O Muircheartaigh calls for change

RTÉ commentator Mícheál O Muircheartaigh has said that the GAA should embrace the use of technology and perhaps look at having two referees in charge of matches to avoid the awarding of controversial scores.

Speaking on An Saol Ó Dheas on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, O Muircheartaigh addressed the controversy surrounding Benny Coulter's 12th minute goal.

Listen to the interview.

Television pictures showed that Coulter was clearly inside the small square before the ball, a fact the Down star admitted to RTÉ's Brian Carthy after the game, and the goal should not have stood.

Listen to Benny Coulter speaking to Brian Carthy.

When asked if he thought that Down would have won the game even if Coulter's goal had been disallowed, O Muircheartaigh said he was not sure.

'That was the decisive score of the game. Up until then Kildare were playing well. Down had only scored one point before they got the goal,' O Muircheartaigh said.

'I think this strengthens the theory that's out there that there should be two referees in charge of games. At the time (of the goal) the referee was well out the field, because it was a long kick in from the wing by Marty Clarke, and no referee could be in around the square when it landed.'

'He went in and spoke to his umpires and they had no doubt that it was a legal goal, but there was over 60,000 people in Croke Park and everyone was sure that Benny was inside the square before the ball.

'The umpire raised the green flag very quickly and there was only a brief conversation between referee Pat McEnaney and the umpires. I think it was a great injustice to Kildare.

'I also think that the use of technology should be embraced. It works very well. There was very clear evidence, even on the big screen in Croke Park, that the goal should have been disallowed.

'There was a lot of talk too about Eamonn Callaghan's goal for Kildare. People said he took over ten steps, and he did. The referee could have blown his whistle, but Callaghan was fouled twice and a lot of referees start counting the steps again after they give an advantage to a player.

'There was a lot of talk too that Kildare deserved a penalty at the very end of the game. Again the referee was a good distance out and there were a lot of players between him and the incident. It was very difficult to make a decision so he opted to throw the ball in,' said O Muircheartaigh.

Raidió na Gaeltachta will broadcast a special programme on 10 September celebrating the tremendous contribution that O Muircheartaigh continues to make to Irish life. The programme entitled 'Mícheál - Tráchaire ár Linne' will be broadcast live from the Galway Bay Hotel in Salthill, Galway, and will feature Mícheál, together with family, friends and colleagues, who will share their thoughts and memories of the gifted commentator. Click here for more.