*Niall Malone. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
ÉIRE ÓG’s Niall Malone has been appointed referee for Saturday’s Division 2 final in the Allianz National Hurling League.
Malone and his team of officials will be heading for Laois Hire O’Moore Park in Portlaoise to take charge of the decider between Laois and Kerry. The game will be streamed on Sport TG4’s YouTube.
Earlier this month, he was the man in the middle for the meeting of Kildare and Carlow in Division 1B of the National Hurling League.
A referee since 2012, the Ennis native joined the referee’s provincial panel in 2021, the Munster Development Panel in 2020, he has been part of the national referees panel for the past two seasons.
Niall has refereed two Munster U20 hurling finals (2022 and 2024), two Clare SHC finals (2019 and 2023), he did not receive any games within the province for minor, U20 or senior last season but remained busy on the club scene. He has been an active member of Éire Óg’s backroom team over the past three seasons and held a similar role with the Clare senior hurlers in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Last year, he took charge of Ballygunner’s Munster club quarter-final win over Na Piarsaigh in the Gaelic Grounds, having previously officiated their 2022 win over Kilruane MacDonaghs at the same stage.
