Men's Hockey: While Ray O'Connor, the world's most accomplished hockey umpire, has retired from international duty, the 47-year-old Dubliner remains as enthusiastic as ever at the start of his 21st year of officiating in Irish circles.
In partnering fellow Glenanne stalwart Tom Goode at last weekend's Senior Cup tie between Cork C of I and Banbridge, it was a mark of his vast experience and reputation that no yellow cards were shown in an epic, wide-open contest.
Before Christmas, O'Connor informed the International Hockey Federation (FIH) that he was retiring after umpiring 178 international matches in a 16-year span. This career included the finals at two Olympic Games, two World Cup finals, five Champions Trophy deciders, and as many as a dozen finals at European level, especially in the highly charged club championships.
Starting off as a right-back for North Kildare and Connacht, O'Connor switched to umpiring when he was 26 and steadily came to the forefront in Ireland and further afield.
His first major match was the 1995 European Nations Cup final in Dublin, involving Germany and The Netherlands. Then he made a rapid rise to the prestigious assignment of his first Olympics in Atlanta in 1996, culminating in officiating in the decider between The Netherlands and Spain.
He went on to be appointed for the Olympics in Sydney, going as far as a semi-final, and he was back again in the highest circles in Athens last year when he took charge of another final, in which Australia beat The Netherlands by a golden goal (2-1). He was so much in demand he was called into action for all seven days' play "and I was totally exhausted when I returned to Dublin", he conceded.
"I could have gone on to the next World Cup and maybe the Olympics in Beijing, but, at 51, that might have been asking too much," he said.
"I've had some marvellous experiences and thoroughly enjoyed it all. I'm still available for Irish Senior Cup finals (he's done 11) and I hope also to specialise in coaching umpires and in coaching my daughter Kate's under-14 team."
He would also like to advise the GAA on the subtleties of sin-binning which, among many advances in hockey, has been a highly successful discipline.
There is, perhaps, just one regret. Alan Lewis, the international rugby referee, pointed out recently that O'Connor had become Ireland's highest achiever in world sports officiating, be it umpiring or refereeing
"I'm just a trifle disappointed," said O'Connor, "that my achievements have never been recognised by the Irish Sports Council or the Olympic Council of Ireland, especially when I flew back to Dublin airport from Atlanta and Athens."
Tomorrow, it's back to local fare as the top umpire takes charge of the Monkstown v YMCA Leinster Senior League match at Booterstown. Monkstown will need to do better than their 1-1 draw in October if they are to remain as challengers to Aer Lingus for the province's third berth in the all-Ireland play-offs.
WEEKEND FIXTURES Tomorrow: Irish Junior Cup (quarter-finals): Cork Harlequins II v Pembroke Wanderers II, Farmers Cross, 2.0 (A Groves, S McAllister); Railway Union II v Corinthians II, Park Avenue, 1.45 (D Glasgow, G Maguire); Kilkenny v NICS II, Scanlon Park, 2.30 (O Di Vito, J Girdham); Three Rock Rovers II v Banbridge II, Grange Road, 3.0 (N McKay, G Conn). Leinster Senior League: Division One: Railway Union v Aer Lingus, Park Avenue, 12.0; Monkstown v YMCA, St Andrew's, 1.30; Clontarf v Glenanne, Mount Temple, 1.15; Dublin University v Corinthians, tbc; Division Two: Bray v Naas, Bray, 1.0; Avoca v St James's Gate, Newpark, 1.45; Portrane v Skerries, RCSI, 1.0; Weston v St Brendan's-Phoenix Park, King's Hospital, 2.30; UCD v Suttonians, tbc.
