Mick Monahan will referee the All-Ireland senior football final between Kerry and Tyrone. The GAA announced his appointment yesterday, just over two weeks before the final in Croke Park on September 25th.
It will be the first senior All-Ireland final for the Kildare referee. He has, however, been part of the intercounty panel of referees for the past seven years. Among his chief assignments to date was the 2003 All-Ireland senior semi-final between Donegal and Armagh, and last year he refereed the All-Ireland club final when Caltra of Galway beat Kerry's An Ghaeltacht.
This season, Monahan has had a range of championship experience, including the Connacht football semi-final between Galway and Leitrim, and also the All-Ireland fourth-round qualifier between Tyrone and Monaghan in Croke Park.
Monahan is himself a former footballer of note and won a Leinster senior club championship medal with his club, Raheens, back in 1982.
The GAA also announced Maurice Deegan of Laois as the referee for the All-Ireland minor final, between Mayo and Down. It will be Deegan's third All-Ireland final this season, as he already refereed the Intermediate club final between Carbery Rangers and Pomeroy Plunketts and also the meeting of Down and Galway in the All-Ireland under-21 football final.
A winner of two county championship medals with his club, Stradbally, he has been on the intercounty panel for the last four years.
The All-Ireland under-21 hurling final, between Galway and Kilkenny, has been confirmed for Gaelic Grounds in Limerick on Sunday week, September 18th.
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