‘Referees need more backing’
1 – How has Covid-19 affected your daily life so far and how are you dealing with it in terms of fitness and staying sharp?
The one good thing is that with the job I’m involved with, I’m one of the lucky ones that is still needed to work, so on that front it’s still relatively normal from 7am till 3.30pm.
My wife and girls are obviously at home every day and it’s heavy going on them but schoolwork and a new puppy is keeping them very busy.
I’m actually a fella that enjoys training and running so I’m still out three nights a week doing a bit.
Monday, Wednesday and Friday consisting of a bit of speed work to keep sharp and a 10k on a Friday for the stamina. All going well so far.
Obviously the most important thing at the minute is for everyone to stay safe and healthy but when you’re as immersed in the GAA as I am, the lack of action on the long evenings now and at the weekends is something that I miss terribly.
Whether training my daughter’s under-14 football team, watching them play camogie, refereeing or just looking at matches, it’s a big void in the life at the minute.
2 – Can you see any inter-county games being played in 2020 and can you explain your thinking on that?
Yea. I do think we will see some sort of inter-county games back this year. To what extent I’m not sure yet.
I think the GAA themselves probably have a few plans in place but obviously they have to wait for the HSE and Government to announce what plans people need to put in place first.
If things do settle down, my own opinion is that it will probably revert back to a knockout championship this year if the time frame is a short one.
I can definitely see this being the case in football as there are a lot more teams involved.
With only ten teams involved in senior hurling championship, there is a little more wriggle room but I’d imagine both championships will mirror each other in whatever format they eventually take.
3 – Bring us back to how you got started in refereeing and provide a brief synopsis on your first game?
Jesus, this will require a bit of thought. I started in 2007 while I was still playing.
My father was (and still is 53 years later) a referee so I suppose I got the bug from him. I also said I’d give it a go as I thought I might be able to offer something as I felt there were not enough referees at a young age refereeing in Wicklow. I’ve always liked a challenge so I said I’d go for it.
A few people at that time were also very influential in my path into refereeing. Pat Mitchell and Eddie Leonard were involved with the juvenile fixtures at the time and they gave me lots of games to find my feet.
I actually can’t remember what my first game was but my first adult championship match that year was a Junior C football game between Ballymanus and Ashford which went very well, thank God.
I’ll never forget one of the comments that day from a good friend who was playing for Ballymanus: ‘Jesus, Keenan, you spend most of your time while playing a match, giving out to the referee and now you’re one yourself! How is that going to work?’ It hasn’t worked out too bad in fairness.
Another person who I owe a lot to at the start of my refereeing career is Tom Byrne. Tom was involved in adult fixtures and referees at the time and he steered me along the right path too.
4 – Can you take us through your playing career, highlights, lowlights, nightmares and glory days?
My juvenile football career started in the green and gold of Annacurra as back then both clubs were joined and football team went under Annacurra while hurling team played under the Aughrim name. I had many a good day back then.
Aughrim formed their own football club in 1985 so all my adult football was played with them.
I made my adult championship debut when I came on as a raw 15-year-old in SFC vs Michael Dwyers (Knockananna, Ballymanus, Kiltegan) I think. I’m open to correction on this team.
It opened my eyes a bit to the difference between juvenile and adult football! I’ve had a few very good days in the Aughrim colours. I was part of the IHC winning team in 1997, an unused sub in 1999 when we won IFC. I was actually out injured for most of that year due to a very bad back injury.
One of my biggest disappointments in the club colours was in 2009 when Dunlavin beat us in IFC final. We had been going very well that year but unfortunately Dunlavin, led by an inspired Thomas Harney, deserved their victory on the day.
Another final defeat came in the 2013 IFC final when Coolkenno beat us in the final. I decided to step away after this to fully concentrate on refereeing but in 2017, we were under pressure in an IFC relegation match vs Kilmac as it looked like we would have no goalkeeper that night so I decided to help out. Thank God, our keeper made the match. We beat Kilmac and I came on for last five minutes which I was delighted with.
The biggest lowlight then happened in next game vs Ballinacor. I said I’d help out again and be available as a sub if needed. We picked up a few first half injuries so I got the call earlier than expected. I took a heavy fall on my shoulder and actually broke my collar bone which eventually retired me as I was laid up for 12 weeks. Definitely the low point of my playing days.
5 – Refereeing in Wicklow prior to the coronavirus restrictions: discuss in terms of positives and negatives and means of improvement.
Refereeing in Wicklow is actually not in a bad place at the minute.
We have Eddie doing a fabulous job looking after things and all active referees are getting their fair share of games which is the best way of developing them.
It’s only by going out and doing the games that you will be able to judge yourself and keep the mind focused.
We have myself and Anthony Nolan on the inter-county panel, Stephen Fagan and Darragh Byrne on Leinster panel plus national support panel and Garreth Whelan was also there for a number of years so for the size of our numbers, I think this has to be a positive for Wicklow referees.
In terms of negative things, I think we need a bit more backing from certain areas as we all go out to do our best in whatever game we do but all some people seem to want to do is knock us. To improve this, we need the full backing of everyone involved.
Of course, mistakes are going to be made while doing matches but some of the stuff that gets thrown at us is not correct. We can only improve if we have the right structures in place to develop our referees and all referees need to encouraged when starting out on their respective paths.
6 – Best game you were ever involved in and why?
Up until last year’s Leinster hurling final I would have said my first Munster championship match in 2018 when there was a cracker of a game in Thurles. Cork and Tipperary played out a savage game which ended up in a draw.
But moving on to 2019, I’d have to say best game I was ever involved with was Leinster hurling final between Wexford and Kilkenny.
The year had been going very well and I thought I had a sniff of doing either the Munster or Leinster hurling final. You can never be sure though until the phone call comes through.
That call did come through in early June and I was thrilled to get it.
The day itself was exceptional.
From the time I picked up the umpires, to the atmosphere around the ground, the buzz before throw in, the game itself (it went so fast), the 51,000 in Croke Park. It was an absolute pleasure to be involved that day and I’d put this down as best game I was ever involved with, especially being my first provincial final at senior level. Hopefully not the last one!
7 – Worst game you were ever involved in and why?
This one took a bit of thinking but I’m actually going to mention two games. Not because the games were particularly bad as both were actually good games.
My first SHC final in Wicklow in 2009. Carnew played Glenealy and I was only refereeing two years and was very nervous going into it.
I think both teams probably sensed this and probably tried to play off that a bit.
I can remember just before halftime over in front of the stand, the table for the Jubilee presentations was set up and a bit of a coming together over that side of the field ended up with three or four players sending the table and trophies to the ground.
It was time to get the whistle blown and get everyone to the dressing rooms, which thankfully they did.
The game that day certainly taught me a lot which definitely helped me develop as a referee.
The other game was in 2015