I read Eddie O'Connor's views on Barry Kelly in today's Irish Examiner. To say I was "gobsmacked" would be putting it mildly. All this "c**p" about letting games flow and hurling is all about physicality, etc. is nothing more than an excuse to get away with all this "hurling on the edge"?? Hurling is primarily a game of great skill performed at high speed and the physical element is secondary to all that. There have been times over the years when I have "cursed" Barry Kelly over what I perceived to be bad calls against my county in games where he has been in charge. In the "cold light of day", when the dust has settled and I reviewed his performance it always came out that he had a very good game. We should be thankful for the likes of Barry Kelly (and Dickie Murphy for years) who give their time to do this job. I have been watching hurling for 60 years and Murphy & Kelly are the two best refs I have ever seen.

AwbegRover (Cork) - Posts: 136 - 03/09/2014 10:30:30    1647323

agree with every word you say.let the game flow means turning a blind eye to blatant fouls.if players know they can give away frees left right and centre without being blown,what will follow will be a game of get away with what you can.
the other great referee for refereeing to the book was Michael Wadding.he didnt care about letting the game flow.if you fouled you gave away a free and that was it.players quickly latch on to what the referee will or will not tolerate.
good luck to Barry Kelly on Sunday.

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 03/09/2014 10:36:18    1647331

Pinch of salt lads, Eddie and Willie are good craic. He is only stirring, always happens.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 7885 - 03/09/2014 10:39:33    1647333

TheFlaker, I can guarantee you he's not only joking. Kilkenny are always on about letting the game flow, they are trying to put pressure on the referee.
Why didnt Eddie become a referee and show us how it's done?

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 03/09/2014 11:14:49    1647362

Pinkie
County: Wexford
Posts: 3098

1647362
TheFlaker, I can guarantee you he's not only joking. Kilkenny are always on about letting the game flow, they are trying to put pressure on the referee.
Why didnt Eddie become a referee and show us how it's done?


He is winding things up, hoping it sways the ref in some way, hardly a new tactic, same thing happening for years! Why are we surprised?

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 7885 - 03/09/2014 11:29:24    1647373

The 2012 drawn final had barely ended when ger henderson was on RTE 1 declaring that 'the rule is the same ref cannot do the replay'.
He didn't want Barry Kelly in charge of the replay.

conordee (Galway) - Posts: 440 - 03/09/2014 11:35:55    1647383

Barry Kelly is a very good referee.

Wasn't it Eddie who made that woeful whine about not getting a holiday or something back in the dark ages? Maybe he should stop the public statements.

rcarragh (Dublin) - Posts: 305 - 03/09/2014 11:43:04    1647388

I would take what Eddie says with a pinch of salt. There is a reason the papers go back to interview him this time every year Kilkenny play an All Ireland. He is not afraid to say what he thinks and can stir up a bit of controversy.

But I do agree with his general view that a free flowing game of hurling cannot be beaten. Now I'm not saying there should be a free for all out there or anything but if he is blowing up the simplest little things, players get frustrated which leads to more fouling.

There is a concern about Barry Kelly due to a lack of consistency at times. I used to think he was a great ref but in the last few years when reffing Kilkenny matches (it may be the same in other matches he referees) he seems to have completely turned against Kilkenny. All anyone can ask for is consistency. The match against Cork last year is a prime example. I am not getting into this thing of Henry shouldn't have been sent off, if he wasn't we would have won because Kilkenny clearly did not deserve to win that match and we can't cjhange anything now. The issue was the consistency of his decisions. Henry was sent off harshly or rightly, that is up to you. But it was the inconsistency in the match that is the issue. Shane O'Neill was not even booked for his wild pull on Eoin Larkin which led to the Kilkenny penalty. My opinion is that was a definite straight red. It was a lot wilder than Shefflins first yellow and he didn't even see yellow. Add this to an incident where he dropped on Colin Fennelly with his knees and kicked him on the ground in the first half after winning a free if I recall right and again no yellow.

Look, all any of us can ask for is consistency and I think it has been sadly lacking in recent Kilkenny games that Kelly has refereed but hopefully he will go up in my estimation on Sunday

KK4Life (Kilkenny) - Posts: 56 - 03/09/2014 11:53:33    1647394

rcarragh
County: Dublin
Posts: 114

1647388
Barry Kelly is a very good referee.

Wasn't it Eddie who made that woeful whine about not getting a holiday or something back in the dark ages? Maybe he should stop the public statements.

That wasn't a woeful whine, it was a call to properly reward winning teams for their efforts during the year and a call that was widely supported by many, and incidentally it was 1993 when he made that speech and that wasn't the dark ages believe me I was there

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 03/09/2014 12:02:54    1647399

rcarragh
County: Dublin
Posts: 114

1647388
Barry Kelly is a very good referee.

Wasn't it Eddie who made that woeful whine about not getting a holiday or something back in the dark ages? Maybe he should stop the public statements.

