One of Antrim’s top referees, Sean Laverty has been appointed as fourth official for this year’s All Ireland football final between Dublin and Tyrone on Sunday the 2nd September. The St. Ergnat’s Moneyglass man took up refereeing in 2011 in the South West leagues and the following year moved to All County.
Sean is one of the best and most dedicated officials in Antrim and indeed Ulster and he was soon being appointed to major league and championship games within the county.
When speaking to him recently he laughed as he told me “After a minor championship match in 2013 a now good friend from the refereeing world advised me to “pull my socks up and get my hair cut!!”
As his career progressed the St. Ergnat’s man was appointed to referee the county U21 football final in 2013 and the Senior finals in 2014 and 2015. In 2016 Sean was appointed to the National League panel and refereed quite a number of games in division 3 and division 4 that year.
The Moneyglass man’s progress continued and amongst his many games he was the man in the middle at the Ulster Junior club final in 2015 and as his reputation grew, the following year he refereed the McKenna Cup final.
As Sean’s refereeing performances continued to impress he has officiated as linesman at this year’s All Ireland senior club final and perhaps his most prominent appointment to date came when he refereed the first Ulster U20 final between Derry and Armagh.
His appointment as fourth official at next weekend’s All Ireland final between Tyrone and Dublin is fitting reward for a man who has dedicated the last seven years of his life to refereeing and I’m sure he will approach the game in the same modest but efficient manner as he does when refereeing in the Antrim leagues.
We at the Saffron Gael congratulate Sean Laverty on his appointment and I’m sure we speak for all Gaels in Antrim when we wish him every success both on Sunday week and in the rest of his refereeing career.
Photograph from Ulster U20 final courtesy of Seamus Loughran