Tag Archives: Rory Hickey

CLARE referees are getting old and their representative association in the county is very keen to recruit up to 30 new whistlers for an upcoming training course. There are 39 active referees currently, with 70% of them over 40 and 10% over 60. Inter-county referees Rory Hickey and Rory McGann are adamant that a new injection of younger folk in black is imperative, with just five referees aged under 30. “We’re getting older. Clubs might be sick of looking at us but there is no one else. In Clare, we have an older demographic in our referees’ association. We need to be pumping new people into it,” Rory Hickey told The Clare Champion this week. Hickey has been refereeing since 2000 and has taken charge of seven county finals, while Rory McGann took charge of the 2016 drawn hurling final. Both are aiming to make it back to the list of inter-county referees this year and will know this weekend, …

A REQUEST made to members of the national GAA referees panel to highlight an awareness of cancer Clare referee Rory Hickey had his head shaved at the Éire Óg clubhouse. “Back in the autumn, the members of the national referees group were asked to do something to heighten an awareness of cancer. Some of the lads participated in a fundraiser in November and others are doing their project now,” the Ennis man told The Clare Champion. “In conjunction with Micheál Malone from D Barber shop in Francis Street, we decided to participate in a shave and dye project,” explained the Éire Óg GAA clubman, who had his head dyed on Monday last. At Thursday’s event, Rory and Micheál completed the project. “Unfortunately, everyone we speak to has a cancer-related story. Even in our own club, we have had some cancer-related losses over the years,” said Rory, adding that he lost an uncle to cancer in the not too distant past. …

  THE 2014 inter-county Gaelic football season kicks off this weekend and players will have their first official outing where gum shields are compulsory. It also marks the introduction of a black card for cynical behaviour fouls, while the number of substitutes allowed per game has increased from five to six. Players guilty of cynical behaviour fouls (black card) will be ordered off. The first three ordered off on a black card infringement may be replaced but after that, a replacement will not be allowed. In the new disciplinary system, a player sent off on a red card, as before, cannot be replaced. A black card offence means a player sent off may be replaced. If more than three players earn a black card in the course of the game, no further replacement will be allowed. A yellow card earns a player a caution, while two yellow cards will result in a sending off with no replacement allowed. A combination of …