The GAA has announced that it will hold a national 'Respect the Referee' weekend on October 22 and 23.
Details were confirmed by Uachtarán CLG Larry McCarthy in Croke Park today, with various members of the inter-county referee national panel present.
The news comes in the wake of several referees being subjected to physical and emotional abuse in recent weeks.
GAA to hold 'Respect the Referee' weekend
✍️@JohnFogartyIrl https://t.co/DU0S7KV9cW— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) October 13, 2022
Speaking at the event, Mr McCarthy said: "The Association has made referee recruitment and retention one of the key pillars of our Strategic Plan for the next five years.
"Designating refereeing as a core objective of our Strategic Plan at its launch, last April was a declaration of our intent to make this a priority and this initiative are in keeping with that.
"To be the embodiment of the GAA manifesto, Where We All Belong requires that no one is left out or left behind. The people who act as match officials ensure our games take place, and without them, there would be no games.
"These people are just as important to the GAA as every player, coach, committee member and volunteer. They are dedicated to Gaelic games, have a passion for their vocation and have families who are proud of the contribution they make. How we treat them says something about us and the only treatment we should tolerate is one of utmost respect."
Counties that have senior county finals on October 22 and October 23 are being encouraged to make a particular effort to celebrate the role of the referee and match officials at these big games.
As reported by the Irish Examiner, the GAA also have several initiatives aimed at enhancing the levels of support for match officials.
A review of the punishments for serious infractions against match officials is being processed, as well as one into how they are processed.
The role of the referee will be a feature of the next stage of the GAA marketing campaign and will be made available through the GAA’s eLearning platform
