DURING Kerry's senior hurling championship final last weekend on TG4, a live referee microphone was used for the very first time.
John O’Halloran from Limerick was the man in the middle for Causeway and Ballyduff at Austin Stack Park in Tralee,
Causeway secured their ninth County SHC win and emerged victorious with a 2-15 to 0-16 score-line.
But the most interesting aspect of the game was O’Halloran’s calls being heard by viewers watching the game live on GAA Beo
Fans were quick to give their take on the new innovation
"I'm only three yards away from it" — Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) August 7, 2022
Live mic ar @GAA_BEO atá ar úsáid don céad uair riamh!!#GAABEO pic.twitter.com/xKHFWekbeU
One user replied to Sport TG4 and said, "Tg4 leaving the rest for dead in covering Gaa. Hand the whole Gaa marketing & tv coverage over to them. They r way ahead of the rest for novelty & creativity."
Another said: "Would be excellent to have. Would let the viewer hear the referees reasoning on decisions. More of it needed @RTEgaa @SkySportsGAA
Other sports like Rugby have had referee audio technology for years, while the likes of Football(soccer) have not yet added it to their sport.
It will be interesting to see if the GAA continue this trend and bring it to the intercounty scene on TV's around the country, here's hoping.