Simon Deignan (1922-2006) was a Gaelic football player and referee from Cavan.
As a senior football player, he was a member of the Cavan team that beat Kerry in the 1947 All Ireland Final, held at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan, New York — the first and only time the final took place outside of Ireland[1]. He was also a member of the teams that won the 1948 and 1952 finals, and played in the 1943, 1945, and 1949 finals.
He began his refereeing career while still a player, most notably refereeing the 1947 Munster final that was won by the Kerry team he went on to win against as a player.
As a referee, he presided over the 1950 and 1958 All-Ireland senior football finals.
One of Simon’s whistles is featured in Lár na Páirce’s “Knights of the Whistle” exhibit. Additional information can be found at Wikipedia.
