The referees panel for the forthcoming All-Ireland senior football championship has been whittled down from 24 to 20 this year. There are eight Ulster representatives in the group, six from Leinster and three from Connacht and Munster. However, given seven referees will “retire” in the space of three years, there is some consternation among up-and-coming referees about a perceived lack of opportunity in the championship panel. A championship fitness examination is set to take place in the Connacht centre of excellence in Bekan, Co Mayo this Friday. “Many within the group now feel that capability, performance, and commitment to training may be secondary to provincial or county-level politics at national panel level,” said one inter-county championship referee.

Source: Irish Examiner March 31, 2026 16:43 UTC