“The correct message is that sport has a place for everyone, regardless of sexuality” – David Gough

Gough came out as gay in 2011 and he hoped the decision would encourage gay players to do the same. “I just assumed it would open doors for other people and it doesn’t seem to have done it, or maybe they just didn’t take the opportunity. They are there, there is no doubt about it.”

But on the eve of the Dublin Pride Parade, the Meather native is confident things are about to change. “Visibility is key to all of this and (it’s about) existing happily as a member of the LGBT community but also within the sports world and representing both without conflict. That sounds like the right message to younger people that regardless of their sexuality, sport is the right place for them.”

Gough has “never” encountered homophobic abuse on the pitch as “there is such a respect” between him and the players, and he cited the example of Leinster rugby player Nick McCarthy, who emerged as evidence that it was under GAA -Players so many fears about it are misguided.

“As Nick would say and I would say: when we both came out there was nothing but a huge amount of support from the dressing room which resulted in another player coming out at my club just a couple of years later. We can see the domino effect from the first appearance in Leinster Rugby and now the second. It shows that changing rooms are accepted places.”

Gough would like to take part in tomorrow’s Pride Parade but will instead be at home saving his energy for his task on Sunday – he will referee the All-Ireland Quarterfinals between Mayo and Kerry.

He wants to be here as a referee, just like he wants to be here for the players.

“I’ll be very nervous, but nervousness means to me that I want to do a good job – that’s important,” he says. “I want to do my best. My refereeing team will be there and we want to do our best to position ourselves for an All Ireland final on July 24th. That is the end goal.”

In weeks like this, Gough spends much of his time memorizing players’ faces and studying the rulebook to make sure he’s doing everything right, but he won’t listen to what pundits have to say about recent refereeing decisions.

“I’m not watching The Sunday game so it wouldn’t land on my radar,” he says. “Personally, I watch the game the next day with the volume off and make my own assessment, and what pundits, players and panelists think on RTÉ is irrelevant because they don’t come from the same knowledge of the rules as I do. so their opinion doesn’t really count for me.”

As for the different styles of refereeing, Gough believes there’s a misconception about those who let the game flow.

“The game flows because the players play within the rules. If there is a free, the free was caused by a foul, the foul was caused by the player, so you must refer it back to the player and stop looking at the referee.

“I’m very, very black and white when it comes to rules. I’m very conscious of not being biased and creating a level playing field for players and treating them all with the same courtesy or respect.”

David Gough spoke as part of SuperValu’s #CommunityIncludesEveryone campaign, which urges GAA communities across the country to do whatever they can to make their communities more diverse and inclusive