CAVAN referee Maggie Farrelly is set to become the first woman to referee a men’s Allianz League match after being added to the national panel for this season.
Farrelly, whose first appointment is to take charge of this weekend’s All-Ireland junior football semi-final between Kilmeena (Mayo) and Clonbullogue (Offaly), is one of five new recruits to the national panel.
The Laragh United clubwoman, who took charge of last year’s drawn county final in Cavan, is joined in making the step up by Omagh and Tyrone’s Kieran Eannetta, who has been on the provincial panel since 2018 and took charge of last year’s Ulster U20 final.
Experienced Down whistler Ciaran Branagan won’t be involved next year after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 50. He had taken charge of Cavan’s Ulster final victory over Donegal two years ago and the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final with Dublin.
Armagh’s Padraig Hughes, who was in the middle for last weekend’s McKenna Cup final, hasn’t made the cut, with Fergal Smyth, Seamus Mulvihill and James Bermingham also dropping off the league panel.
Chris Maguire (Clare), Thoma Murphy (Galway) and Jonathan Hayes (Limerick) are the other newcomers to the 40-person panel.
They will take charge of all Allianz League fixtures before the panel is trimmed for championship.
It had been cut to 15 last year but no decision has yet been made on how many referees will be retained for summer in lieu of the return of qualifiers and the advent of the Tailteann Cup.