John Keenan to referee All-Ireland SHC Final:
The GAA are delighted to confirm that John Keenan from Wicklow will be the referee for the 2023 GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Final on July 23rd, between Kilkenny and Limerick, in what will be John’s first Senior Final.
John is a member of the Aughrim club and has also refereed the All-Ireland Minor Final in 2016, U21 All-Ireland Final in 2018, Leinster Hurling Final in 2019, and the Munster Hurling Final in 2022.
In this year’s Hurling Championship, John has refereed Antrim v Dublin in the Leinster Championship, two Munster championship games – Tipperary v Clare and Waterford v Clare, along with the All-Ireland Quarter Final involving Galway and Tipperary. In the Allianz League, he refereed Kilkenny v Cork and Waterford v Galway.
The Final will be John’s 22nd Liam MacCarthy game to referee since his first in 2014.
His umpires on the day will be Tommy Redmond (Tinahely) and Eddie Leonard (St Patrick’s), Paul Reville (Turin) and David Clune (Delvin).
His linemen on the day will be Galway’s Liam Gordon and Wexford’s James Owens, and Liam will be the standby referee and the Sideline Official will be Shane Hynes from Galway.
Sunday, July 23
GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Final
Kilkenny v Limerick, Croke Park, 3.30pm (RTÉ/BBC)
Referee: John Keenan, Cill Maintain
Stand By: Liam Gordon, Gaillimh
Linesman: James Owens, Loch Gorman
Sideline: Shane Hynes, Gaillimh
Umpires: Tommy Redmond, Eddie Leonard, Paul Reville and David Clune.