REFEREES – At a recent CCC meeting the full list of referees for the junior A and junior B, football and hurling, championship games was ratified. The list was drawn up by the games administrator, Donal McCarthy, and involved a huge amount of work.
With 57 games to be played in the league stages of the championship and approx 22 referees involved, a huge amount of co-ordinating must be gone through, especially as many of those referees are also involved with refereeing county senior board games at the same time, as well as Rebel Óg, ladies football and camogie games. Very few realise the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to stage all our championship games as those referees also have to organise umpires and linesmen for every game. No need to tell anybody at this stage that there is a general shortage of referees all through the GAA, especially at club level and efforts to recruit new referees are always ongoing. Here we appeal to all retiring players especially, to consider putting something back into the game by picking up a whistle. An appeal, also, to all supporters and, especially, mentors on the sideline, to give our referees the respect they deserve on the pitch. None of us is perfect, we all make mistakes, and why do we then expect perfection from referees, we sometimes forget that they, too, are human and subject to making mistakes. So, the next time you feel like shouting abuse at a referee, think twice and then take a deep breath. A word of thanks from team mentors and players to referees wouldn’t go astray either after games. Finally, the best wishes of the board go to referee Connie Murphy of Kilmeen/Kilbree on a speedy recovery from a serious operation. Connie is one of our longest serving and most dedicated referees and he will be seriously missed for the season.
HEALTH SEMINAR – This Thursday, 20th, the Clonakilty GAA, LGFA and camogie clubs will hold a special seminar on positive mental health, entitled ‘Power Up Your Mind.’ It will include lectures by experts on three aspects of mental health – resilient mindset building, performance nutrition and stress management. It is open to all parents, mentors and players, over 16, and takes place from 7pm to 9pm in Ahamilla.
FIXTURE CHANGES – Because of the big senior double bill in Dunmanway on August 18th, the times of four junior A football games that day have to be changed from 3.30pm. Three of the games will now be played at 7pm and they are Ballinascarthy v Diarmuid Ó Mathúna in Ballinacarriga; St Colum’s v Kilbrittain in Drimoleague and Tadhg MacCárthaigh v Kilmeen in Leap. Castlehaven v Newcestown in Ahiohill will be played at 12 noon.
FOOTBALL LEAGUES – A reminder to all clubs that round seven of the Dubliner Cheese Carbery/Beara Football Leagues for Divisions 1, 2 and 3B and Round 5 of Division 3A take place on this weekend, June 23rd, and not on June 30th, as that is a hurling weekend. Closing date to decide the winners of the leagues is July 14th.
