The All-Ireland final is the pinnacle of the Irish sporting calendar for players and fans all over the country, but the referee is quite often forgotten about.
The excitement is palpable as Limerick’s Johnny Murphy is set to take charge of his first All-Ireland senior hurling final on Sunday week.
The Ballylanders clubman, who also played for Glenroe, has been appointed to officiate the Clare-Cork decider. His extensive experience this season includes refereeing the All-Ireland quarter-final clash between Clare and Wexford, the Clare-Tipperary Munster Round 5 game, as well as the Wexford-Dublin and Dublin-Kilkenny Leinster Round 1 and 4 fixtures.
Johnny Murphy in 2024
The last Clare game Murphy took charge of saw Wexford's Rory O'Connor sent off in the first half for two yellow card tackles, the first occurring seconds into the game.
This would be his first game officiating the Rebels in the championship.
Other big games that the Limerick man has taken charge of would be the 2021 Leinster final, the 2023 All-Ireland club hurling final, and the All-Ireland U20 Hurling final in 2021.
He also oversaw the Dublin-Galway league game in 2024, where three Galway players were sent off. Henry Shefflin was not pleased after that game.
Murphy would have probably gotten to officiate on the big day sooner if it wasn’t for the seer dominance of John Kiley’s Limerick over the last couple of years, as a referee can’t officiate a game with their own county involved.
This call probably shouldn’t be a surprise as Murphy took charge of this year’s National Hurling League final earlier in the year, the Clare-Kilkenny Division 1 final.
Murphy's family has a deep-rooted connection with sports. He played senior inter-county football for Limerick and intermediate hurling for the county, following in the footsteps of his father, Seamus, who also refereed.
Johnny Murphy's appointment is a significant milestone, marking the first time a Limerick man has officiated an All-Ireland SHC final since Pat O’Connor in 2003. O’Connor, who also refereed the 1999 and 2001 finals, was the last Limerick man to hold this prestigious role. Before O’Connor, Terence Murray supervised the 1987 and ’93 clashes. This is a moment of pride for Limerick and for Murphy himself.
