Kelly opts out of referees’ championship panel
BARRY KELLY won’t referee in this year’s hurling championship, the GAA have confirmed.
Kelly has acted as a linesman for some league games and that arrangement will continue in 2018. The Westmeath official has been one of the most prominent referees over the last 15 years but is not part of the 10-man Liam MacCarthy Cup panel. The list includes Limerick’s Johnny Murphy for the first time.
Monaghan’s Martin McNally is included in the football panel. Clare’s Rory Hickey was not considered because of an injury but, like Kelly, will feature as a linesman. Offaly hurling referee Brian Gavin and Sligo football referee Marty Duffy have retired. FOOTBALL – Championship Referees Panel
Ciaran Branagan (Down), Barry Cassidy (Derry), David Coldrick (Meath), Niall Cullen (Fermanagh), Maurice Deegan (Laois), David Gough (Meath), Jerome Henry (Mayo), 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) Championship Linesman Panel – James Bermingham (Cork), Brendan Cawley (Kildare), Liam Devenney (Mayo), Paul Faloon (Down), Sean Lonergan (Tipperary), James Molloy (Galway), Padraig O’Sullivan (Kerry), Barry Tiernan (Dublin).
HURLING – Liam MacCarthy Championship referees 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)
Joe McDonagh Cup and Christy Ring Cup Referees Panel – Peter Burke (Kilkenny), James Connors (Donegal),
Colum Cunning (Antrim), Alfie Devine (Westmeath), Liam Gordon (Galway), Justin Heffernan (Wexford), David Hughes (Carlow), Shane Hynes (Galway), John Keane (Galway), Cathal McAllister (Cork), Rory McGann (Clare), Patrick Murphy (Carlow), John O’Brien (Laois), Johnny Ryan (Tipperary), Sean Stack (Dublin), Thomas Walsh (Waterford)
Nicky Rackard Cup and Lory Meagher Cup Referees Panel – Kevin Brady (Louth), James Clarke (Cavan), Aiden Ferguson (Fermanagh), Thomas Gleeson (Dublin), Kevin McGeeney (Roscommon), Gearóid McGrath (Wexford), Chris Mooney (Dublin) Gavin Quilty (Kilkenny), Nathan Wall (Cork).