Four-time All-Ireland hurling final referee Barry Kelly says that the culture of counties overturning red cards and suspensions in Gaelic games needs to be culled, claiming blatant red cards are being rescinded.
Kelly was one of the top hurling referees for two decades, taking a Railway Cup final in 1999, an All-Ireland minor final a year later and an All-Ireland club final in 2004.
In the same year he was handed a national Under-21 final and then took several Munster, Leinster and Ulster hurling finals before refereeing further All-Ireland Ireland senior deciders in 2006, 2008, 2012 and 2014.
Now the former official says the lack of acceptance of red cards and suspensions is undermining current referees.
This comes after a recent spate of red cards, across both codes, were overturned on appeal.
“It is and there is definitely a refusal to accept decisions in the GAA now,” he tells RTE Sport.
“If Johnny Sexton is sent off next Saturday and Leinster win and get to the final, he will definitely miss that final.
“There won’t be 10 barristers heading to the European Rugby HQ to appeal.
“In 1999 Roy Keane received two yellow cards in the Champions League semi-final, missed the final and there was no appeal. He missed the game.
“In the GAA if a guy is sent off in an All-Ireland semi-final, unless he takes out a submachine gun and shoots down someone in front of our eyes the likelihood is that he will appeal the decision and is unlikely to miss it.
“It’s wrong and county boards are speaking from both sides of the mouth,” he insists.
“On one hand they are meant to respect law and order in their own counties and on the other hand they seem to just ignore all that when it comes to inter-county.
“I was linesman for the classic 2004 Munster final when John Mullane was sent off. He’s one of the few in recent memory to accept a significant suspension in GAA history. But now lads are getting off and the cases haven’t even gone as far as the DRA (Disputes Resolution…
