David Coldrick Explained

David Coldrick
Occupation:Executive Manager of the Actuarial Reporting team at Irish Life
Years Active:1994–present
Employer:GAA
Sport:Gaelic football
Position:Referee
Club:Blackhall Gaels

David Coldrick is a Gaelic football referee from County Meath. A member of the Blackhall Gaels club, he has refereed four finals of the All-Ireland SFC.

Seán Moran, writing in The Irish Times in 2015, described Coldrick as "one of the least excitable referees on the inter-county scene. What might have been seen as diffidence earlier in his career has evolved into a patient and punctiliously polite demeanour, like a schoolteacher with a difficult class". In 2022, Martin Breheny named him among "five of the best football referees".[1]

Career

Coldrick began refereeing in 1994.

Club

Coldrick refereed the 2004 Meath SFC final and 2007 Meath SFC final replay.[2]

Inter-county

Coldrick refereed the 2005 Munster SFC final.[2]

He refereed the 2007 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final between Cork and Kerry at Croke Park. He was the fourth Meathman to referee an All-Ireland final, following Dick Blake (1894, Dublin v Cork, drawn game and replay), Peter McDermott (1953, Kerry v Armagh & 1956, Galway v Cork) and Paddy Kavanagh (1985, Dublin v Kerry).[2] Coldrick later became part of a select group to referee more than one All-Ireland final when he took charge of the 2010 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final between Cork and Down.[3] [4]

In 2013, he toured counties, such as Meath, Longford and Louth, to explain the new black card to referees.[5]

Coldrick was named as the referee for the 2015 All-Ireland Senior Football Final between Dublin and Kerry on 8 September.[6] That game (and Coldrick) featured in the documentary All Ireland Day.[7]

In December 2020, he was named as referee for the 2020 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final between Dublin and Mayo.[8]

At a referee conference in January 2015, Coldrick described missing the chance to show Down player Conor Maginn a black card in the 2014 Ulster Senior Football Championship and not awarding a penalty to Dublin when Cork players handled the ball on the ground during the 2013 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-final as two of the lowest points of his career at that stage. He also said the following about the Ulster Senior Football Championship: "Ulster makes or breaks you. It can be a graveyard. The games are different. There is an extra dimension and intensity, and you must be at your best. If you aren't prepared physically and mentally, the chances are you will be caught out. But when you are appointed for your first Ulster championship match, that's making progress".[9]

Coldrick was referee for the 2022 All-Ireland quarter-final between Armagh and Galway at Croke Park, during which he controversially[10] [11] [12] [13] [14] issued straight red cards to both team captains following a brawl before extra-time, while missing Armagh's eye-gouging of Galway forward Damien Comer, which was immediately picked up by television cameras[15] [16] and widely condemned.[17] [18] [19] [20] The Irish Times said that Coldrick "hadn't had his sharpest day at the office".[21]

International

Coldrick refereed during the 2005 and 2006 International Rules Series.[2] He refereed the second test of the 2006 Series, at Croke Park, with Pat McEnaney chosen to referee the First Test at Pearse Stadium.[22]

Personal life

Coldrick left college in 1997 and joined Irish Life where he is Executive Manager of the Actuarial Reporting team.[23]

Notes and References

  1. News: Five of the best football referees. Irish Independent. Martin. Breheny. Martin Breheny. 19 August 2022.
  2. News: Meath's All-Ireland winner. Hogan Stand. 30 November 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20220811235423/https://www.hoganstand.com/article/index/89391. 11 August 2022.
  3. News: Coldrick to join elite group of referees after landing final. Irish Independent. Martin. Breheny. Martin Breheny. 2 September 2010. 2 September 2010.
  4. News: Coldrick to referee All-Ireland final. RTÉ. 1 September 2010. 1 September 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20150315213909/http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/football/2010/0901/270055-referee/. 15 March 2015.
  5. News: Navan Black Card seminar a success. Meath Chronicle. Conall. Collier. 21 November 2013.
  6. News: Coldrick to referee All-Ireland football final. 8 September 2015. Hogan Stand. 9 September 2015.
  7. News: Seán. Moran. 'All-Ireland Day' a memorable portrait of the year's highlight. The Irish Times. 11 November 2015.
  8. Web site: Coldrick chosen to referee All-Ireland SFC final. 9 December 2020. Hogan Stand. 9 December 2020.
  9. News: Coldrick: I should have given Conor Maginn the black card. Independent.ie. 11 January 2015.
  10. News: John O'Mahony: Unbelievable that players trying to stop brawl were sent off: Galway captain Sean Kelly and Armagh's joint skipper Aidan Nugent were sent off when they seemed to be peace-makers'. Irish Examiner. John. Fallon. 27 June 2022.
  11. News: O'Mahony says red cards for Kelly and Nugent both undeserved: Former Galway boss says the use of penalties to decide an All-Ireland quarter-final 'absolutely crazy'. The Irish Times. John. Fallon -->date=27 June 2022.
  12. News: The Sunday Game questioned the decision to send off Armagh's Aidan Nugent and Galway's Seán Kelly while Colm Cooper asked whether the GAA's penalties are severe enough. The Sunday Game. 26 June 2022.
  13. News: Former GAA president Liam O'Neill calls on GAA to 'tidy up its act' after brawl. RTÉ. 27 June 2022. Armagh's Aidan Nugent and Galway's Seán Kelly received red cards just before extra-time began, although replays suggested they were attempting to break up the melee. O'Neill said there is a decreasing faith in the GAA's disciplinary system..
  14. News: CCCC set to examine Armagh-Galway melee later today. RTÉ. 27 June 2022. Galway might seek to have Kelly cleared to play in Galway's All-Ireland semi-final against Derry on 9 July, with replays suggesting both he and Nugent may have been attempting to break up the fracas..
  15. News: The Sunday Game panel react to scenes of striking and apparent eye-gouging in the aftermath of the full-time whistle in Croke Park. The Sunday Game. 26 June 2022.
  16. News: 'It's disgusting' — Pat Spillane rips into Galway and Armagh for 'terrible' brawl. Martin. Healy. 26 June 2022.
  17. News: 'No room for that in any sport' — Taoiseach condemns Croke Park eye-gouging incident as 'shocking': Former GAA president Seán Kelly says tough sanctions called for. Irish Independent. Senan. Molony. Frank. Roche. Laura. Lynott. Aoife. Breslin. 26 June 2022.
  18. News: O'Rourke on brawl: Armagh the common denominator. RTÉ. 27 June 2022.
  19. News: Joe Brolly Slams Armagh 'Culture' After Unsavoury Galway Scenes. Balls.ie. Gary. Connaughton. 28 June 2022.
  20. News: 'They are out of control' — Joe Brolly criticises Armagh players over melee at Croke Park. Irish Independent. Fionnán. Sheahan. Aoife. Breslin. 28 June 2022.
  21. News: Quarter-final with everything leaves Armagh with nothing as Galway progress: Galway reach All-Ireland semi-final after first Croke Park championship penalty shootout. The Irish Times. Seán. Moran. 26 June 2022.
  22. News: McEnaney to ref in Rules opener. BBC. 25 October 2006.
  23. Web site: David Coldrick. https://web.archive.org/web/20150315213818/http://blog.irishlife.ie/author/david-coldrick/. 15 March 2015.

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