That wasn't a woeful whine, it was a call to properly reward winning teams for their efforts during the year and a call that was widely supported by many, and incidentally it was 1993 when he made that speech and that wasn't the dark ages believe me I was there

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 03/09/2014 12:03:18    1647401

Well when the headline read that Barry wants to be more important than the players I wouldnt even waste my time reading it!

If you know anything about the man then you'll know this is rubbish of the highest nature - give these lads an opportunity to voice an opinion and off they go. They've been there and done it so people will listen - gas really

Top Ref - the right man for Sunday. He'll ensure hurling win out on the day and nothing else. I guess that's the way it should be

Ban (Westmeath) - Posts: 1415 - 03/09/2014 12:07:12    1647403

As recently as last Sunday Barry Kelly refereed a senior club hurling match in Westmeath and I would be pretty sure he will apply the "ADVANTAGE RULE" fairly often next Sunday. I am all for a free flowing game but sometimes this advantage rule does not benefit a team and if no advantage accrues then the referee looks like he is favoring the team who committed the foul.
I find in club matches that Kelly is far too vocal with the players almost treating them like students in school. Its hard enough playing the game without the ref barking in your ear. The referee should be seen but not heard, the game is about the 2 teams not the man in the middle.

Brendanj (Westmeath) - Posts: 67 - 03/09/2014 12:23:16    1647420

Henry was sent off against Cork not Clare. Barry Kelly can be one sided. But I hope he does a good job. I dont care if he makes some mistakes. FAIR and common sense is all thats needed.

Sheedy (Galway) - Posts: 107 - 03/09/2014 12:25:53    1647421

I think Barry Kelly is a good referee who applies the rules regardless of the colour of the jersey, rare enough just look back to Mayo v Kerry last Saturday. If Kilkenny or whatever county, don't like it, tough. Let the game flow, is code for all kinds of pulling!

thelongridge (Offaly) - Posts: 1735 - 03/09/2014 12:41:11    1647428

I have no issues with Barry Kelly as a referee. All refs have good and bad games and in my view he has had more good than bad.

On Eddie's comments I don't think he meant anything bad in reality as Tipp and KK are very skillful teams and can match the physicality stakes too. There's rarely an inch given in these games and you cant blow for every niggle.

That's what everyone wants to see and it would be nice to see a good hard physical game as well as plenty of skill as long as there is nothing cynical.

Sunday game showed a few examples of some massive hits over the last few years but I think this game will be far less physical than the others in 09 , 10 , 11 & 12.

Hurling will win the day in my opinion.

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 03/09/2014 12:47:23    1647432

Brendanj
County: Westmeath
Posts: 23

1647420 As recently as last Sunday Barry Kelly refereed a senior club hurling match in Westmeath and I would be pretty sure he will apply the "ADVANTAGE RULE" fairly often next Sunday. I am all for a free flowing game but sometimes this advantage rule does not benefit a team and if no advantage accrues then the referee looks like he is favoring the team who committed the foul.
I find in club matches that Kelly is far too vocal with the players almost treating them like students in school. Its hard enough playing the game without the ref barking in your ear. The referee should be seen but not heard, the game is about the 2 teams not the man in the middle.

I have to agree with you here Brendan, too many times you see a defender receiving advantage and then a few seconds later the ball is turned over and back over his own bar. The same often happens a forward going through, 30/40 yards away from goal and he gets advantage only for him to be dispossessed a few seconds later and the ball ends up at the other end of the field.
Surely the greater advantage would be a free so the defender can clear without any pressure or a free 30/40 yards out from goal which would almost guarentee a point. Obviously if theres a chance of a goal, by all means play advantage, but if a player is going to be under pressure to get a score, give the free.

On Kelly barking at players, I noticed this during the documentary on Setanta. I think it sounds really bad cos his voice is so deep!

Joe_Bloggs (Tipperary) - Posts: 186 - 03/09/2014 13:31:54    1647467

Re post from "thelongridge,Offaly"

"Let the game flow, is code for all kinds of pulling!"


Well said , my point exactly in my earlier post.

PatOLogical (Limerick) - Posts: 1355 - 03/09/2014 14:45:42    1647530

Eddie like most ref critics is talking nonsense, and he has obviously reffed a game. It is nice to see the Kilkenny mafia at work. If it is not Cody, it Keher, and now O Connor, trying to pressure them to let Kilkenny away with things. What are they afraid of? Referees are equally as big a part of this game as players are.

galwaydublin (Galway) - Posts: 226 - 03/09/2014 16:11:10    1647577

Hurling snobbery is alive and well

valley84 (Westmeath) - Posts: 1890 - 03/09/2014 17:13:50    1647603

kelly is a decent ref but cody will know how far to the edge he can go

UniGaa (National) - Posts: 694 - 03/09/2014 17:29:29    1647609