Wicklow referee John Keenan to take charge of All-Ireland hurling final

John Keenan from Wicklow will referee Sunday week’s All-Ireland hurling final between Limerick and Kilkenny. He has worked up to this career high point, taking charge of the minor final in 2016 between Tipperary and Limerick and the 2018 under-21 final between Tipperary and Cork.

In more recent years he refereed the Leinster senior final between Wexford and Kilkenny in 2019 and last year’s Munster decider between Limerick and Clare. His senior intercounty career began in 2014 and already this season he has taken charge of the All-Ireland quarter-final between Galway and Tipperary.

The Aughrim official becomes the first Wicklow All-Ireland referee since Jimmy Hatton, who died earlier this year – and has the distinction of having been the last official to take charge of both football and hurling All-Irelands in the same year, which happened in 1966.

Tommy Redmond (Tinahely), Eddie Leonard (St Patrick’s), Paul Reville (Turin) and David Clune (Delvin) will be Keenan’s umpires.

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The linesmen will be Galway’s Liam Gordon, who is also the standby referee, and Wexford’s James Owens. The sideline official will be Shane Hynes from Galway.