Tributes flow after passing of ‘great man’ Cooney

R.I.P: Referee Jimmy Cooney during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final match between Offaly and Clare at Croke Park in Dublin. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

 Former Galway hurler and inter-county referee Jimmy Cooney has been hailed as “a great man” upon his passing at the age of 68.

The Sarsfields man, the eldest of the six Cooney brothers including county star Joe, lined out for Galway in four championships from 1979 to ’82 and was left corner-back in the Tribesmen’s second ever All-Ireland senior hurling victory in 1980 when they beat Limerick in the final and also claimed a Railway Cup medal with a Galway-dominated Connacht side that year.

An All-Star in 1980 and ’81, Cooney started the following year’s final when Offaly beat Galway and his last senior inter-county game came against Kilkenny in the 1983 All-Ireland semi-final.

He won three senior county medals with Sarsfields and was a substitute when they won the All-Ireland crown in 1993.

Five years later, he was at the centre of the Clare-Offaly All-Ireland semi-final replay controversy when he whistled for full-time two minutes too early. Clare had been leading by three points at the time but Offaly supporters staged a sitdown protest on the pitch and a second replay was later ordered, which Offaly won before going on to win the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

The error was a shattering experience for him. Speaking to Vincent Hogan in the 'Irish Independent' a month later, he said: “Michael Bodkin, the nearest linesman to me at the time, came walking in, shaking his head. Then Aodhan Mac Suibhne and one of my umpires arrived. All three of them were shaking their heads.

“I took a second look at the watch and I knew exactly what was after happening me. I had played a 30 minute half (club game duration), instead of 35. At that stage, I wished to God the whole world could open up and take me away altogether.''

In 2005, Ger Loughnane said he had never accepted the official reasons set out for the game being called to a halt early. Believing the former Clare boss to have “lost the run of himself completely”, Cooney said: "I was absolutely amazed when I heard what he said. I have no idea where it came from or what he was on about. I'm very annoyed that he would even suggest that it was anything other than a genuine time-keeping mistake.” 

The game, which took place 25 years ago this month, turned out to be Cooney’s last inter-county appointment. However, he returned to train match officials in Galway in 2008 and was a juvenile coach in Sarsfields for several years.

Cooney is the second member of the 1980 All-Ireland winning team to pass away. Full-back Niall McInerney died 19 years ago and squad members John Ryan, Finbarr Gantley and former GAA president Joe McDonagh have passed away in recent years.

Hailing his hurling career, Galway’s three-time All-Ireland SHC winning manager Cyril Farrell said: “Very little would ever have got by him when he was playing.

"He was a very tough competitor, a great presence in defence. But all round he was a great man, a great activist for everything around the Bullaun community.” The eldest of 15, Cooney’s brothers Pakie, Michael, Joe, Brendan and Peter all played for Sarsfields. The youngest brother Peter passed away from cancer four years ago.

Over the weekend, Brendan Ward, who officially Offaly chairman at the time of the 1998 semi-final replay controversy, passed away. Durrow man Ward was chair of the board from 1989 to 2002 and had been life president.

Cooney is survived by his wife Kay, daughters Sarah, Ciara and Tara and son Fiacra.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dilís.