James Mcgrath reached the very top level of refereeing in Ireland when he took charge of the All Ireland hurling final in both 2012 and 2013. In this episode of the podcast he shares some incredible insights into the world of a referee. Dealing with the crowd, with managers and with players. How to respond during a game when you realise you may have made a mistaks. Handling pressure. Waiting for the Sunday Game to see if you made a mistake!How to interact with different personality types on the pitch. James and Alan discuss the journey he took from standing in as a ref at an underage game to taking charge of the biggest games in Croke Park. All the way through to his decision to retire in 2018 when overlooked for the All Ireland final. This is a unique insight into the life of a referee, from one of the very best in the business.