Kerry referees celebrate 40 years
KERRY soccer referees were out in all their finery at The Rose Hotel in Tralee on Saturday night where they held a dinner banquet to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Society.
To coincide with the occasion the AGM of the Irish Referee Society was also hosted at the same location earlier in the day.
It was an occasion when members of the society past and present brushed shoulders with each other and reflected on 4 decades of great progress.
It was a nostalgic occasion for most of the big crowd present as they reflected on the progress that has been made in the world of refereeing and they had an opportunity of meeting up with former colleagues who they have not seen for a long time.
The National President of the Soccer Referees Society Paul O’Brien and the general secretary TJ Grant were in attendance along with prominent members of the FAI, including CEO John Delaney, who arrived late owing to a traffic accident along his journey to Tralee.
Prior to the meal a minute’s silence was observed for the late John Morrison who was the father of Kerry referee Anthony Morrison.
In his address the chairman of the Kerry Referees Society Seamus O’Mahoney said it was an historic occasion for the society where much change for the better had taken place over the past four decades.
He also paid tribute to local FAI referee observers James McCarthy and Michael ‘Fox’ O’Connor for all the work their were putting in raising the standard of refereeing around the county.
He thanked the KDL for their support and assistance and the local press for their coverage and help over the years.
The National President of the Irish Soccer Referees Society Paul O’Brien said he was delighted to be present for the momentous occasion and paid tribute to everyone who were involved in raising the standard of refereeing in the county.
He said he was very pleased that Kerry was one of the first societies to appoint a female referee and he said Siobhan O’Mahoney had distinguished herself and won the respect of players all over the county.
Awards of Merit was presented to Kevin O’Regan, who recently retired for refereeing, and Siobhan O’Mahoney, who has done trojan work for the Kerry Society and is the only woman referee officiating in Kerry.
A raffle was held for The Make a Wish Foundation and €500 was collected and this was doubled through the generosity of Seamus and Siobhan O’Mahoney and the CEO of the FAI John Delaney made another donation of €500 which brought