McGlinchey becomes Tipp’s first female GAA Referee

By Shane Brophy

There was a little piece of GAA history made recently when Sinead McGlinchey from Newport officially became the first female referee in the county.

The 18-year-old was among eighteen new referees who successfully passed this years training course and were presented with their gear, along with the existing 92 referees, at an event in Thurles recently.

A native of Birdhill, Sinead is the daughter of former Tipperary and Waterford senior football manager Tom McGlinchey who became a referee himself in recent years.

“I did the ladies course last year, and my father is a referee as well, so I said I would do the men’s (course) while I am at it,” said the St Mary’s Secondary School Newport student who combined training to be a referee with preparing for her Leaving Cert exams which she completed last week. She hopes to study veterinary in Tralee and would be willing to referee in Kerry during her studies to keep her skills sharp.

“I just wanted to try something new and be different, but I don’t expect any special treatment,” she added.

“Ever since dad started doing it, I have been going to matches with him and umpiring. I meet lots of people and then looking at the games and would have a great interest in all football and hurling matches.”

Sinead plays ladies football with Rockvale Rovers and says undertaking the refereeing course has helped her as a player, and vice versa.

“Refereeing definitely helps in terms of playing as I have a better grasp of the rules,” she said.

“I like getting to know players and getting to know what they think of the game and how they want it reffed. I would be focused on the rules and half the time they know what they have done wrong if they have done something wrong.

“Every ref should be explaining what the player has done instead of just throwing up the hand and giving the free. They should all be explaining why and letting the players know so they know for the future.”

Maggie Farrelly from Cavan is the only female referee on the inter-county scene and Sinead admits she has the ambition to follow in her footsteps.

“I’d love to do inter-county,” Sinead admitted.

“Looking at how well respected they are, it makes a huge difference and hopefully it is the same when I start referring.”

Each of the new eighteen referees (the highest of the six Munster counties in 2024) in the county have also been given an established referee as part of a new buddy system and they are as follows (in brackets):

Shane Bergin – JK Brackens (Seamus Delaney)

Aidan Butler – Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams (John Ryan Bob)

Ger Butler – Moyle Rovers (Sean Lonergan M)

Conor Cooney – Cahir (Michael Kennedy)

Christopher Glavin – Ballybacon/Grange (Nigel Carrigan)

John Ivers – JK Brackens (Tom Loughnane)

Denis Kelly – Borris-Ileigh (Gerry Treacy)

Sinead McGlinchey – Newport (Philip Kelly)

Alan Moloney – Ardfinnan (Derek O’Mahoney)

Philip O’Doherty – Solohead (Phil Ryan)

Shane O’Neill – St Mary’s (Andy Griffin)

Anthony Owens – Solohead (Paddy Russell)

Dan Riordan – Father Sheehy’s (Declan Hickey)

Cian Ryan – Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill (John McCormack)

David Ryan – Boherlahan/Dualla (Philip Ryan)

Martin Ryan – Emly (Seanie Peters)

Wayne Ryan – Father Sheehy’s (Sean Lonergan B)