Réiteoir! A landmark documentary investigating referee abuse in Gaelic Football
Date Posted: February 5, 2025
Réiteoir! Clár faisnéise a fhiosraíonn drochíde ar réiteoirí sa pheil Ghaelach.
Líonraí: RTÉ One, RTÉ Player
Dáta Craolta: Déardaoin 13ú Feabhra, 10:15i.n.
Fiosraíonn Réiteoir! tionchar na réiteoireachta ar réiteoirí CLG, go fisiciúil, go meabhrach agus go mothúchánach.
Déanann an craoltóir spóirt Gráinne McElwain iniúchadh ar a fhorleithne agus a olcas is atá drochíde ar réiteoirí CLG, agus an tionchar a bhíonn aici ar na réiteoirí iad féin. Tugann na réiteoirí peile David Gough, Siobhán Coyle agus Eoghan Ó Muircheartaigh cuntas pearsanta ar a saol mar réiteoirí, ar an ghrá atá acu don ról agus ar na dúshláin a bhaineann leis. Cuirtear agallamh fosta ar an tráchtaire spóirt Fearghal Mag Uiginn, ar an síceolaí spóirt agus iar-iománaí de chuid na Gaillimhe Justin Campbell, agus ar Uachtarán CLG Iarlaith Ó Broin.
Tá drochíde béil agus drochíde chorpartha ar réiteoirí coitianta sa CLG, ar an pháirc féin agus ar shiúil uaithi. Is ar na meáin shóisialta den chuid is mó a thugtar tromlach na drochíde seo. Dá bharr sin, bíonn roinnt coistí contae ag streachailt le go leor réiteoirí a fháil I ngach aon chód, le bheith in ann gach cluiche i ngach comórtas a chur ar siúl.
Sa chlár faisnéise cumhachtach seo Réiteoir!, léirithe ag Macha Media do RTÉ agus BBC NI, le tacaíocht ó Chiste Craoltóireachta Gaeilge Scaileán Thuaisceart Éireann, déanann Gráinne McElwain iniúchadh ar a fhorleithne is atá an drochíde a fhaigheann réiteoirí CLG. Fiosraíonn sí cad é atá á dhéanamh le dul i ngleic leis an fhadhb sa spórt amaitéarach seo nach bhfaigheann na réiteoirí mórán níos mó ná a gcuid costais ann, ach ina bhfaigheann siad an iomarca de dhrochíde ó imreoirí, ó bhainisteoirí, ó thráchtairí agus ón lucht leanúna.
Leanann an clár triúr réiteoirí peile i rith shéasúr 2024, agus tugann siad léargas luachmhar ar eispearais réiteorí, idir mhaith agus olc. Déanann David Gough as Baile Shláine i gContae na Mí cur síos ar roinnt eachtraí pearsanta léanmhara a tharla dó le linn dó a bheith mar réiteoir idirchontae, go háirithe i ndiaidh dó meáncóga a dhéanamh sna bomaite deireanacha de chluichí móra. Pléann David na héilimh mhóra a bhaineann le traenáil, agus na dúshláin a thagann le teip sna scrúdaithe acláiochta. Míníonn sé an drochthionchar a bhíonn ag litreacha maslacha air, é sin uilig agus é ag déileáil leis an dianscrúdú a thagann lena ról mar dhuine de mhóroifigigh an CLG.
Idir iompar an ghnathphobail, thionchar na meán soisialta agus rialacha úra, tugann Réiteoir! léargas speisiúil agus luachmhar ar shaol an réiteora i CLG an lae inniu. Tugann sé ábhar macnaimh do ghnáthbhaill an chumainn ag gach leibhéal, agus spreagann sé athamharc ar na dearcthaí agus ar an iompar s’againn féin.
Réiteoir! A landmark documentary investigating referee abuse in Gaelic Football
Networks: RTÉ One, RTÉ Player
Broadcast Date: Thursday, 13th February, 10:15 PM
Réiteoir! investigates the physical, mental, and emotional toll of refereeing in the GAA.
Sports broadcaster Gráinne McElwain investigates the extent and impact of abuse faced by GAA referees. Football referees, David Gough, Siobhán Coyle and Eoghan Ó Muircheartaigh, give personal accounts of their lives as referees, their love for the role and the challenges it brings. The programme also includes contributions from sports analyst Fearghal Mag Uiginn, sports psychologist and former Galway County hurler Justin Campbell, and GAA president Jarlath Burns.
Physical and verbal abuse of GAA referees on and off the pitch is commonplace and social media is now the main forum for criticising match officials. As a result, some GAA county boards struggle to find enough referees across all the codes to allow them to provide a full complement of fixtures for their growing number of competitions.
In this powerful documentary produced by Macha Media for RTÉ and BBC NI, with support from Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund (ILBF), Gráinne McElwain, investigates the extent and impact of the treatment faced by GAA referees and asks what is being done to fix the issue in an amateur sport where match officials get barely more than their expenses but often receive a barrage of abuse from players, managers, commentators and spectators.
The programme follows three Irish speaking football referees through the 2024 season and they gives a valuable insight into the experience of referees, both good and bad. David Gough, from Slane in County Meath, gives a candid account of harrowing personal experiences as an intercounty referee, following mistakes he made in the closing stages of big games. David also outlines the rigorous demands of referee training, the challenges of failing fitness tests, and the impact of receiving abusive letters—all the while coping with the intense scrutiny that comes with being one of the GAA’s top officials.
From grassroots behaviour to the growing influence of social media and the complexities of an evolving rulebook, Réiteoir! gives a fascinating and valuable insight into the realities of being a GAA football referee in the modern age as well as providing food for thought for GAA members at all levels, encouraging us all to examine our own attitudes and behaviour.
