THERE are just 12 referees signed up to cover all senior and underage ladies GAA games in Fermanagh as fears grow over the significant shortage of local match officials in the county.
An urgent email was sent out to all club secretaries by Fermanagh LGFA Development Officer, Conor Meehan, who said that lack of referees are leaving officials “stretched to breaking point”.
A number of GAA clubs have no active ladies referee. Fermanagh LGFA has warned that from next year, any club without an active official will forfeit home advantage for all age grades.
“We’ve got 10 referees of our own and two guys from outside the county are willing to come in and help. We’ve got a low number of officials,” LGFA Development Officer, Conor Meehan, admitted.
“If we don’t get more ladies referees, eventually the well will run dry. The same pool of referees are going to get fed up if they’re out five, six or seven days a week.”
While significant strides have been made to improve the standard of the ladies game in Fermanagh, the shortage of referees and match officials continues to be a growing issue locally.
An appeal was sent to all clubs to source young people within their clubs who could referee games from under-13 to minor grade, but the county has been left unimpressed by the uptake.
“To run a Youth Referee training course internally, we need a minimum of 15 people we haven’t got to that number yet,” explained Mr Meehan.
“The idea is for those officials to referee youth games to build up their confidence and if they feel fit they can go on to referee senior matches, with a course available and people to help them.
“Senior ladies games in Fermanagh are on at 10 o’clock on a Sunday morning and this is why.
“The majority of the referees have been out at a men’s game on a Saturday evening or else they’re going somewhere on a Sunday. The shortage of refs are causing a real fixture pile-up too.”
The Fermanagh inter-county ladies team, who won the LGFA Junior All-Ireland Championship title last year, continue to the trailblazers for the game locally in the county, inspiring many youngsters.
The county is keen to recruit enough referees so that local games and matches can go ahead.
“Whatever crest of a wave we’re on now with the senior ladies, we want to capitalise on it and row in behind them,” added Mr Meehan.
“The ladies game is the fastest growing game in Ireland and some of the youth numbers are crazy in Fermanagh. We need more people to agree to officiate so our games can go as planned.”
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