FOUR NEW REFEREES have been added to the GAA’s panel for the 2015 football and hurling championships.
Tipperary’s Derek O’Mahoney, Tyrone’s Sean Hurson and Roscommon’s Patrick Neilan are the new football referees with Carlow’s Paud O’Dwyer added to the hurling list.
The football panel has increased this year from sixteen to eighteen with five football referees having previously officiated All-Ireland finals – Joe McQuillan (2), David Coldrick (2), Maurice Deegan (2), Marty Duffy and Eddie Kinsella.
The hurling panel format has changed. Last year four referees took charge of the Leinster championship ties and eight others officiated the remaining games but for 2015 there will be one panel of 12 referees for all games.
The hurling panel features four previous All-Ireland referees in Barry Kelly (4), Brian Gavin (3), Diarmuid Kirwan (2) – who returns to the panel after a year’s absence – and James McGrath (2).
The full list of referees are:
Football Championship Referees Panel 2015
Ciaran Branagan (Down)
Barry Cassidy (Derry)
David Coldrick (Meath)
Maurice Deegan (Laois)
Marty Duffy (Sligo)
David Gough (Meath)
Rory Hickey (Clare)
Pádraig Hughes (Armagh)
Seán Hurson (Tyrone)
Fergal Kelly (Longford)
Eddie Kinsella (Laois)
Conor Lane (Cork)
Patrick Neilan (Roscommon)
Anthony Nolan (Wicklow)
Cormac Reilly (Meath)
Joe McQuillan (Cavan)
Pádraig O’Sullivan (Kerry)
Derek O’Mahoney (Tipperary)
Hurling Championship Referees Panel 2015
Brian Gavin (Offaly)
Fergal Horgan (Tipperary)
John Keenan (Wicklow)
Alan Kelly (Galway)
Barry Kelly (Westmeath)
Diarmuid Kirwan (Cork)
Colm Lyons (Cork)
Cathal McAllister (Cork)
James McGrath (Westmeath)
Paud O’Dwyer (Carlow)
James Owens (Wexford)
Johnny Ryan (Tipperary)
