Maurice Deegan (born 1972) is a former

inter-county Inter-county, is Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) List of Gaelic games terminology, terminology which refers to competitions or matches between County (Gaelic games), counties, as used in Gaelic games (differently from legal counties). The term c ...

referee from

County Laois County Laois ( ; ) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medieval kingdom. Hist ...

. A member of the

Stradbally Stradbally () is a town in County Laois, Ireland. Overview It is located in the midlands of Ireland along the N80 road, about from Portlaoise and from Dublin. It is a townland, a civil parish, and historic barony. It is known for its annu ...

club, he refereed three

finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...

of the All-Ireland SFC.

Career

Deegan began refereeing when the Stradbally club secretary asked if he would oversee a friendly game. Deegan officiated, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. The club secretary recommended him for training and Deegan began working on local club matches and, later, underage development matches. Deegan refereed three

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) () is the premier inter-county competition in Gaelic football. County (Gaelic games), County teams compete against each other and the winner is declared All-Ireland Champions. Organised by the ...

finals at

Croke Park Croke Park (, ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, it is referred to as Croker by GAA fans and locals. It serves as both the principal national stadium of Ireland and headquarters of the Gaelic At ...

— the 2016 All-Ireland final replay between

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

and Mayo, the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final between Donegal and Mayo and the 2008 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final between Kerry and Tyrone. He refereed his first All-Ireland final when he was 35 years old. Deegan also refereed the 2020 Munster Senior Football Championship final between Tipperary and Cork which resulted in Tipp's first title since 1935. Cork-based newspaper, the ''

Irish Examiner The ''Irish Examiner'', formerly ''The Cork Examiner'' and then ''The Examiner'', is an Republic of Ireland, Irish national daily newspaper which primarily circulates in the Munster region surrounding its base in Cork (city), Cork, though it is ...

'', reckoned Deegan gave a "solid" performance. Deegan was originally listed to referee the 2022 Tailteann Cup final, but the GAA confirmed a change of referee on 6 July. Deegan was absent for what would have been his final inter-county game after contracting

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

. Barry Cassidy deputised in Deegan's absence. Deegan refereed the 2022

Leinster Senior Club Football Championship The Leinster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament played on a knockout basis between the senior club championship winners of the competing counties in Leinster. The current holders of the Leinster title are K ...

final (contested by The Downs and Kilmacud Crokes), his last game at Croke Park. He fell and injured his shoulder during the second half of the match. He was also involved in another collision, with the weather at fault. Deegan was able to carry on. After retiring, he rated the 2011 All-Ireland semi-final between Donegal and Dublin as the most difficult game he had refereed. After retiring from officiating at inter-county level, Deegan joined

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

's coverage of championship games, explaining to viewers decisions made by the on-field referee. He also became a member of the Football Review Committee. He joined alongside

Peter Canavan Peter Canavan (born 9 April 1971) is an Irish former Gaelic footballer, manager and pundit. He played inter-county football for Tyrone, and is one of the most decorated players in the game's history, winning two All-Ireland Senior Football C ...

in January 2025, succeeding previous members Michael Murphy and

Malachy O'Rourke Malachy O'Rourke is a Gaelic football Manager (Gaelic games), manager and former player for the Fermanagh county football team, Fermanagh county team. He has been manager of the senior Tyrone county football team, Tyrone county team since 2024. ...

when they became unavailable.

Personal life

Deegan is the father of two daughters.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Deegan, Maurice 1972 births Living people All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final referees Gaelic football referees Gaelic games administrators Gaelic games commentators