By Harry Walsh
BUNDORAN whistler Ryan Walsh will take charge of his first inter-County game when the Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup gets underway on Sunday, January 4.
Walsh (24), who is captain of the Bundoran Reserve team, will take charge of the Group C clash between Antrim and St Mary’s at Creggan.
Together with Fanad’s Mark Dorrian (22), Ryan is one of new crop of referees who are making their way up through the referees ranks. They are joined by Ian Molloy (Naomh Conaill) and Shaun McLaughlin (Malin) as Donegal’s representatives on the inter-County referee’s panel for the coming season.
With Sean Paul Doherty (Urris), Enda McFeely (Convoy) and James Connors (St Eunan’s), both codes, in the referee’s academy Donegal is currently well served at inter-County level.
An archaeology student at Sligo IT, Ryan works part-time with McEniff Amusements in his home town. He is also on the Croke Park support panel which means that he’ll get the opportunity to do the line and be the fourth official at National Football League games throughout the 2015 campaign. He the son of Referees Administrator Pat Walsh.
Ryan took charge of the U21 ‘A’ final between St Eunan’s and Kilcar in Convoy last weekend, while he has been in charge of a number of Minor League games in 2014, this will be his first foray into senior Inter-County football.
He will be joined at Creggan by his four umpires Shane McGrath, Mark Granaghan, Lee Jordan and Kevin Cassidy.
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Donegal will face UUJ in MacCumhaill Park on Sunday.
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