Hurson appointed ref for All Ireland Final

Tyrone referee Sean Hurson will take charge of the All Ireland Senior Football Championship final between Galway and Kerry on Sunday week (July 24).

It is a huge accolade for the Galbally club official who had been widely tipped to take charge of the GAA showpiece in Croke Park.

He is only the second Tyrone referee to take charge of the football final following the footsteps of the late Paddy Devlin of Omagh St Endas who was in charge of the All Ireland finals in 1972 and 1974.

A much experienced and respected referee, Hurson, refereed the All-Ireland minor final in 2018, the All-Ireland U20 football final in 2021 and the All Ireland club football final in 2022 between Kilcoo and Kilmacud Crokes.

In this year’s football championship he refereed the Ulster provincial final between Donegal and Derry, the All-Ireland Championship quarter-final between Dublin and Cork, the Leinster Championship semi-final between Kildare and Westmeath, and the Connacht Championship quarter-final between New York and Sligo. He has also refereed a number of top flight National League matches.

He will travel to Dublin with his four local umpires, Mark Coney and Cathal Forbes both of Ardboe O ‘Donovan Rossa club, Mel Taggart of Clonoe O’Rahilly’s and Martin Conway of Moortown St Malachy’s.

John Devlin who is the Tyrone Referees’ Administrator described Sean Hurson’s appointment as “brilliant”.

He said, “It is some achievement for a local referee. You can’t get any higher than the All Ireland senior final. Sean is a very highly rated referee and his appointment is totally merited and deserved.

“We are overjoyed that a Tyrone referee has achieved this appointment in his career. From all the referees and those involved in the promotion of refereeing in Tyrone, we send our heartiest congratulations.

“We also send our best wishes to his umpires, Mark, Cathal, Mel and Martin. They have been on this journey with him and have performed exceptionally as a team. It is brilliant news.”