Jimmy Cooney (Galway hurler)

Jimmy Cooney, who lived from 28 July 1955 to 31 July 2023, was an Irish hurler from Bullaun, County Galway, who played as a left corner-back at senior level for the Galway county team. He made his senior debut in the 1979 championship, played a key part for Galway for a brief period and won one All-Ireland medal, finishing as an All-Ireland runner-up once. He won one Railway Cup medal with Connacht in 1980, and at club level was a one-time Connacht medallist with Sarsfields who also won two championship medals. He made nine championship appearances before retiring after the 1982 championship, and his brother Joe also had a lengthy career with Galway. He later became an inter-county referee and is best remembered for blowing the full-time whistle five minutes early during the 1998 All-Ireland semi-final between Offaly and Clare, which prompted Offaly fans to stage a sit-down protest at Croke Park; Offaly won the re-fixture.