This will be the second FAI Cup Final that McKeon has been in charge of following the 2007 showpiece between Cork City and Longford Town at the RDS. He will again be looking after Cork as they take on Dundalk in this year's final.
The Dubliner, who has been officiating for 27 years, insists this showpiece event will be a career highlight and it acts as a reward for all of the hard work that he has put in since first becoming a referee as a teenager.
“It’s a massive day and it will definitely be the highlight of my career. I’m very lucky to have been deemed good enough to referee in one FAI Cup Final, but a second one at the Aviva Stadium is special,” said McKeon.
Having started out taking control of games in the Dublin Schoolboys League, McKeon progressed onto the Leinster Senior League before making the jump to the SSE Airtricity League when he was just 22 years old.
It has been a whirlwind experience since then with many high points, including handling the FAI Junior Cup Final in 1995 and serving on the FIFA refereeing panel between 2004-2012.
“It has been a great journey. I’ve been to some of the best stadiums around the world and been involved in so many big games,” said McKeon, who works in I.T. and runs his own business.
In spite of the enormity of the occasion, McKeon insists he will treat today just like it was any other match-day and stick to a familiar routine. And Paula Brady will adopt a similar approach.
Appointed as the referee for the Continental FAI Women’s Senior Cup Final, Brady knows exactly what McKeon will be going through ahead of kick-off but experience means she will be fully prepared.
The FIFA international referee is no stranger to taking charge of the big games in women’s football, although she admits that today is different considering this is a Cup final in the national stadium.
“It’s a big day out for the players, their families and friends, the supporters, the clubs, and for us too. You work hard all year to get to this stage and it’s very significant,” said Brady.
It is almost a decade since Brady first became a referee but she remains as committed as ever and is delighted to be part of this big day.
Irish Daily Mail FAI Senior Cup Final
Referee: David McKeon
Assistant Referee: Dermot Broughton
Assistant Referee: Mark Gavin
4th Official: Robert Rogers
Continental FAI Women’s Senior Cup Final
Referee: Paula Brady
Assistant Referee: Michelle O’Neill
Assistant Referee: Natasha Valentini
4th Official: Deirdre Nolan