Referee shortage in Mayo is a ‘huge challenge’

MAYO GAA referee administrator Sean Mac Éil has said there is a real shortage of referees in the county at present.

Addressing delegates at a recent Mayo GAA County Board meeting, Mayo GAA chairperson Seamus Tuohy said that the lack of referees in football and hurling is a ‘huge challenge’.

"The bottom line is if we don’t have referees, we don’t have games," said Tuohy, who added that Mac Éil will have the full support of the board in bringing referees to the game.

Mac Éil said the last few years with the pandemic has made it very difficult to recruit referees. He appealed to clubs that have no referees to try and get them, adding that this year there will be in excess of 3,000 games and with around to 60-65 referees, each referee will do about 50 games.

"If we get eight or 10 referees, it’ll help enormously," he stated.

Mac Éil paid tribute to three referees that will not be refereeing this year: Ardnaree’s Malachy McCarron (retired), Ballyhaunis’s Thaigh Morley (work commitments) and Crossmolina’s Kieran Cawley (serious illness).

Speaking to The Connaught Telegraph, Mac Éil, who has been involved in refereeing for over 40 years, said referees can be under pressure any night of the week due the number of games and warned if it’s left for another couple of years, it’ll be a crisis.

"It’s the same in every county. The age profile of existing refs has increased. If we can get 30 or 40 refs over the next few years and in the 20 to 30 age bracket, it’ll be a huge help and they might go on to ref at senior level," he pointed out.

Anyone interested in becoming a referee can get in touch with Sean at refereeadministrator.mayo@gaa.ie or alternatively contact their divisional secretary.