Coiste Thir Eoghain Annual Report Book 2010 - Tyrone GAA | Tir ...

Club Referee Development: Despite the best efforts of the Committee the securing of a
Referee Development Officer within each club proved an impossibility to achieve. The
Committee would like to thank the small, indeed very small, number of clubs who made a
positive response to our call but it would have been totally unfair to them to progress this aspect
of our work whilst the vast majority of the clubs sat back and did not take part in something
which is inbuilt to the wider Tyrone GAA Development Programme.
On reflecting on what could be achieved in highlighting to clubs some of the most basic aspects
of referee care the Committee embarked on a programme of improving facilities and care of
referees at the venues chosen to host championship matches. Through dedicated visits to the
clubs and discussions with the club officials it is pleasing to report that in the main what was
asked for by the Committee was delivered. Thanks to all the clubs for their courteous reception
of Committee members and their efforts to provide suitable changing and refreshment
arrangements for the match officials at our championship games.
With these wins the Committee will now seek to extend this club referee development
programme to all clubs and to all games irrespective of grade or level during 2011.
Publicity: This was a welcome addition to the range of work of the Committee in 2010 with
a series of articles being published within our internal match programmes. These were
supplemented by refereeing matters being placed on the Tyrone GAA website and from such
work there is a greater awareness of the work of the committee, the dedication of referees, the
rules that are required to be played to by the players or applied by the referee. Even at this early
stage in this work the Committee is beginning to see some dividends the most encouraging has
been the interest of young people who wish to explore more how they might get into
refereeing within the County.
Young Whistlers: A panel of young people has come forward over this last year indicating that
they would be interested in taking up refereeing at some level within Tyrone. To ensure that
they would receive the training which was being developed by the National Referee’s Tutors
formal training was delayed until such times as the materials were launched at a Croke Park
level. Unfortunately a delay in such material from Headquarters meant that the Committee
were left with no alternative but to commence training of its own and the panel of young
whistlers have been called together to develop with them a relevant training programme to be
rolled out in 2011.
Inter-county: Without doubt the highlight of the year for our inter-county referees was the
appointment of M. Sludden to the Leinster SFC final. Unfortunately for Martin his appointment
will be remembered for all the wrong reasons but it is necessary within this report to firstly
congratulate him and his team of Tyrone officials on his appointment, and then to condemn
without reservation the abuse, verbal, physical and written which he was subjected to in the
aftermath of the game. Whatever the circumstances such abuse has never had and must never
have any place within our Association and it is to his credit that Martin remains at the forefront
of quality performances within the county and beyond.
One other significant highlight for our inter-county referees came towards the end of the 2010
season with the promotion of E. McHugh to the national panel joining Martin and S.
McNamee on this select list. This promotion is well-deserved given Eamon’s dedication to
training, seminar attendance and participation and his willingness to apply the rules in match
situations.
The Committee also congratulate S. McNamee, E. McConnell, C. O’Hagan, S. Hurson and F.
Ward, for their continued progress at inter-county level in football and J. Devlin, M. McGlinchey,
M. McCarron, A. Richardson and S. Gilmore for their efforts in hurling. The County has been
represented at national and provincial level throughout 2010.
Outside of the match official setting, M. Hughes was appointed as Ulster Referee Technical
Director and to the National Referees Tutor Panel.
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