The Man Behind the Wire: Late Jimmy Cooney left a favourable and lasting impression on Offaly GAA

HE may have achieved national fame for very unfortunate reasons but in the aftermath of that traumatic experience, he won lasting respect and affection.

The timing of Jimmy Cooney's sudden recent death was profound and sad. It came just a couple of weeks after the Offaly team that had won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship title in 1998 had celebrated the silver jubilee of that famous success by being introduced to the crowd before the All-Ireland final between Limerick and Kilkenny.

The Galway referee had definitely left his mark on that 1998 campaign. He had been the man in the middle for the second of the All-Ireland semi-final trilogy between Offaly and Clare. Offaly were trailing by three points and heading towards almost certain defeat when Cooney blew up time two minutes early.

There were extraordinay scenes in Croke Park on that never to be forgotten day as Offaly players and officials immediately protested and pointed out the error. In the blink of a eye, suited security men surrounded Cooney, escorting him off the field, holding him by the arm and ruining any chance that he may have had of restarting the game and playing out the full time.

He may not have been able to restart the game anyway but those security men played a crucial peripheral role in Offaly winning that All-Ireland. Supporters reacted angrily, staging a sit down protest on the pitch and they only left after pleas by late Offaly GAA chairman, Brendan Ward.

As Offaly players enjoyed a pint in the Croke Park hospitality suite after the game, accepting that their season was over, the possibility of a refixture soon emerged. It seemed unlikely but the rumours grew legs and by the following morning, it was announced that Offaly and Clare would meet for a third time, in Thurles the following Saturday.

It gave Offaly their get out of jail card and they took full advantage. For much of 1998, their prospects of winning Liam McCarthy had range between slim to none. They had been badly beaten by Kilkenny in the Leinster final and an infamous outburst by manager Babys Keating when he compared the players to “sheep in a heap” quickly led to his departure as manager.

Galway man, Michael Bond was a surprise appointee as manager and the wheel gradually turned. In the first All-Ireland semi-final against Clare, Offaly found their form for the first time that year and almost shocked Clare.

In the replay, however, they were flat and off the pace for much of the game. Clare were easily the better team and only a late rally had brought Offaly back into contention. Offaly had often come back from the dead before in hurling and football, and with only a goal separating the sides, anything could have happened but in reality, they were heading out of the championship that day. Clare were attacking when the “final” whistle blew, with a possibility of putting a safe four points between the sides, and Offaly would have had no excuses if they had lost.

Cooney's error threw them a lifeline and Offaly were soon swimming like an Olympic champion. They were sensational as they stunned Clare in the refixture in Thurles and then steamrolled Kilkenny in the second half of the All-Ireland final.

In the aftermath of the first Clare replay, Jimmy Cooney endeared himself to all with the way he carried himself, held his hands up and admitted his mistake.

Clearly devastated at making such a crucial error, one couldn't but be touched by the humanity of it all and the common decency that he exuded. He spoke poignantly of how his linesmen and umpires were the first to let him know that he had made a mistake and then he realised what he had done – he had played a 30 minute instead of a 35 minute half.

“At that stage, I wished to God the whole world could open up and take me away altogether,” he told the Irish Independent a couple of weeks later.

In Offaly, the referee came in for no criticism after the initial fury that led to supporters occupying the field and players and management surrounding him. Everyone accepted that a genuine mistake had been made and Offaly would have been magnanimous about it, even if a refixture had not been granted – it might have been a different story if there was a point in it and Offaly had played well but they were grasping at straws that day, very much second best and the time keeping error meant they got away with it. In fact, Clare had far more reason to be aggrieved than Offaly but they also conducted themselves very well afterwards.

Jimmy Cooney never refereed another senior inter-county championship match after that but he left a lasting impression on many. The way he dealt with it, the heartfelt regret and self blame he encountered was deeply touching and impressive – and Jimmy Cooney always impressed as a decent, ordinary man, doing his best.

His connections with Offaly go much deeper than that one game. He was particularly well known in Rahan as his wife, Kay was a Finnerty, a well known and popular local family, from the area. He was a regular visitor to Rahan, he occasionally socialised in the Thatch and the locals immediately warmed to him, enjoying his company and having fun with him – after 1998 as well as before. They just enjoyed his company and by all accounts, he was a very pleasant man to talk to.

He was also well known to many of the first great Offaly hurling team, the 1980-1981 breakthrough side – the Sarsfields man was an excellent corner back and he crossed swords with Offaly in 1980 and 1981.

Offaly had won their first ever Leinster senior hurling title amid scenes of the wildest excitement imaginable in 1980. Galway beat them in the All-Ireland semi-final, on their way to winning the All-Ireland but a year later, Offaly turned the tables on them when winning their first All-Ireland.

Jimmy Cooney's quality is reflected by the fact that he was an All-Star in 1980 and 1981. A brother of Galway legend, Joe, he also gave great service to his club, Sarsfields – he won three Galway senior hurling medals with them and was a sub when they won the All-Ireland in 1993.

He was just 68 years of age when he died and news of his passing touched a chord with many Offaly GAA supporters – and no doubt members of that 1998 Offaly side will toast his memory when they go on a silver jubilee holiday in a few weeks time.