'It's a farce' - Fergal Horgan announces immediate retirement from refereeing over lack of appointments

Three-time All-Ireland hurling final referee Fergal Horgan has announced his retirement from inter-county refereeing with immediate effect due to "lack of appointments" in recent years.

The Tipperary official, who oversaw the 2017, 2020 and 2021 All-Ireland deciders, confirmed his retirement in an interview with Tipperary Mid-West Radio this evening, citing his annoyance with the current appointments process.

Horgan, who took charge of the Kilkenny-Clare AI SHC semi-final last July, claimed that Munster officials were losing out and amid what he suggested was a drive to promote referees from Leinster and Connacht.

He also suggested that some referees had recently been handed games, despite failing fitness tests.

"It's disappointing from my point of view," he said. "I've worked hard over the past few years and haven't got the appointments from Croke Park that I thought I should have got.

"No-one has a right to get any match I suppose but in the last few weeks, we've seen referees getting appointments that didn't pass the fitness test. That's not going down well with referees."

Horgan's last game at national level was the Division 1 meeting between Waterford and Antrim on 26 February. He was also the man in the middle for Cork's win over Limerick in round one.

He insisted that his decision was final and that he felt there was not enough support for GAA referees.

"I did love refererering. But I couldn't see why anyone would take up refereeing, unfortunately. At the top level you get no support.

"Referees are very uneasy. I'm one of the referees that have stepped away. It's a big decision for me to step away.

"I know for a fact that a lot of the referees in football and hurling are not happy with the way things are going at the