# All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final referees

In hurling, the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final, the deciding match of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship competition, is considered the highest honour for referees to be appointed to officiate.
The most recent final (2024) was refereed by Johnny Murphy. The 2021 final was refereed by Fergal Horgan, with James Owens on standby; Sean Stack as linesman; Liam Gordon on the sideline; and three umpires from Horgan's club Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams and one umpire from Cashel King Cormacs.

## Selection

Men who referee a final that ends in a draw cannot also referee the replay. This rule was highlighted in 2019 when David Gough — thought by consensus to have had a good game — was replaced by Conor Lane for the replay. Colm O'Rourke in the Sunday Independent column, "The GAA's view that the referee of a drawn game cannot take the replay defies common sense and logic. Why disqualify a referee when he has done a good job? If the referee is not up to it then certainly he should be left off, but when there is almost universal agreement that he is the best referee in the country then give him all the big games and replays too. The players want the best referees".
Referees are chosen by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) for their impartiality and their assessed performance scores over that championship season. A clue to the identity of the final referee may be found among those chosen to referee the All-Ireland quarter-finals. In recent years, a referee who has overseen an All-Ireland semi-final is never chosen for the final. However, he has tended to have refereed a quarter-final.
When the decision is made, the identity of the referee chosen is revealed following the All-Ireland semi-finals and ahead of the final. A period of media attention may ensue, sometimes even before the announcement has been made. It can be a referee's lifetime goal to get this game.

## Referees
### Pre-1923

| Year | Referee | Co. |
| 1887 | Pauric White | Offaly |
| 1889 | P. Tobin | Dublin |
| 1890 | John Sheehy | Limerick |
| 1891 | P. Tobin | Dublin |
| 1892 | Dan Fraher | Waterford |
| 1893 | J. J. Kenny | Dublin |
| 1894 | J. J. Kenny | Dublin |
| 1895 | J. J. Kenny | Dublin |
| 1896 | D. Wood | Dublin |
| 1897 | J. J. McCabe | Dublin |
| 1898 | J. J. McCabe | Dublin |
| 1899 | A. McKeogh | Dublin |
| 1900 | John McCarthy | Kilkenny |
| 1901 | John McCarthy | Kilkenny |
| 1902 | L. J. O'Toole | Dublin |
| 1903 | John McCarthy | Kilkenny |
| 1904 | M. F. Crowe | |
| 1905 | M. F. Crowe | |
| 1906 | T. Irwin | Cork |
| 1907 | M. F. Crowe | |
| 1908 (draw) | T. Irwin | Cork |
| 1908 (replay) | J. McCarthy | |
| 1909 | M. F. Crowe | |
| 1910 | M. F. Crowe | |
| 1911 | ? | |
| 1912 | M. F. Crowe | |
| 1913 | M. F. Crowe | |
| 1914 | John Lalor | |
| 1915 | Willie Walsh | Waterford |
| 1916 | Willie Walsh | Waterford |
| 1917 | Willie Walsh | Waterford |
| 1918 | Willie Walsh | Waterford |
| 1919 | Willie Walsh | Waterford |
| 1920 | T. McGrath | Clare |
| 1921 | Willie Walsh | Waterford |
| 1922 | Pat Dunphy | Laois |

