| Full name | Paddy Collins | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
1942 (age 81–82) Athboy, County Meath, Ireland | ||
Patrick Collins (born 1942) is an Irish former Gaelic football referee and Gaelic games administrator. Born in Athboy, County Meath, Collins refereed the All-Ireland SFC finals of 1976, 1981, 1984 and 1989. A 2014 article in Hoganstand.com noted that he is regarded as "one of the top football referees of all time".[1]
Páidí Ó Sé appointed him as a selector when he was made manager of the Westmeath senior football team in 2003, by which time Collins had long served as secretary of the Westmeath County Board.[2]
Collins remained involved with the Westmeath senior team under Ó Sé's successor as manager Tomás Ó Flatharta, appointed in 2005.[3]
Collins was also county secretary in 2000 when manager Brendan Lowry received a controversial six-month ban which was later lifted.[4]
In 2022, Martin Breheny named him among "five of the best football referees".[5]
While county secretary Paddy Collins is to remain part of the backroom staff, Ballyferriter man Ó Flatharta is expected to name his selectors in the coming weeks.