OFFALY NATIVE BRIAN Gavin has announced his retirement from inter-county refereeing.
Gavin was one of the highest profile officials in the game, taking charge of four All-Ireland senior hurling finals between 2011 and 2016.
The 40-year-old told GAA.ie that the physical demands of refereeing at the highest level was behind his decision to call it a day.
“I’ll definitely miss it, there’s no doubt, but I just feel I’ve come to the right decision,” he said.
“It’s getting harder every year. Even though I’m only 40 I’m still 20 years older than some of the players, so it’s getting tougher and tougher.
“I really enjoyed my time, I had four All-Ireland finals and four Munster finals. I’d probably say now I would have liked to get five All-Irelands, but when I started off I would have been thrilled with even one, never mind four. So, I definitely have no regrets.
“The modern player is so fit now it’s just unbelievable. It’s a challenge for referees as well to raise their standards but I have to say in the last 10 or 15 years that the standard of fitness of referees has gone well up above wherever it was and you can see it now in matches because referees are covering between 10 and 12km.
“I think in the 2016 All-Ireland hurling final I covered 11km. I’d be a big broad fella and it would take a lot of work to get me fit but when I got fit I could maintain it.
“I never felt as good as I did that time. I remember in the last five minutes I was just really flying, and that’s because I’d done a lot of work that year.
“Referees just have to do that hard work every year and repeating that hard work over a long period of time is the difficult part.”
Brian Gavin’s All-Ireland hurling finals2011 – Kilkenny v Tipperary
2013 – Clare v Cork
2014 – Kilkenny v Tipperary (replay)
2016 – Kilkenny v Tipperary
The Clara clubman used the same four umpires for the vast majority of his career – his father Michael, his brother David, his fellow Clara club-man William Flynn, and Ferbane-Belmont club-man PJ Lawlor.
“I’d say there were only one or two occasions when one of them might have been on holidays and I had to use someone else,” said Gavin.
“They’ve been with me since day one. People in refereeing would understand when I say reliable umpires are crucial to have. One or two bad umpires could bring you down, but I was steeped lucky with the four lads I have.
“And luckily enough one of them was my father and one of them was brother which always added to All-Ireland finals because my brother would have brought his family as well. We had marvellous days, especially in the build up to the All-Irelands.”
He said his most memorable game to referee was the 2013 All-Ireland hurling qualifier between Kilkenny and Tipperary in Nowlan Park. He famously received the end of Tommy Walsh’s hurley to the nose during the 2011 All-Ireland final between the same two counties.
In total he refereed 38 All-Ireland SHC games between 2004 and 2017, including the four All-Ireland deciders, plus four Munster finals, and one All-Ireland U21, minor, club and Division 1 league final.
Gavin is currently the chairman of his native Clara, while he’s also part of Midlands 103′s GAA coverage.
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
I suppose a natural development since Kilkenny’s physicality in the air has evolved the game into more of a physical battle. Hope there’s still a place for a Joe Deane or eoin Kelly type player in the modern game, hurling would be much poorer otherwise
There are not enough hardy lads in Tipp for the kind of game Ryan wants to impose .
I’d like to think you still need to be able to hurl to succeed tho. It’ll be interesting to see how Clare do with their pace and skill based game. I think it would be good for hurling to see them in croke park again. Hopefully Tipp can get the balance of brain and brawn right tho
Just because lads are after getting big and strong it does not mean that we after loosing a type of player.I think lads like TJ,Richie Hogan,JJ Delaney,Joe Canning and Callanan are just as skillful and class as Deane and Kelly.Just look at the player of the year nominees this year…….all three are like Houdini when they have a sliotar in their hands.Its the way the game is being played is changing.I think Kilkenny just brought more intensity rather than physicality,as the game was much more physical just as far back as 20 years ago.And more again 40 and 50yrs ago
For too long now ,Tipp have thrown away Munsters and all-Irelands due to their non physicality….
As Tommy Docherty once said when describing a Ladies team ” their lovely to look at,, but they wont hurt you ”
Maybe its time to bring back Hells Kitchen !!
I’m still scratching my head trying to figure out why maher was centre forward last year. I think right half back is his best position , in midfield he goes in and out of games. He’s more solid than Barrett.
Just as long as he doesn’t throw the baby out with the bath water. EOS was on the cusp of cracking it but his team lacked a bit of edge, not helped by injuries to the like if Mahony, Cahill, Stapleton etc. who add a bit of bite to the team. I would nearly prefer lose than sacrifice EOS’s hurling philosophy in favour of that sweeper system/ Donegal tactic that other teams are employing. Also if Michael Quinlivan can hurl he would be well worth a try.
That’s the worry Johnny, but I hope with the likes of bubbles, Callanan and Noel McGrath you have the bones of a hurling front 6 as opposed to a blunt battering ram. Galway even uppe’d the physicality stakes this year as well. Where’s it all going to end.. in puke football territory maybe? I like you still want to retain our nice brand of hurling identity if possible
Tipp need to find a few more players. No Denis Maher? The question you need to ask as a fan is how many of this squad would start on a Kilkenny first 15? 4-5 at a push, this is the bench mark for Tipp unfortunately.