### 1923 to 1969: Introduction of the Liam MacCarthy Cup

| Year | Referee | Co. |
| 1923 | Pat Kennefick | Cork |
| 1924 | Pádraig Ó Caoimh | Cork |
| 1925 | Pat McCullagh | Wexford |
| 1926 | Pat McCullagh | Wexford |
| 1927 | Dinny Lanigan | Limerick |
| 1928 | John Roberts | Kilkenny |
| 1929 | Seán Robbins | Offaly |
| 1930 | Stephen Jordan | Galway |
| 1931 (draw) | Seán Robbins | Offaly |
| 1931 (replay) | Seán Robbins | Offaly |
| 1931 (2nd replay) | Willie Walsh | Waterford |
| 1932 | Seán Robbins | Offaly |
| 1933 | Stephen Jordan | Galway |
| 1934 (draw) | Stephen Jordan | Galway |
| 1934 (replay) | Stephen Jordan | Galway |
| 1935 | Tommy Daly | Clare |
| 1936 | Jim O'Regan | Cork |
| 1937 | Jim Flaherty | Offaly |
| 1938 | Ignatius Harney | Galway |
| 1939 | Jim Flaherty | Offaly |
| 1940 | John Joe Callanan | Tipperary |
| 1941 | Bill O'Donnell | Tipperary |
| 1942 | Mick Hennessy | Clare |
| 1943 | J. J. Stuart | Dublin |
| 1944 | Mick Hennessy | Clare |
| 1945 | Vin Baston | Waterford |
| 1946 | Jim Flaherty | Offaly |
| 1947 | Phil Purcell | Tipperary |
| 1948 | Con Murphy | Cork |
| 1949 | M. J. Flaherty | Galway |
| 1950 | Con Murphy | Cork |
| 1951 | Bill O'Donoghue | Limerick |
| 1952 | Bill O'Donoghue | Limerick |
| 1953 | Paddy Connell | Offaly |
| 1954 | Jack Mulcahy | Kilkenny |
| 1955 | Bob Stakelum | Tipperary |
| 1956 | T. O'Sullivan | |
| 1957 | Steve Gleeson | |
| 1958 | Matt Spain | |
| 1959 (draw) | Gerry Fitzgerald | |
| 1959 (replay) | Gerry Fitzgerald | |
| 1960 | John Dowling | Offaly |
| 1961 | Gerry Fitzgerald | |
| 1962 | John Dowling | Offaly |
| 1963 | Jimmy Hatton | Wicklow |
| 1964 | Aubrey Higgins | |
| 1965 | Mick Hayes | |
| 1966 | Jimmy Hatton | Wicklow |
| 1967 | Mick Hayes | |
| 1968 | John Dowling | Offaly |
| 1969 | Seán O'Connor | Limerick |

### 1970 to 1996

| Year | Referee | Co. |
| 1970 | Jimmy Hatton | Wicklow |
| 1971 | Frank Murphy | Cork |
| 1972 | Mick Spain | Offaly |
| 1973 | Mick Slattery | Clare |
| 1974 | John Moloney | Tipperary |
| 1975 | Seán O'Connor | Limerick |
| 1976 | Paddy Johnston | Kilkenny |
| 1977 | Seán O'Grady | |
| 1978 | Jimmy Rankins | |
| 1979 | Ger Ryan | |
| 1980 | Noel O'Donoghue | |
| 1981 | Frank Murphy | Cork |
| 1982 | Noel O'Donoghue | |
| 1983 | Neilly Duggan | |
| 1984 | Paschal Long | |
| 1985 | Ger Ryan | |
| 1986 | J. F. Bailey | Dublin |
| 1987 | Terence Murray | Limerick |
| 1988 | Gerry Kirwan | Offaly |
| 1989 | Pat Delaney | Laois |
| 1990 | John Moore | Waterford |
| 1991 | Willie Horgan | Cork |
| 1992 | Dickie Murphy | Wexford |
| 1993 | Terence Murray | Limerick |
| 1994 | Willie Barrett | Tipperary |
| 1995 | Dickie Murphy | Wexford |
| 1996 | Pat Horan | Offaly |

### 1997 to present

| Year | Referee | Referee's club | Co. | Standby referee | Other linesman | Sideline official |
| 1997 | Dickie Murphy | | Wexford | | | |
| 1998 | Dickie Murphy | | Wexford | | | |
| 1999 | Pat O'Connor | | Limerick | | | |
| 2000 | Willie Barrett | | Tipperary | | | |
| 2001 | Pat O'Connor | | Limerick | | | |
| 2002 | Aodán Mac Suibhne | | Dublin | | | |
| 2003 | Pat O'Connor | | Limerick | | | |
| 2004 | Aodán Mac Suibhne | | Dublin | | | |
| 2005 | Séamus Roche | | Tipperary | | | |
| 2006 | Barry Kelly | St Oliver Plunkett's | Westmeath | | | |
| 2007 | Diarmuid Kirwan | | Cork | | | |
| 2008 | Barry Kelly | St Oliver Plunkett's | Westmeath | | | |
| 2009 | Diarmuid Kirwan | | Cork | | | |
| 2010 | Michael Wadding | | Waterford | | | |
| 2011 | Brian Gavin | | Offaly | | | |
| 2012 (draw) | Barry Kelly | St Oliver Plunkett's | Westmeath | | | |
| 2012 (replay) | James McGrath | Turin | Westmeath | | | |
| 2013 (draw) | Brian Gavin | | Offaly | | | |
| 2013 (replay) | James McGrath | Turin | Westmeath | | | |
| 2014 (draw) | Barry Kelly | St Oliver Plunkett's | Westmeath | | | |
| 2014 (replay) | Brian Gavin | | Offaly | | | |
| 2015 | James Owens | | Wexford | | | |
| 2016 | Brian Gavin | | Offaly | | | |
| 2017 | Fergal Horgan | | Tipperary | | | |
| 2018 | James Owens | | Wexford | | | |
| 2019 | James Owens | | Wexford | | | |
| 2020 | Fergal Horgan | | Tipperary | | | |
| 2021 | Fergal Horgan | | Tipperary | | | |
| 2022 | Colm Lyons | | Cork | | | |
| 2023 | John Keenan | | Wicklow | Liam Gordon | James Owens | Shane Hynes |
| 2024 | Johnny Murphy | | Limerick | Liam Gordon | Michael Kennedy | |

