FAI.ie - Boost for women’s refereeing - 27 August 2002
Over the past couple of years, a quiet revolution has taken place in refereeing worldwide – more and more women are taking up the whistle with great success. Most countries now have female FIFA international referees, and we in Ireland are not far behind. In recent seasons, eircom League referee Hilda McDermott has emerged as Ireland’s most successful female referee. Hilda has laid down the marker for many up and coming female referees and has shown that gender is no barrier to success in Irish refereeing.
This Sunday Hilda will be in action refereeing the WFAI Senior Cup Final between UCD and Shamrock Rovers at Verona FC, Dublin (12 noon). She will be assisted by two future stars of Irish refereeing, Rhona Daly (Westmeath) and Aisling Looney (Dublin). Rhona is a new member of the FAI’s School of Excellence for young referees, while Aisling has had great success in her career to date and is assured a place in the School in the future.
The FAI is looking for women to get involved in refereeing, particularly as the women’s game continues to grow at a rapid rate. The Association’s first ever ‘female-only’ referees beginners course will be held in Terryland Park, Galway on Sunday 8th September beginning at 9:30am (Contact Maria Lawton on 087 8126508). This is a pilot course which we hope to bring to other areas in the country in the coming months. For further information on women in refereeing, contact FAI Referees Recruitment Officer Darren Coombes on (01) 7037535 or by email at referees@fai.ie
