Cornally siblings make a little bit of Westmeath GAA history
A little bit of history was made at the start of the month in the Westmeath Intermediate Hurling Championship.
St Oliver Plunkett's GAA club member and referee Rob Cornally enlisted the assistance of his four brothers David, Alan, Eoghan and William as umpires for the IHC clash between Clonkill v Turin.
As the club noted on social media this was a somewhat rare moment in GAA; to have not just blood relatives but brothers officiate at a game. As the club celebrated their golden jubilee the game provided a nice bit of Plunketts trivia for future table quizzes.
The Cornally siblings are steeped in the GAA with their late parents Rob Snr and Detty having given years of sterling service to Mullingar Shamrocks. Detty, who passed away just over a year ago, was also synonymous with the promotion of Scór in the Westmeath county town.
Rob told the Examiner about how the historic moment came about: “The family were all together for our mother's anniversary mass. We were at my mother's house actually and I suggested it to my brothers.”
Rob had complete faith in his brothers to take on the burden of the challenge: “They've all played the game, so they all know what they're doing.”
For his part Rob has a long involvement as a match official: “I started doing the line at 16 years of age back in 1987,” he said, “I got into it completely by chance. Tom Farrell rang to say he had no linesman for a match. I went down to tell my father in Cusack Park and when I got there Paddy Collins gave me an orange jersey, black shorts and orange socks. That's how I got roped in.
“From then Terry O'Dowd had me doing the line for matches and the late Dougan Murray. I've been a referee since and this is my 36th year.”
In his decades holding the whistle Rob has seen some changes: “While there is more 'giving out' now than there was when I started, in the last few years it's quietened down. That is because of the new rules that came. On the pitch things have changed.
“In hurling the ball can be brought up 30 metres and football 50 metres. If it was coming from the sideline it's a free on the 20 metre line. I think people are buying into it. You still get them shouting from outside the fence.”
Rob officiates in both hurling and football. He says the support officials play an important part in the game: “In championship you have linesmen and umpires, you can concentrate on the ball. League matches are different. You have to try and look at where the ball is going from and going to. The main thing is you follow the ball.”
The Plunkett's referee is keeping busy and even undertook underage fixtures during the week. The final score in the Clonkill v Turin that took place at St Loman’s Dovida Park ended on a scoreline of 5-15 to 2-15.