Clontarf FC Junior Referees Program

Clontarf FC is celebrating a major milestone after 17 of its players successfully qualified as FAI referees, following their completion of the FAI Beginner Referee Course on September 2nd and 3rd.

The newly certified referees are all participants in the club’s Junior Referees Programme, launched this summer and open to Clontarf FC players aged 16 and above. While the club originally anticipated 7–10 sign-ups, the overwhelming response saw 17 players step forward, highlighting the enthusiasm within the squad.

“The response from our players has been fantastic. We set out to give our older youth members a new opportunity in football, and they’ve embraced it brilliantly.”

Refereeing Pathway and First Steps

As part of their development, the new referees will initially officiate Clontarf FC’s U10 and U11 games, giving them valuable experience in a safe, supportive environment. Club coaches and officials will be on hand to provide guidance and assistance as the referees learn their trade and grow in confidence.

The 17 Referees

• 2024/25 U18 Team
• Nathan Fogarty
• Noah Beamish
• 2024/25 U17 Team
• Andrew Meeahan
• 2025/26 U18 Team
• Sebastian Reeves
• Aidan McSwiney
• Rory Kinsman
• Dylan Shore
• Cillian Shields
• 2025/26 U17 Teams
• Lewis Tilly
• Dylan Murphy
• Ronan Cadogan
• Charlie Bourke
• Alfie Burke
• Noah Reeves
• Donagh Kirwan
• Senan Reeves
• Eoin Clinton

Programme Objectives

Clontarf FC’s Junior Referees Programme was designed with key goals in mind:

• Encourage older youth players to consider refereeing as a football development pathway.
• Provide structured, certified referee training via the FAI.
• Introduce referees into the youngest club age groups.
• Build a positive mentoring environment for new referees.
• Strengthen community ties while helping retain older youth players within the club.

The initiative was made possible through strong collaboration with the FAI Referees Department. Special thanks were extended to Lucas Keating and Rob Hennessy for their instrumental support. Rob also attended the club’s presentation night on September 8th to present the new referees with their official kits.

Why our young players want to become a Referee?

The programme outlined a clear pathway for participants, offering benefits such as:

• Develop leadership, confidence, and communication skills.
• Earn official certification through the FAI Beginner Referee Course.
• Gain paid match experience while building skills.
• Act as role models within the club and community.
• Progress on a refereeing pathway: Clontarf FC → DDSL → FAI → UEFA → FIFA.

Sponsored Support

Each referee received a full starter kit, including:

• Two referee jerseys, shorts, and socks
• A full equipment pack (whistle, cards, notebook, flags, and coin)

This equipment was fully sponsored by Clontarf FC’s new club sponsor, Member First Credit Union.

The club expressed its gratitude to the Credit Union and in particular to Conor Ralph, Digital Marketing Manager, for making the sponsorship possible.

“Without this support, our lads wouldn’t have had the great kits you see in the photos. It really adds to the professionalism of the programme.”