Deegan began refereeing when the Stradbally club secretary asked if he would oversee a friendly game.
[1] Deegan also refereed the 2020 Munster Senior Football Championship final between Tipperary and Cork which resulted in Tipp's first title since 1935.
Cork-based newspaper, the Irish Examiner, reckoned Deegan gave a "solid" performance.
[14] After retiring, he rated the 2011 All-Ireland semi-final between Donegal and Dublin as the most difficult game he had refereed.
[11] After retiring from officiating at inter-county level, Deegan joined BBC's coverage of championship games, explaining to viewers decisions made by the on-field referee.