Jimmy Cooney (Galway hurler)

Jimmy Cooney
Personal information
Irish name Séamus Ó Cuana
Sport Hurling
Position Left corner-back
Born (1955-07-28)28 July 1955
Bullaun, County Galway, Ireland
Died 31 July 2023(2023-07-31) (aged 68)
Bullaun, County Galway, Ireland
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Occupation Farmer
Club(s)
Years Club
 Sarsfields
Club titles
Galway titles 3
Connacht titles 3
All-Ireland Titles 1
Inter-county(ies)*
Years County Apps (scores)
1979–1982
 Galway 9 (0–00)
Inter-county titles
All-Irelands 1
NHL 0
All Stars 2
*Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 17:27, 2 February 2013.

Jimmy Cooney (28 July 1955 – 31 July 2023) was an Irish hurler who played as a left corner-back at senior level for the Galway county team.[1][2]

Born in Bullaun, County Galway, Cooney first arrived on the inter-county scene when he made his senior debut in the 1979 championship. Cooney went on to play a key part for Galway for a brief period, and won one All-Ireland medal. He was an All-Ireland runner-up on one occasion.

As a member of the Connacht inter-provincial team at various times, Cooney won one Railway Cup medal in 1980. At club level he was a one-time Connacht medallist with Sarsfields. In addition to this he also won two championship medals.

Throughout his career Cooney made 9 championship appearances. His retirement came following the conclusion of the 1982 championship.

His brother, Joe, also had a lengthy career with Galway.

In retirement from playing, Cooney became an inter-county referee. He is best remembered for blowing the full-time whistle five minutes early during the All-Ireland semi-final between Offaly and Clare in 1998, prompting Offaly fans to stage a sit down protest in Croke Park. Clare were winning at the time, however, Offaly won the subsequent re-fixture.[3][4][5]

Jimmy Cooney died on 31 July 2023, at the age of 68.[6][7]

  1. ^ "Jimmy Cooney". Hurling Stats website. Archived from the original on 20 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  2. ^ "The men who changed the face of Galway hurling". Irish Independent. 7 September 2005. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  3. ^ Hogan, Vincent (14 September 1998). "Cooney finds people power beats the whistle blowers". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  4. ^ "Timeout: The 5 worst timekeeping mistakes in sports". MSN Sport. 30 March 2013. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  5. ^ "Cooney's torment 10 years on". Connacht Tribune. 3 July 2008. Archived from the original on 20 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  6. ^ Fallon, John (1 August 2023). "All-Ireland winning hurler and intercounty referee Jimmy Cooney dies at 68". The Irish Times. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Jimmy Cooney". RIP.ie. Retrieved 1 August 2023.