The late Tom 'Tex' Mooney
May 10, 2020
The Skryne team that won the Meath JFC in 1967. Front l-r: Stephen Bennett, Tommy Coleman, John Swan, Denis Smyth, Sean Clarke, Michael Hogan, Phelim McCabe. Back l-r: Colum Cromwell, Sean Hayes, Jim Fox, Padraig O'Rourke, Christy Barry, Harry Dowling, Ken Mooney, Tommy Callaghan, Tex Mooney standing beside his father Tommy Mooney.
Sorry to report the death of former Skryne footballer and Meath Chronicle Sports Editor, Tom 'Tex' Mooney.
Tom was born into a partisan Skryne GAA family. His father, also Tom, acted as Vice Chairman of the Meath County Board and at various times Chairman of both the Meath Juvenile and Minor Boards. Needless to say he was hugely active in all aspects of Skryne GAA right through his lifetime. Each year the winners of the Meath Division One League competition are presented with the Mooney Cup.
His son and Tom junior's brother, the late, Ray was another legend in Skryne GAA affairs.
Tex also pulled on the famous blue of the Skryne club but his claim to GAA fame generated within completely different circumstances. It was as Sports Editor of the Meath Chronicle.
Tom commenced working as a sports reporter with the Chronicle in the spring of 1977, a role which soon became that of Sports Editor.
Prior to his arrival the GAA, then as now, was the main topic of interest within the sports section. But its coverage was really a lucky dip of match reports and pending club meetings. Probably depending which club secretary saw fit or had the time to send in a few match details.
Fax machines, emails, were a thing of the future. Most houses were phoneless. Even the role of the PRO was still up for invention. And such scant coverage was generally par for the course in provincial papers right around the country. Unless the county team was in action or the county finals were taking place.
But within a short space of time the Skryne man had turned things around at the Chronicle. Within a year or two we had a solid and packed four to six pages of GAA content. Bigger budgets saw more and more photographs appear. Every club match report from under 12 right up to any form of county activity was included.
Tom Mooney impressed upon clubs the importance of good publicity, how vital it was to have an active PRO at the ready. He persuaded, cajoled. God help the poor club official who did not submit proper and prompt match details.
.The GAA coverage of the Meath Chronicle had a huge bearing on the 'Golden Years', 1986 to 2001 under Sean Boylan. More and more youngsters saw their name and deeds up in big bold print and photograph. It was now even cooler to be a GAA player. And that pool of young emerging footballers swelled.
To heck with Man United and Liverpool, that Meath jersey was a thing to be desired. How many of those All Ireland medal holders had their interest influenced by an under 12B match report from Ballinacree or Stamullen or Summerhill?
In later times Tom moved on to other areas of the writing world and out of the county. But he remained very much a Meath man and a Meath GAA man. His legacy and impact on our local GAA scene is quite substantial. One that should never be forgotten.
Tom is predeceased by his brother Raymond and survived by his wife Ann, sons Tommy, Peter and Douglas, brother Gabriel (USA), daughters-in-law, grandchildren, brother-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives and many friends.
His funeral mass can be viewed on the Cathedral Parish website (www.carlowcathedral.ie/webcam/) on Tuesday morning at 10am after which he will be laid to rest in his native Co. Meath.
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