THE GAA HAS released its panels of referees for the 2018 senior inter-county championship in football and hurling.
Two referees have made the championship panel for the first time - Monaghan’s Martin McNally (football) and Limerick’s Johnny Murphy (hurling).
There have been two retirements from 2017 in Marty Duffy (football) and Offaly’s Brian Gavin (hurling), while injury ruled out Rory Hickey (Clare) from the football panel. Barry Kelly (Westmeath) stepped down from hurling refereeing, but both he and Hickey will continue as linesmen in 2018.
Four members of the Football panel have taken charge of All-Ireland senior finals in the past – David Coldrick (3), Maurice Deegan (3), Joe McQuillan (3), and Conor Lane (1).
Diarmuid Kirwan (2), James McGrath (2), Fergal Horgan (1) and James Owens (1) have all taken charge of All-Ireland senior hurling deciders.
Football championship referees 18-man panel
Ciaran Branagan (Down)
Barry Cassidy (Derry)
David Coldrick (Meath)
Niall Cullen (Fermanagh)
Maurice Deegan (Laois)
David Gough (Meath)
Jerome Henry (Mayi)
Padraig Hughes (Armagh)
Sean Hurson (Tyrone
Fergal Kelly (Longford)
Conor Lane (Cork)
Martin McNally (Monaghan)
Joe McQuillan (Cavan)
Noel Mooney (Cavan)
Paddy Neilan (Roscommon)
Anthony Nolan (Wicklow)
Derek O’Mahony (Tipperary)
Cormac Reilly (Meath)
Hurling championship referees 10-man panel
Sean Cleere (Kilkenny)
Fergal Horgan (Tipperary)
John Keenan (Wicklow)
Alan Kelly (Galway)
Diarmuid Kirwan (Cork)
Colm Lyons (Cork)
James McGrath (Westmeath)
Johnny Murphy (Limerick)
Paud O’Dwyer (Carlow)
James Owens (Wexford)
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