Seamus Aldrdge (born 1935) is a

Gaelic games Gaelic games ( ga, Cluichí Gaelacha) are a set of sports played worldwide, though they are particularly popular in Ireland, where they originated. They include Gaelic football, hurling, Gaelic handball and rounders. Football and hurling, the ...

administrator,

Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...

referee and former player. He is a member of the Round Towers club in

County Kildare County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, ...

Career

Aldridge played for the Kildare minor football team. He played until the age of 29. He refereed his first match in 1958. He began refereeing in 1963 after his playing career had concluded. He allowed

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

player Éamonn Breslin's header into the goal at the Canal End of

Croke Park Croke Park ( ga, Páirc an Chrócaigh, ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, it is referred to as Croker by GAA fans and locals. It serves as both the principal national stadium of Ireland and he ...

twenty minutes into a National League game against

Laois County Laois ( ; gle, Contae Laoise) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medie ...

in 1964; this was the first header scored at Croker. He referred the famous 1978 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final when

Mikey Sheehy Michael "Mikey" Sheehy (born 28 July 1954) is an Irish Gaelic football selector and former player. His league and championship career at senior level with the Kerry county team spanned fifteen seasons from 1973 to 1988. Born in Tralee, County ...

lobbed the goalie. Death threats followed. He has also refereed in

hurling Hurling ( ga, iománaíocht, ') is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of p ...

. Aldridge first became involved in administration in 1952. He served in various roles: secretary and chairman of Kildare's Referees Committee; secretary (1975–2000) and treasurer (1976–2000) of the Kildare County Board. Aldridge spent 20 years as a delegate to the Leinster Council. He became vice chairman (1996–1999) and chairman (1999–2001) of the Leinster Council. He oversaw the managerial appointments of

Mick O'Dwyer Michael O'Dwyer (born 9 June 1936) is an Irish retired Gaelic football manager and former player. He most famously managed the senior Kerry county team between 1974 and 1989, during which time he became the county's longest-serving manager an ...

and Dermot Earley Snr, and then the reappointment of O'Dwyer in advance of the county's appearance in the 1998 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. Central Council: GAA Management vice-president (1999–2001). He ran for the position of

President of the Gaelic Athletic Association The president of the Gaelic Athletic Association ( ga, Uachtarán Cumann Lúthchleas Gael) is the head of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). The president holds office for three years. The role of president has existed since the foundation of ...

, finishing as runner-up to Seán Kelly. He was later appointed President of Kildare County Board. Aldrigde was President of Kildare GAA during the 2018 over the Mayo fixture in Newbridge. the Newbridge or Nowhere".

Personal life

Aldridge attended De La Salle and St Joseph's Academy (both in the town of

Kildare Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 8,634 making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. The town lies on the R445, some west of Dublin – near enough for it to have become, despite being a regional cen ...

) for his primary and secondary education respectively.

Tom Keogh Tom C. Keogh (1922 – 15 February 1980) was an international fashion illustrator, graphic artist, and set and costume designer who married dancer and novelist Theodora Keogh, née Roosevelt, the granddaughter of President Theodore Roosevelt ...

, an uncle of his, played for the Kildare county team that won the 1927 and 1928 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship titles, before he played for

. Aldridge is Secretary of Athy Golf Club and Athy Rugby Club and a member of the

Fine Gael Fine Gael (, ; English: "Family (or Tribe) of the Irish") is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil � ...

political party.

Honours

;Round Towers *

Kildare Senior Football Championship The Kildare Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football competition organised by Kildare GAA between the top clubs in County Kildare, Ireland. The winners of the Championship qualify to represent their county in the Leinster Club ...

(3) *

Kildare Intermediate Football Championship The Kildare Intermediate Football Championship, or Kildare I.F.C., is an annual Gaelic football competition contested by mid-tier Kildare GAA clubs since 1928. The winners currently receive the Hugh Campion Cup in honour of the Suncroft official ...

(1) *Kildare Minor Football Championship (3) *Kildare Under-16 Football Championship (2) *Kildare Under-14 Football Championship (2) ;Kildare *Leinster Championship (1) : 1956

References

External links

Examiner newspaper
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aldridge, Seamus 1935 births Living people All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final referees Gaelic games players from County Kildare Gaelic football referees Hurling referees Leinster Provincial Council administrators Kildare County Board administrators Kildare Gaelic footballers Round Towers (Kildare) Gaelic footballers Secretaries of county boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association