## By county

    Since 1997
| Co. | Number of finals | Years |
| Westmeath | 6 | 2006, 2008, 2012 (draw), 2012 (replay), 2013 (replay), 2014 (draw) |
| Wexford | 5 | 1997, 1998, 2015, 2018, 2019 |
| Tipperary | 5 | 2000, 2005, 2017, 2020, 2021 |
| Limerick | 4 | 1999, 2001, 2003, 2024 |
| Offaly | 4 | 2011, 2013 (draw), 2014 (replay), 2016 |
| Cork | 3 | 2007, 2009, 2022 |
| Dublin | 2 | 2002, 2004 |
| Waterford | 1 | 2010 |
| Wicklow | 1 | 2023 |

## Referees with more than one final

Bold = referee still active at inter-county level
| Referee | Number of finals | Years |
| M. F. Crowe | 7 | 1904, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1910, 1912, 1913 |
| Willie Walsh | 7 | 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1921, 1931 (2nd replay) |
| J. McCarthy | 4 | 1900, 1901, 1903, 1908 (replay) |
| Seán Robbins | 4 | 1929, 1931 (draw), 1931 (replay), 1932 |
| Stephen Jordan | 4 | 1930, 1933, 1934 (draw), 1934 (replay) |
| Dickie Murphy | 4 | 1992, 1995, 1997, 1998 |
| Barry Kelly | 4 | 2006, 2008, 2012 (draw), 2014 (draw) |
| Brian Gavin | 4 | 2011, 2013 (draw), 2014 (replay), 2016 |
| J. J. Kenny | 3 | 1893, 1894, 1895 |
| Jim Flaherty | 3 | 1937, 1939, 1946 |
| Gerry Fitzgerald | 3 | 1959 (draw), 1959 (replay), 1961 |
| John Dowling | 3 | 1960, 1962, 1968 |
| Jimmy Hatton | 3 | 1963, 1966, 1970 |
| Pat O'Connor | 3 | 1999, 2001, 2003 |
| James Owens | 3 | 2015, 2018, 2019 |
| Fergal Horgan | 3 | 2017, 2020, 2021 |
| J. J. McCabe | 2 | 1897, 1898 |
| P. Tobin | 2 | 1889, 1891 |
| Tom Irwin | 2 | 1906, 1908 (draw) |
| Pat McCullagh | 2 | 1925, 1926 |
| Mick Hennessy | 2 | 1942, 1944 |
| Con Murphy | 2 | 1948, 1950 |
| Bill O'Donoghue | 2 | 1951, 1952 |
| Mick Hayes | 2 | 1965, 1967 |
| Seán O'Connor | 2 | 1969, 1975 |
| Noel O'Donoghue | 2 | 1980, 1982 |
| George Ryan | 2 | 1979, 1985 |
| Aodán Mac Suibhne | 2 | 2002, 2004 |
| Diarmuid Kirwan | 2 | 2007, 2009 |
| James McGrath | 2 | 2012 (replay), 2013 (replay) |
* Pat Dunphy (1922) has the distinction of also taking charge of the 1922 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final in the same year.
* John Dowling (1960) has the distinction of also taking charge of the 1960 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final in the same year.
* Jimmy Hatton (1966) has the distinction of also taking charge of the 1966 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final in the same year.