Pierce Freaney, the official coordinator for Sunday's All-Ireland final, has insisted that Marty Duffy's appointment as referee was the correct decision.
High-profile GAA personalities, including Kerry legend Mick O’Dwyer, had questioned the appointment and believed that Pat McEnaney should have been named as the match referee.
Speaking to the Irish Daily Star, Freaney said: ‘We are 100 per cent happy with the appointment.
‘A lot of the talk about Marty in the build-up to the match was unfair and unwarranted.
‘It could have put him under a lot of pressure, but luckily Marty is not the type of person to let it affect him. I thought he did very well in the final. It's very difficult to spot everything.’
He added: ‘I think overall we had a very good year in terms of refereeing. There were a few blips along the way, but I think most people would agree that it was a good year.
‘The players are responsible for that too and they should be thanked for this. I think they got a taste in the league by being replaced after a yellow card and they were more wary as a result.’
