Sad to report the passing of Jimmy Tunney.

Local clubs Kilskyre and Ballinlough have paid tribute to one of their favourite sons.

Kilskyre Hurling Club

Message to everyone ‘don’t take yourself too seriously’. That was Jimmy Tunney 24/7, if the sun was splitting the stones there was rain or snow on the way, Jimmy’s negative jokes were presented only when you were up for the crack. 

If you were precious about yourself then you were fair game for a slagging. Jimmy got everyone down to the one level which is where we all should be.

Over the past two weeks since Jimmy went into hospital, I had several people at first hand telling me how Jimmy called into them once a week for a cuppa and a joke. They always felt better after his visit. These visits were second nature to Jimmy, but you have to built of kindness to do these things without broadcasting it.

Kilskyre Camogie & Hurling Club will have a void for some time, you don’t get characters like Jimmy coming around too often. He did everything for the club as secretary, treasurer, lotto, groundsman, linesman, umpire and most importantly joker and many other positions if you believed everything!!!

 Thankfully he got to enjoy the new facility and my god he enjoyed it, down for a chat and a smoke with whoever it didn’t matter if you were nine or ninety.

Remember ‘don’t take yourself too seriously’. 

 Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

Ballinlough GFC

All of us in Ballinlough GFC were desperately saddened to hear of the passing of one of life’s greatest characters James “Jimmy” Tunney.

While Jimmy would predominantly be known as a Hurling man, and was an absolute pivotal member of Kilskyre Hurling Club, he was also a great sportsman in general and a wonderful supporter of Ballinlough GFC over the years.

Regularly seen hanging over a pitch fence with the cigarette never too far from his lips, Jimmy was a wealth of knowledge when it came to GAA matters and wasn’t afraid to voice his own opinion either.

Horse racing was another love of Jimmys and he was delighted to meet Champion Jockey Nina Carberry in his beloved Kilskyre only a few short weeks ago, impressing her with his knowledge of the Sport of Kings and his ability to list of all the various achievements Nina herself had accomplished.

Indeed many’s a Clubs Race Night over the years wouldn’t have got off the ground if it wasn’t for Jimmy and his box of tapes from some of the more obscure race tracks of the world, and the man himself was always on hand to act as MC to ensure a great nights entertainment for all.

This parish is blessed with several people I label under the term “characters” and none surpassed Jimmy in that regard. From his dry sense of humour and witty remarks, Jimmy was a Master at regaling his audience, and some of the stories he has told over the years were beyond belief…usually because Jimmy had made them all up we’d learn after the fact !!

He was for sure a great Gael, but more importantly Jimmy was a great friend and neighbour and he will be very sadly missed by all those who had the pleasure of his company if even only for a short while.

To the Tunney Family we offer our most heartfelt condolences on the passing of Jimmy, Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam, Sleep easy now Jimmy.

Funeral Details

Reposing at his home in Kilskyre (A82PR53) on Thursday 20th June from 3pm-6pm.

Removal from his home on Thursday evening on foot to St Alphonsus Liguori Church Kilskyre arriving at 7:30pm.

Funeral Mass on Friday at 12 Noon with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.

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