David Gough to referee Dublin-Kerry All-Ireland final
David Gough will take charge of the All-Ireland Senior Football final between Dublin and Kerry.
It's the Meathman's first appointment for Gaelic football's showpiece event, having previously refereed the All-Ireland Minor, U21, and Senior Club finals.
Cork's Conor Lane, who refereed last year's final, is the standby referee. The other linesman is Barry Cassidy (Derry), with Sean Hurson (Tyrone) appointed as the fourth official.
Gough's potential appointment was the subject of much comment after former Kerry manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice and ex-player Aidan O'Mahony called for Gough to be overlooked, not because of his ability or impartiality, but due to the pressure around him living and working in Dublin.
He works as GAA Education and Development Officer in the DCU St Patrick's campus, Drumcondra, but continues to referee club games in Meath, where he is a member of Slane GAA club.
"I think it’s an injustice if he does get the game," said Fitzmaurice on the Irish Examiner GAA podcast.
"Living and working in Dublin, you are not neutral."
That comment came after Brian Gavin wrote in his Irish Examiner column on Monday: "[Kerry] might believe they have had been unlucky with David Gough in the past but it would be an injustice if he doesn’t get the appointment.
"David has worked his socks off to get to this stage and he is due it."
Widely considered one of the GAA's top referees, Gough took charge of the 2017 Mayo-Kerry semi-final replay and 2016 Dublin-Kerry semi-final.
Gough isn't remembered fondly by Kerry supporters following an incident late in the 2016 semi-final where he didn't call a free for a bad tackle on Peter Crowley which resulted in a crucial Dublin point.
He later apologised for missing the foul, saying: “I know I got it wrong. I didn’t get it wrong on purpose. I just didn’t see it.”
Gough follows in the footsteps of his countyman David Coldrick, who took charge of the last Dublin-Kerry final in 2015.
His family members, Dean Gough, Eugene Gough, Stephen Gough, and Terry Gough, will make up the team of umpires.
Noel Mooney (Cavan) will officiate the Minor final between Cork and Galway.
Roscommon’s Paddy Neilan will be the standby referee. The other linesman is Brendan Cawley (Kildare) and the fourth official will be Jerome Henry (Mayo).
Michael Mooney, Michael Graham, Berney Quinn, and Martin Sheridan, all from Cavan Gaels club, will be the umpires.
