Lack of respect for referees a problem for the Gaelic Athletic Association – Jarlath Burns

A new Irish language programme about refereeing is set to air tonight and discusses the challenges involved and the impact the profession has on those in charge of the whistle.

The President of the Gaelic Athletic Association, Jarlath Burns, says that the lack of respect shown to referees is a problem in the association and that a change in attitude is needed.

“We need to find a new culture in the Gaelic Athletic Association that shows more respect for referees,” Burns said.

The GAA President was speaking as part of a new programme to be broadcast tonight, Referees (RTÉ One, 10.15pm), a programme about refereeing, the challenges it faces and the impact the profession has on those in charge of the whistle.

Among those interviewed for the programme is renowned inter-county referee, David Gough, as he describes the abuse he has received and the impact of mistakes he himself makes in games on his mental health.

Gough, who refereed the All-Ireland football finals in 2019 and 2023, says he has received hate letters at home and his parents have read them.

“When the letters come to your house, it’s very hard, especially on my mom and dad. My dad and mom know they’re bad letters.”

Gough is a gay man and says the worst letters are the ones in which he is attacked in homophobic terms.

“When my children read those words written about me, it’s very difficult for them.”

According to research conducted by the University of Ulster, 94% of GAA referees said they had been subjected to verbal abuse during their career and one in five said they had been physically assaulted.

Gough says that the mistakes he makes in games also affect him greatly and referred to two controversial incidents in recent years.

In 2016, Gough was refereeing the Kerry-Dublin game and did not see a foul on the United’s Peter Crowley towards the end of the game.

Instead of a free kick for Kerry, Dublin went on the attack, got a point and won the game by two points.

Gough says it took him a long time to come to his senses after seeing the mistake.

“After 2016, it probably affected my mental health a lot. It took me a long time to get back to refereeing,” he said.

“I was worried about going on the field. I knew I had made a huge mistake and maybe I didn’t have the same confidence in my refereeing. That was very difficult for me.”

There was another controversy in last year’s Connacht final when Gough awarded a crucial free kick to Galway despite many feeling that Mayo’s Conor Loftus had been betrayed. Gough says that decision still hurts him.

“At the time, at the end of the game, I didn’t know I had made a mistake. Like the All-Ireland semi-final in 2016. But looking back, I was in the wrong place at the time. I gave Galway a free kick and I was wrong, Mayo deserved it.

“That was hard for me and it still affects me. I’m still talking to the psychologist about the negative feelings I have about that betrayal. I’m still worried that it will happen again. That’s the second time it’s happened, 2016 and 2024, and that really affects me.”

The programme, presented by Gráinne McElwain, also features two Gaeltacht referees speaking about their experiences – young referee Eoghan Ó Muircheartaigh from Dún Síon in Kerry and Siobhán Coyle from Fánaid in Donegal, who referees both men’s and women’s matches.