Seamus is ready for Croke Park

LAST Tuesday evening Seamus Mulhare of The Heath took charge of the first round of the Junior Football Championship at the Old Pound between O’Dempsey’s and Graiguecullen.

In stark contrast, Seamus is now preparing and looking forward to refereeing the All-Ireland Junior Football Championship final between New York and London tomorrow in Croke Park.

Seamus is a well-established knight of the whistle and joins other great names from Laois men who took charge of Junior All-Irelands.

The first was Ned Tarrant in 1914, a year later Pat Dunphy, then in 1964 the well renowned dual referee from Portarlington, Tony ‘Thatcher’ Coleman. The last Laois man to take charge of a Junior All-Ireland final was Eddie Whelan of Killeshin. He first oversaw Cork and Mayo in 2001 and in 2004 refereed the drawn game between Waterford and Leitrim.

Laois man Pat Dunphy holds a record of refereeing at senior All-Ireland level. He first took charge of Wexford and Kerry in 1915 and was then appointed to officiate between Kildare and Galway in 1919 and three years later was back in Croke Park when Dublin beat Galway.

The last Laois man to take charge of an All-Ireland final was Maurice Deegan from Stradbally. He had earlier taken charge of Donegal and Mayo in 2012 and in 2016 took charge of the replay between Mayo and Dublin. In 2014 Eddie Kinsella of Courtwood took charge of Kerry and Donegal.