For the love of the game: Christy Byrne and Finbarr Bevan gave incredible service as referees
Christy Byrne with Cork Youth League committee member Denis Crowley at the Kiln in Heineken Brewery.
The Irish Soccer Referees Society Cork Branch had a great night recently in the Kiln at the Heineken Brewery, where they presented five former referees with Pat McAuliffe Hall of Fame Awards.
Christy Byrne, Finbarr Bevan, Eddie Mullins, Barry Kearney and Sean Manley were all honoured for their contribution to sport in Cork.
Here, we're looking at Christy and Finbarr’s careers. We will document Eddie, Barry and Sean’s achievements in the coming weeks.
Christy Byrne began his refereeing career in 1973 in the AUL after a very successful playing career as a very accomplished goalkeeper. From there, he progressed to the Business League before receiving the call to join the League of Ireland panel in 1984, where he served with distinction for 10 years.
Among his many highlights was acting as assistant referee in the 1993 FAI Cup final when Shelbourne defeated Dundalk 1-0. Shortly after, he earned a place on the FIFA panel and received his badge as assistant referee, what was then known as a linesman, becoming the first Cork man ever to achieve this honour.
With that exceptional milestone, his career took him across Europe, representing his country with pride.
Two appointments stand out in particular, a full international friendly between Sweden and Nigeria ahead of the 1994 World Cup and a quarter-final of the now-defunct Cup Winners Cup, Benfica versus CSKA Sofia in the old Stadium of Light. Willie Long served as the opposite assistant and Pat Kelly was the referee for both of those matches.
After five years on the FIFA panel, it was back to local football where he continued to serve with distinction. He refereed big Intermediate, AOH, Keane Cup and Beamish Cup finals.
He went on to serve as Fixture Secretary for 15 years and still contributes today by covering the Match of the Week.
He also served as secretary of the branch for 12 years, respecting the committee's work ethic and is grateful for the many lifelong friendships he formed.
Finbarr Bevan started his refereeing career back in 1970 in the Cork Street Leagues in Farranree. It was those early days on local pitches where he first discovered his interest in officiating and from there he joined the Referee Society, taking his first real steps into structured refereeing.
It wasn't long before his calm presence, fairness, and genuine passion for the game made him a familiar and respected figure.
Over the years, he went on to officiate across all the leagues. He spent many committed seasons in the Cork AUL, handling high-intensity league games and local derbies that test even the most experienced officials. He brought the same professionalism and pride to every match he took charge of.
As his career progressed, he continued to be a steady and reliable presence on the pitch, eventually finishing his service in the Schoolgirls League in his final season.
After four decades, Bevan was still giving back to the game, supporting young players and showing the same love for football that he had on day one. One of the most remarkable parts of his story is his incredible collection of 27 schoolboys final medals.
Bevan often joked that every young boy who ever kicked a ball in Cork, he must have refereed at some stage and considering the length of his career, that might not be far from the truth. Among those he encountered were future stars like Denis Irwin and Roy Keane, long before the world knew their names.
However, he also had a soft spot for the lesser-known players with huge talent who, for one reason or another, didn't go on to reach the heights he felt they were capable of.
Bevan liked to call refereeing a 'love affair', a line that always brought a smile, but when you look at the decades he devoted to the sport, it's clear it truly meant something to him.
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