WESTMEATH MAN JAMES McGrath will take charge of this year’s All-Ireland senior hurling final replay between Cork and Clare.

The teams meet in Croke Park on Saturday September 28th and it will be McGrath who will referee the game.

Offaly’s Brian Gavin refereed the drawn game with the GAA confirming this afternoon that McGrath will be the main official for the replay.

McGrath has previously been in charge of a game involving Cork this summer when he officiated for their Munster final clash against Limerick.

His decision to send off Cork attacker Patrick Horgan before half-time in that match was described as ‘unbelievable’ afterwards by Rebels boss Jimmy-Barry Murphy.

McGrath has experience of Clare as well as he refereed their Munster quarter-final tie against Waterford in June.

McGrath was the man in the middle for last year’s All-Ireland final replay between Kilkenny and Galway while he previously officiated for All-Ireland deciders at minor level in 2009 and at U21 level in 2010.

The standby referee for Saturday week’s clash between Cork and Clare will be Brian Gavin with Tipperary’s Johnny Ryan the linesman and Galway’s Alan Kelly the sideline official.

The umpires are Tom McNicholas, David Hennessy and Johnny Fitzpatrick (all Lough Lene Gaels) and Delvin’s David Clune.

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