Referees play a vital role in our gaelic games. Sharing a love of the sport with us all, their enthusiasm and experience ensures that the rules of the games are upheld and that our matches can take place. We caught up with Cuala referee Eamonn Dromgoole, to get some insights into the highs and lows of refereeing, what it takes to be a good referee and what advice he has for those considering embarking on a refereeing career. (Eamonn pictured above Senior Championship match. Photo courtesy of Paul Lundy Photography)

Thank you Eamonn for taking the time to share your insights!

What inspired you to become a referee?

I more or less fell into it, there were a few of us from my age group coming up and we were really the first batch to get involved in it starting out in Go-Games on a Saturday morning. We were predominantly reffing in Thomastown so was easy to get too, if we weren’t there we would have been up in Oatlands doing games from Kilmacud – it really depended on the age group that you were reffing. I stayed in it as I was enjoying it and being honest it was a handy few bob when I was in college.

I’ve stuck with it though as I was enjoying it and in more recent times I’ve got some recognition with moving up through the ranks and now regularly reffing Senior Division 1 games in both football and hurling and hopefully the Senior Championship this year as well.

What do you enjoy most about being a referee?

Keeps me in the game, some players can play into there 40s, others will go into management route – I’ve gone the reffing route and in theory it’s a way for me to stay fit and stay involved in the game. I also enjoy the interaction with players on the pitch and when you get stuck in a middle of fast/active game it’s great having a seat (I wish) in the middle of it.

What is the most difficult part of being a referee?

• Everyone has an opinion – players, spectators and management, the only opinion that matters is what you see with your own eyes.
• Organizing Umpires and linesmen – When it comes to championship in Dublin, it’s up to the referee to organize their own team per say which can be a challenge given the volume of matches that take place at the same time – if anyone is interested in helping out, happy for them to reach out

What has been the highlight of your refereeing career to date?

There’s a few. I’ve been fortunate to referee some finals, I did the Feile final in Parnell Park a few years ago and had the Junior All County Football final in 2022. I’ve also reffed a number of Semi finals in the Intermediate and Senior 3 championships which carry the same weighting as a final as teams who get to the final get promoted.

What do you think are the most important personal qualities to have to be a good referee?

• You have to have an interest in it and be willing to move on the pitch – players do pick up on this, there’s nothing worse from a player perspective than seeing a ref who’s there just to get paid and stand in the middle of the pitch.
• Rules: you have to know the rules, it helps make your life easier.
• Communication: you need to be able to communicate with players on the pitch, let them know what the free was for.

How do you balance upholding rules and maintaining the flow of the game?

• Rules are rules – you have to remember that you’re not the one that created it them, you’re only there to implement them.
• Playing both codes definitely helps as it gives you a better understanding of what is going through a players head so the ref can relate, it also helps with decisions when making a decision for yellow or red cards.
• Some refs do run with the whistle in their mouth, it’s a preference but I run with it in my hand to give me an extra second to blow the whistle, it can help with letting an advantage go.

What do you think is the most important thing to remember when refereeing a match?

2 things stand out;

1. It’s not personal – players get frustrated and there is a difference between frustration and anger, from playing and reffing you get to know the difference.
2. If you are willing to let players shout abuse at you or others you will have a horrible experience reffing.

It’s important to remember if you’re not there the game cannot go ahead – nipping it straight away and being persistent with it in every game, you’ll get a name for not being interested in abuse and you will have a much better experience.

Do you have to keep fit to be a referee?

Yes but it depends on the level you’re reffing and which code. Football is generally slower than hurling but I have had football games where I’ve had to run more than hurling, rare but it does happen.

Do you have a pre-match routine?

As I get older yes – I try to be at the pitch 15/20 mins before the match, get teamsheets and do some light running and stretching.

Have you a view on the use of technology in assisting GAA referees in future?

Yes – I hope it doesn’t come in. It’s an amateur sport and you can’t please everyone.

If you had to change one playing rule what would it be? 

I was involved in some of the recent “Sandbox” games as part of the football review committee and some of the rules being trialed has the potential to make football more appealing again. One the rules being trialed here is changing the dissent rule of moving the ball up 13m – the new rule is to move that up 50m and I think this is great but I would go a step further in potentially making them a penalty – would cut out all dissent straight away.

Are there any sports referees on the world stage that you admire? 

Not really if I’m honest. I try to ref matches with a smile on my face and interact with players if needed, I don’t like to be stand off with them in that they can’t approach me – it has a positive impact as well as players appreciate that as well and it does make life easier.

What key piece of advice would you give to young referees starting out in their career?

• No one is perfect and you will make mistakes – intercounty referees still make mistakes
• You will not see everything on the pitch – you don’t have eyes on the back of your head.
• Everyone has a perspective – yours is the only one that matters.