Ladies Gaelic Football

ADVERT Focus REFEREE By Jackie Cahill DECLAN Carolan's refereeing philosophy is based on three key principles. The experienced whistler, a native of Down but officiating in Armagh and at national level with the LGFA, has spoken to Peil Magazine ahead of the commencement of the 2023 inter-county season. In general, he believes that the respect levels for referees are "pretty good", and particularly from players. Of course, he'll hear the odd barb from the sideline but Carolan has been around long enough to realise that "if you blow the whistle, you'll upset someone." He adds: "You might get somebody on the line going 'for **** sake' but that's just an instantaneous reaction, and people often don't mean to use bad language. If there's a follow- up after that, you take notice, but I generally don't hear spectators, and people naturally get a bit passionate about the game. Often, it might be directed at the incident in general, and not necessarily the referee." Declan, a member of the LGFA's national panel since 2017, insists that it's vital to portray a confident demeanour on the field of play. It stands to reason that if the referee is confident in his/her decision, and portrays that, it's more likely to be accepted by players, management teams and spectators alike. "How you communicate" is important, Declan adds. "Blowing the whistle as hard as you can… exaggerate your hand gestures a wee bit. You have to be confident about blowing the whistle, and show that you have control. People, then, are less likely to question the decision. "The other thing is to take your time making the call, especially in the final third of the field. "Go in and talk to your umpires and linespeople – and people will respect that." It's a busy life, too, the life of a referee. At the height of a season, Declan could be out refereeing every night in various codes, and sometimes it's more than one game per day. "Nine times out of ten, games go well and you meet good people along the way," he says. "There are games where you could have some animosity from previous games and they got hotter and tighter. If you have a game like that, it's hard to get back out the next night. "You could come off thinking that you've had a good game but nobody likes to be criticised. "Even though you know you've made the right call, criticism does sting a bit." But experience has honed Declan's coping mechanisms and preparation is also a vital part of his make-up, brushing up on the rules before games, getting his gear ready and organising umpires. He'll also run through potential scenarios in his head, including what could possibly go wrong and how he might deal with it, and how to deal with any criticism that might be forthcoming. He's never felt hugely threatened, thankfully, but there was an occasion when refereeing an underage boys' game when he was grabbed by the collar by a team mentor, "blindsided – he gave me quite a jolt," Declan recalls. "I turned around and within a Confident in Calls and Professional in Preparation DECLAN CAROLAN GIVES HIS TAKE ON REFEREEING AND HIS WIFE ANNE SHARES HER VIEW FROM THE SIDELINES. couple of seconds, his (fellow) team mentors came over and pulled him away." Declan reported the incident and the perpetrator received a ban. Later that evening, Declan refereed a senior championship game and that went off really well. Declan and his wife Anne are the proud parents of three sons, who are often umpires for their Dad. "You have to have a sense of humour," Declan smiles. "I was doing a hurling final in Armagh, a junior final, and two of my boys were doing umpires. The fellas behind them…what they didn't shout at me!" Declan's wife Anne says: "He would be good to cope with anything, very good with that." But that's not to minimise the potential impact of verbal abuse of match officials. Different people react in different ways and it shouldn't happen in the first place. Anne says: "They (referees) can't be everywhere at the one time – things will happen that they can't see. They're only human. "I go to his matches, if there's a free space in the car if it's not full." And while inter-county players are gearing up for a new season, Anne points out that referees are also putting in the hard yards. She estimates that Declan will run 6 or 7 miles a day when in training mode, and these are often early morning runs. Declan will also add in longer runs and hill runs on the weekends, if he's not on refereeing assignments. "I'm very proud of him, he's done so much," Anne says. "I really respect him, he's brilliant. "I can't say enough about him, he's so dedicated. Everything he does, he puts 100 per cent into it. "When he's planning a match, it has to be perfect, everything laid out the night before, organising umpires and their gear. When he gets back, I wash them (gear). There is an awful lot to it." And people who decide to shout and scream from the sidelines would do well to remember that. www.ladiesgaelic.ie | WINTER 2022 / JANUARY 2023 | 53

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