Rory Hickey has revealed how he received hate mail during his time as a referee.

The Clare match official, who hung up his whistle this week after missing the cut for this year's football championship panel, says the most disturbing mail he received was after he awarded Cork a controversial penalty against Limerick in the 2009 Munster SFC final.

"I got letters sent to me a few years ago," Hickey told the Clare Champion.

"I gave a penalty to Cork in a Munster football final and the people of Limerick weren't too happy about it. The letters came to my mother's house and she opened them and they were't too complimentary. Someone had gone out of their way to cut words out of magazines and newspapers, so that the handwriting couldn't be traced.

"I am not the only one that has happened to. I know other lads at national level who would have had the same thing happen to them.

"It's disturbing and at that stage then you are handing the letters over to the guards and hoping that there won't be repeat stuff or anyone calling to the door. Thankfully, I never had anyone calling to my house becuase of a decision in a game, but I have gotten texts and that kind of thing. People would seek out your number and send you those texts.

"I am big enough and bold enough to handle that, but when it is going to your mother's house, or your wife and children might be reading it, it's not nice."  

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