Fergal Horgan will referee this year’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final
Fergal Horgan from the Kickhams club will referee this year’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final between Limerick and Cork, this is Fergal’s third all Ireland senior hurling final. 2017 Galway v Waterford, 2020 Limerick v Waterford, 2021 Limerick v Cork, All Ireland minor final 2014, All Ireland Intermediate final 2015, 3 Leinster senior finals 2016, 2018, 2020 and Munster senior final 2017.
Plus several provincial games in Munster and Leinster. Fergal is among an elite group of West Tipperary officials to take charge of All Ireland senior championship finals, they include Bill O’Donnell Golden/kilfeacle, Seán Hayes Arravale Rovers, John Moloney Galtee Rovers St Pecauns, George Ryan Lattincullen and Paddy Russell Emly. His umpires are John Ryan Bob Cashel King Cormacs, Seán Bradshaw Kickhams, Mickey Butter Kickhams, Alan Horgan Kickhams and James Ownes Wexford (Standby Referee)Seán Stack Dublin (Linesman)Having played hurling at the highest level in Tipperary and London, Fergal also won an All Ireland minor hurling championship medal with Tipperary in 1996 as goalkeeper, he has won so many honours on and off the field and he’s also a superb advisor in relation to rules etc, which is very important in the modern era.
He won two Munster minor hurling medals in 1996 and 1997 and Munster U21 hurling in 1998. Personally I’m absolutely delighted for Fergal. When I was the referee’s co-ordinator in West Tipperary, Fergal asked me to put his name down to do a referee’s course, I asked him why did he want to become a hurling referee? His answer was clear, “I want to improve the standards in hurling.” John Lonergan and myself decided to put him into senior club games in his first year, because we knew he had the confidence to handle games in all types of situations, we knew he was something special, congratulations Fergal and hopefully he will do many more All-Ireland finals.