Brendan Mooney always seemed to have time on the ball. Here's why...

Brendan Mooney: 'Quietly spoken and courteous to a fault, he always seemed to be a counterpoint to the madness around. In every respect, he was both a gentle man and a gentleman.'

Only those who worked before new technologies revolutionised the newspaper business remember just how rough and tumble newsrooms, like the Examiner’s, used to be. 

Noisy, crowded, smoke filled, often chaotic, they were well stocked too with characters, mavericks, drinkers and the occasional bully. For all its colour and energy, it was not a working environment for the faint-hearted.

In the midst of all this stood Brendan Mooney, calm and unflappable, characteristics that define my recollections of this lovely man. Quietly spoken and courteous to a fault, he always seemed to be a counterpoint to the madness around. In every respect, he was both a gentle man and a gentleman.

And what a journalist. Professionally, it was fascinating to see him at work. To use sporting parlance, Brendan, like all great players, always seemed to have “time on the ball”, an ability to make the difficult look easy. He belonged to a handful of sports journalists who enjoyed national reputation for their work, notably in his case for his coverage of athletics, boxing and cycling. He achieved that status through encyclopaedic knowledge and prodigious output but more importantly through factors which reflected his personality.

I am convinced that some sports journalists actually don’t like sport, much preferring to pick over the bones of defeat and “failure” than to celebrate success. Brendan was the direct opposite of this. He loved sport and sports people and they loved him back.

Instinctively, they recognised that here was a man who empathised with them, who understood and valued their effort and dedication as highly as their success. His own athletic background meant that he knew about fine margins and the myriad of variables that can determine success. Sportsmen and women recognised his professional journalistic obligations but also knew that he wished them well, encouraged them and when things didn’t always work out, supported them. The outpouring of sadness from the world of sport at the news of his death speaks volumes in that regard and underscores a special connection based on mutual respect and trust.

It never seemed to matter to Brendan whether he was covering a major or juvenile event; they all got his personal interest and attention to detail. He prided himself on identifying stars of the future and would regularly say: “Pat, look out for so and so, you will be hearing a lot more of him or her.” 

And invariably he was right.

But, of course, he did bring the exploits of a “Who’s Who” of Irish sport to life for readers over many years - Eamon Coughlan, Marcus O’Sullivan, Frank Murphy, Derval O’Rourke, Sonia O’Sullivan, Rob Heffernan, Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche, Mick Dowling, Charlie Nash, Andy Lee, Michael Carruth, amongst many, many others. To hear him elaborating on their careers over lunch in the Examiner canteen was like having a Premium seat at a succession of great sporting events.

And, of course, Brendan attended so many of them. Over the course of many Olympics, Brendan was the sole Examiner journalist present. These days, media dispatch squads of journalists – sports reporters, colour and feature writers, guest pundits. Brendan pretty much did the lot - on his own - for much of his career without the benefit of new technologies and in the midst of logistical nightmares. The production of pristine copy, often called out to copy takers, redefined multi-tasking and seemed to suggest that bi-location was, after all, possible.

There is a profound sense of loss among those who knew Brendan in the sporting and broader community. And yet, there is no mystery about why that should be so, no profound analysis to be undertaken. Brendan touched so many people through his innate goodness and kindness, his good humour and professional achievements. It is a legacy that I hope in time will be of some comfort to Ann, Joanne, Caroline, Brenda and Richard of whom he was so proud.

*The author is managaing director at Casey Communications and a former Irish Examiner staff writer