LIMERICK’S Johnny Murphy will referee the eagerly-anticipated All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final between Clare and Cork at Croke Park on Sunday (throw-in 3.30 pm).
It will be his first occasion to officiate at the showpiece of the sporting summer, having been ineligible of late due to Limerick’s dominance of the championship.
Attached to Ballylanders, he previously refereed the All-Ireland Minor Final (2018), U20 All-Ireland Final (2021), Leinster Hurling Final 2021), and the All-Ireland Senior Club Final in 2023.
The 45-year-old had several high-profile outings already this season, including the National League Final between Clare and Kilkenny, along with the Leinster Senior Final between Kilkenny and Dublin.
The final will be Murphy’s 18th Liam McCarthy game to referee since his first in 2018.
His umpires at the weekend will be his brother, Jimmy Barry Murphy, Micheal Meade and James Hickey of Ballylanders, along with Andy Dooley from Garryspillane.
Line officials are Galway’s Liam Gordon (standby referee) and Michael Kennedy of Tipperary, while the sideline official is Chris Mooney from Dublin.
Murphy has played competitively for Ballylanders and Glenroe in football and hurling, respectively.
Over the years, Limerick has supplied plenty of referees for All-Ireland Senior Hurling Finals, including three-time official Pat O’Connor (Ahane), Terence Murray (Patrickswell), Seán O’Connor (Claughaun), Bill O’Donoghue, Steve Gleeson (Fedamore), Gerry Fitzerald (Rathkeale), Seán O’Grady (Mungret St Paul’s), Neily Duggan (St Mary’s-Sean Finns, Rathkeale), and Denny Lanigan of Young Irelands.
Incidentally, Gleeson, at just 27, remains the youngest to have taken charge of a senior final (when Kilkenny beat Waterford).
Our first referee at this level was John Sheehy, who was in charge of the 1890 final. Back then, Cork defeated Wexford, 1-6 to 2-2, and the attendance was just 1,000.
In football, Pat Lane (St Senan’s) has refereed All-Ireland Senior Finals.
