Mayo official appointed to referee FAI Cup final

Top Mayo referee Damien McGrath has been appointed referee for the FAI Senior Cup final between Derry City and Shelbourne at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, on Sunday, November 13, at 3 p.m.

In a statement, the Mayo Branch of the Irish Soccer Referees Association congratulated Damien on a well deserved appointment.

He has been a member of the branch since 2002 and is serving chairman of the organisation.

Damien was selected for a place at the Irish Referees School of Excellence shortly after joining the refereeing ranks.

He joined the FAI's senior refereeing panel in 2005 and became a FIFA assistant referee in 2007.

A secondary school teacher by profession, the Barnatra native has officiated as an assistant referee at the 2006 League Cup final, the 2007 and 2010 FAI Cup finals, Setanta Cup final in 2011, Euro Under-21 Championship finals in 2011 and the European Championships in Poland/Ukraine in 2012 as well as Champions League, Europa League, Euro and World Cup qualifiers.

An FAI Referees Instructor, his appointment to next month's showcase final is significant recognition for him as well as the game in Mayo.