The late Jim Cooney Jim Cooney, of Chiswick, West London, and formerly of Carrigahilla, Stradbally died peacefully on Tuesday 27th March 2007. Jim was born in Stradbally village on the 14 December, 1911, third child of six born to Michael and Ellen Cooney. when the family were young thy moved to their home in Carrigahilla. It was from this home that Jim attended school in Stradbally, first to the Mercy convent, and then to the Boy's School. Jim started his education under British rule, but the "Irish Free State" was formed before he was finished. Having loved through "Troubles" he remembered the "Black and Tans". But for all this, his was a happy childhood, he loved country life and enjoyed the various activities of the countryside and excelled at many of them such as catching rabbits and hares, trout tickling, salmon fishing, taking care of horses and dogs and many other things. In his early twenties, lack of work forced Jim to emigrate to London, and he joined his oldest brother Tom in Ealing. They worked together in the construction industry. Jim enlisted in the British Army in WW2 and, after his service and demob, he joined Wimpey Construction, a company he worked with for very many years, and rose to a senior level. In the 50s he went with Wimpey to Aden and enjoyed working there, and also the experience of living in a different culture. The stories of his time working on the oil fields were fascinating. Jim had a great interest in sport and loved to have a bet on the horses or any game of football. He remembered bowls thrown from Graigue (Brainne Claise), to the Five Cross Roads and back to Drumlohan Cross. He played hurling with Durrow Hurling Club, and football with Stradbally, but had emigrated before Stradbally won their first junior football County Championship in 1932. Jim recalled the official opening of the Stradbally Handball Alley, with all the top players in the county present. In London he played with the Tara team at Eltham and, when his playing days were over, he joined with others to raise funds to build their own grounds. Jim was proud of the part he played in the development of Ruislip for Gaelic Games, and spend many happy hours supporting the teams that came over from Ireland, right up to the last year of his life. While Jim travelled much of the world, his heart was in Stradbally. A regular visitor home he loved to meet his friends. An excellent story teller, Jim recalls playing in card drives, cycling to dances in Surrow Hall (Willie Cronin's workshop) and to Ballinroad. He could remember the different land marks in the locality from his youth, and on his many visits would walk to the "The Cilleens", "Tobar Cill Aodha", "Cloch Lourish" and several Holy Wells. In late years, every Saturday from his home in London Jim would purchase one of the Waterford local papers. This was not read until Monday. Often, this followed with a phone call to Stradbally, inquiring as to the local personalities whose names were mentioned and who were related to, especially if it involved sport or if somebody had died. On his retirement from Wimpeys the final work that Jim had was with the St Christopher's Fellowship, a charity that looked after children with emotional and family problems. Jim worked as a handyman/caretaker at their various homes, work that he enjoyed very much, as he was extremely fond of children, but it also was work that upset him as he despaired of the problems that beset the children. Jim's funeral Mass was on Thursday 5 April 2007, at Greenford Church, Middlesex. Jim was predeceased by his brothers Tom and John, and sisters Mary and Bridget (Sr. Rosina) and is survived by his daughter Pauline, her partner Alan and son Mark, and also by his sister Kitty, many nieces and nephews and a large circle of friends in London and Stradbally. Ar dheis De go raibh a h-anam. Courtesy of the Waterford News & Star 11th May 2007 Tweet

Most Read Stories