{cite news|url=https://www.meathchronicle.ie/2013/11/21/navan-black-card-seminar-a-success/|title=Navan Black Card seminar a success|work=Meath Chronicle|first=Conall|last=Collier|date=21 November 2013}}

Coldrick was named as the referee for the 2015 All-Ireland SFC final between Dublin and Kerry on 8 September.{{cite news|url=https://www.hoganstand.com/article/index/243914|title=Coldrick to referee All-Ireland football final|date=8 September 2015|work=Hogan Stand|access-date=9 September 2015}} That game (and Coldrick) featured in the documentary All Ireland Day.{{cite news|first=Seán|last=Moran|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/all-ireland-day-a-memorable-portrait-of-the-year-s-highlight-1.2424683|title='All-Ireland Day' a memorable portrait of the year's highlight|work=The Irish Times|date=11 November 2015}}

In December 2020, he was named as referee for the 2020 All-Ireland SFC final between Dublin and Mayo.{{cite web|url=https://www.hoganstand.com/Article/Index/314686|title=Coldrick chosen to referee All-Ireland SFC final|date=9 December 2020|work=Hogan Stand|access-date=9 December 2020}}

At a referee conference in January 2015, Coldrick described missing the chance to show Down player Conor Maginn a black card in the 2014 Ulster Senior Football Championship and not awarding a penalty to Dublin when Cork players handled the ball on the ground during the 2013 All-Ireland SFC quarter-final as two of the lowest points of his career at that stage. He also said the following about the Ulster SFC: "Ulster makes or breaks you. It can be a graveyard. The games are different. There is an extra dimension and intensity, and you must be at your best. If you aren't prepared physically and mentally, the chances are you will be caught out. But when you are appointed for your first Ulster championship match, that's making progress".{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/coldrick-i-should-have-given-conor-maginn-the-black-card-30899443.html|title=Coldrick: I should have given Conor Maginn the black card|publisher=Independent.ie|date=11 January 2015}}

