After being snubbed for this year's Liam MacCarthy Cup decider, referee James McGrath has resigned from the GAA's Inter-County Referee panel.

The GAA announced yesterday that Wexford's James Owens will be the man in the middle for this year's blue riband hurling event featuring Galway and Limerick and the news hasn't gone down well with Westmeath's McGrath who many thought was the front runner for the job.

In a Facebook post, the Turin clubman revealed his "final and irreversible" decision to quit the Inter-County Referee panel due to "the lack of trust, confidence and integrity" by the Central Referees' Appointments Committee...

"It is with a heavy heart that I make this decision but I feel my decision has ultimately been made by CRAC for me to resign from the national referees panel with immediate effect," he posted

"It is final and irreversible given the lack of trust, confidence and integrity by CRAC and I feel betrayed by the association as a consequence given my 18 years of unbroken volunteerism to the association on the national refereees panel.

"I wish to place on record my thanks to all my umpires, David Hennessy, David Clune, Tom McNicholas, Johnny Fitzpatrick, Alan Coyne, Paul Reville, Jimmy Weldon among others and thank all the loyal GAA diehards that I became friends with since I commenced refereeing back in 1996 (Maynooth University), Leinster panel '98 & the National panel in 2000.

"Wishing James Owens & Johnny Murphy, referees & all officials the very best of luck in the minor & senior finals on Sunday, August 19th next.

"God Bless a chairde, thanks again for all your loyal support and good wishes."

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