Coldrick was referee for the 2022 All-Ireland SFC quarter-final between Armagh and Galway at Croke Park, during which he controversially{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-40904930.html|title=John O'Mahony: Unbelievable that players trying to stop brawl were sent off: Galway captain Sean Kelly and Armagh's joint skipper Aidan Nugent were sent off when they seemed to be peace-makers'|work=Irish Examiner|first=John|last=Fallon|date=27 June 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2022/06/27/omahony-says-red-cards-for-kelly-and-nugent-both-undeserved/|title=O'Mahony says red cards for Kelly and Nugent both undeserved: Former Galway boss says the use of penalties to decide an All-Ireland quarter-final 'absolutely crazy'|work=The Irish Times|date=27 June 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://twitter.com/TheSundayGame/status/1541170474633265152|title=The Sunday Game questioned the decision to send off Armagh's Aidan Nugent and Galway's Seán Kelly while Colm Cooper asked whether the GAA's penalties are severe enough|work=The Sunday Game|date=26 June 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2022/0627/1307047-oneill-calls-on-gaa-to-tidy-up-its-act-after-brawl/|title=Former GAA president Liam O'Neill calls on GAA to 'tidy up its act' after brawl|publisher=RTÉ|date=27 June 2022|quote=Armagh's Aidan Nugent and Galway's Seán Kelly received red cards just before extra-time began, although replays suggested they were attempting to break up the melee. O'Neill said there is a decreasing faith in the GAA's disciplinary system.}}{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2022/0628/1307271-cccc-set-to-examine-armagh-galway-melee-later-today/|title=CCCC set to examine Armagh-Galway melee later today|publisher=RTÉ|date=27 June 2022|quote=Galway might seek to have Kelly cleared to play in Galway's All-Ireland semi-final against Derry on 9 July, with replays suggesting both he and Nugent may have been attempting to break up the fracas.}} issued straight red cards to both team captains following a brawl before extra-time, while missing Armagh's eye-gouging of Galway forward Damien Comer, which was immediately picked up by television cameras{{cite news|url=https://twitter.com/TheSundayGame/status/1541071546751631360|title=The Sunday Game panel react to scenes of striking and apparent eye-gouging in the aftermath of the full-time whistle in Croke Park|work=The Sunday Game|date=26 June 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://extra.ie/2022/06/26/sport/pat-spillane-galway-armagh|title='It's disgusting' — Pat Spillane rips into Galway and Armagh for 'terrible' brawl|first=Martin|last=Healy|date=26 June 2022}} and widely condemned.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/no-room-for-that-in-any-sport-taoiseach-condemns-croke-park-eye-gouging-incident-as-shocking-41792664.html|title='No room for that in any sport' — Taoiseach condemns Croke Park eye-gouging incident as 'shocking': Former GAA president Seán Kelly says tough sanctions called for|work=Irish Independent|first1=Senan|last1=Molony|first2=Frank|last2=Roche|first3=Laura|last3=Lynott|first4=Aoife|last4=Breslin|date=26 June 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2022/0627/1307102-orourke-on-brawl-armagh-the-common-denominator/|title=O'Rourke on brawl: Armagh the common denominator|publisher=RTÉ|date=27 June 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://www.balls.ie/gaa/joe-brolly-armagh-galway-514777|title=Joe Brolly Slams Armagh 'Culture' After Unsavoury Galway Scenes|publisher=Balls.ie|first=Gary|last=Connaughton|date=28 June 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/they-are-out-of-control-joe-brolly-criticises-armagh-players-over-melee-at-croke-park-41796833.html|title='They are out of control' — Joe Brolly criticises Armagh players over melee at Croke Park|work=Irish Independent|first1=Fionnán|last1=Sheahan|first2=Aoife|last2=Breslin|date=28 June 2022}} The Irish Times said that Coldrick "hadn't had his sharpest day at the office".{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2022/06/26/galway-win-penalty-shoot-out-armagh-all-ireland-football-quarter-final-croke-park/|title=Quarter-final with everything leaves Armagh with nothing as Galway progress: Galway reach All-Ireland semi-final after first Croke Park championship penalty shootout|work=The Irish Times|first=Seán|last=Moran|date=26 June 2022}}

In a 2025 interview with BBC Sounds, Coldrick described failing a fitness test ahead of the 2023 All-Ireland SFC as "the lowest point in my refereeing career obviously and it was splattered all over papers... I just felt like after 20 plus years of service to the GAA, that this was how I was treated?". Coldrick said he had injured his calf while refereeing a game in the last round of fixtures in the National League, and that he would like to have had the opportunity to do the test again when he had recovered.{{cite news|url=https://www.balls.ie/gaa/david-coldrick-fitness-test-626257|title=David Coldrick Felt "Very Let Down" By GAA After Failed Fitness Test Fiasco|publisher=Balls.ie|first=Lee|last=Costello|date=19 March 2025}}

Coldrick refereed during the 2005 and 2006 International Rules Series. He refereed the second test of the 2006 Series, at Croke Park, with Pat McEnaney chosen to referee the First Test at Pearse Stadium.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/6085136.stm|title=McEnaney to ref in Rules opener|publisher=BBC|date=25 October 2006}}

Coldrick left college in 1997 and joined Irish Life where he is Executive Manager of the Actuarial Reporting team.{{cite web|url=http://blog.irishlife.ie/author/david-coldrick/|title=David Coldrick|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315213818/http://blog.irishlife.ie/author/david-coldrick/|archive-date=15 March 2015}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0kyy5qj Interview] at BBC Sounds ([https://web.archive.org/web/20250319180110/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0kyy5qj archive link])

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coldrick, David}}

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Living people

Category:All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final referees

Category:Blackhall Gaels Gaelic footballers

Category:Gaelic football referees